Any Ca Sub-Tropical (~20C) Riverine Cichlids

[N0body Of The Goat]

I'm wondering if there are many options in the way of CA cichlids that would be comfortable in the conditions for my goodeid group, in hard alkaline water in the 20-22C ballpark? I get the impression that Convicts may work (ironic considering I accidentally was given two of these when I bought four Pyjama Synodontis last summer, only to return them a few weeks later because of aggression fears).

They have worked well as dithers for my Steatocranus youngsters over the last month or so, but I was curious if there were viable options more in line with a biotope (if only in the very loose continent scale).

 

[Wills]

Hmmm interesting question.

The first things that spring to mind for me are Gymnogeophagus and the associated biotope that fits with them but rather than them being Central they are far Southern and need a temperature drop into the mid teens at a stage of the year? I dont know if that would fit with your live bearers but if they are used to 20-22 then surely in the wild there would be a drop in the winter same as for the Gymnos? There are a selection of Pikes, Australoheros and Cichlasoma that fit in with them as well Cichlasoma Dimerus being one that I can remember off the top of my head. Not sure on which pikes it is but one of the Pikes is one of the southernmost found Cichlids in the Americas and tollerates it pretty cold! Perhaps sourcing via the shops that stock such rarities and do postage such as one click fish, pier aquatics, rare aquatics or oddballs express.

You might even pick some up on your auction circuit.

Wills

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Thanks for ideas to look at Wills, been looking up that huge list of Gymnogeophagus on the current Oddballs Express stocklist, loving the look of G. balzanii especially!

Ilyodon xantusi profiles suggest 20-24C, but the very closely related Ilyodon furcidens profile suggests a slightly cooler 18C. Originally I planned to mix these goodeids with my four Hoplo (M. thorarcata) and my Chaetostoma milesi, but the catfish often looked rather stressed (fish48 told me last weekend that he has experienced bad results of mixing goodeids with Corydoras) and the plec seemed to spend too much time chasing other fish from her territory rather than finding food that had sunk to the tank floor (the only place she can eat, given her underslung mouth). As much as I've been swaying towards more biotope correct stockings recently, I might end up putting the Ilyodon in the 5x2x2 as midwater dithers for the "Congo rapids" catfish I have, rather than sourcing some stunning Brycinus longipinnis.