Intentional Overcrowding

[duanes]

Time for a iittle update, its been about 2 years since the start of this experiment.
So far the Andinoacara have coxisted without any overt strife, they chase each other around quite regularly ,but with little damage.
The dominant males reaching about 7", most females slightly smaller.

The Isthmoheros (an Amphilofine ancestor) are quite different, after the initial 3 stated to mature, the alpha took issue with a smaller subordinate individual, seeking it out, and doing serious damage, eliminating it

But in the process if eliminating its rival, did some serious damage to itself.


Leaving just the 2 similar sized individuals in the tank, I thought the injured alpha, was surely doomed.
But its still hanging in there, a month later
The other healthy tuyrensis below,

Other than the over crowded cichlids, there is only an Awaous goby, the cichlid almost totally ignore.

 

[PhishMon84]

I hate to oversimplify but it seems like you're discovering biotopes... which are very cool. the one i would like to replicate is lago peten with red morph snook and melanura. i know they both get large but are also both on the mild side.

Would be cool to see those gobies and that predatory characin in the hobby

 

[newworld]

I don't remember the “red” bay snook in peten?

 

[PhishMon84]

I don't remember the “red” bay snook in peten?

the genus and species is Petenia Splendida, Peten implies where they are found. Im assuming the red comes from there and not just the green type, as the melanura from that lake is also more reddish than other locales.

I assume the vieja and tetras eat the specific type of algae that grows there, and the snook eat the tetra that eat the algae... but i'm not a scientist

 

[newworld]

Haha thats where the name comes from? kidding i meant the red version of that fish being found there i think i just saw the green type not saying they aren't any there..as for the melanurum they are your classic orange fish from that region that was associated w melanurum before synspilum was melanurum..

 

[PhishMon84]

Haha thats where the name comes from? kidding i meant the red version of that fish being found there i think i just saw the green type not saying they aren't any there..

I'm not sure! I was trying to login to the cichlid room companion to confirm but unfortunately the reds have been absent from the hobby for like 7-8yrs

 

[duanes]

Funny I had the red morph Petenia about 10 years ago, I settled, (though I really wanted the green), yet they were not available to me back then.
I guess I could never pay enough, for a big brown and grey cichlid (kind of similar to the main reason I moved to Panama, to access, Darienheros and Isthmoheros)



The reds always reminded me of the common aquarium strain pink midevils, which I also found uninteresting compared to other Nicaraguan Amphilophines. Some people like blonds, some like brunettes.....

 

[PhishMon84]

i typically don't like albino or unnatural color-morphs, hybrids ect. but these are naturally occurring which i like and it was one of my most personable fish that I've kept- who didn't have a ton of baggage with tank mates