Cant Find Any Good Sources For T-Bars, But Might Be Able To Get Ahold

[Wills]

I dont believe they eat them but they are eartheaters so will dig quite a lot.

Wills

 

[Flagtail]

Gymnogeophagus Balazinni will grow to 5-6''. So you could have quite a few in the 55. I'd say you can comfartable fit 4-6 in there.

 

[Balloons&killies]

I dont believe they eat them but they are eartheaters so will dig quite a lot.

Wills

ok well better move my new clump of glossostigma But when they start to become adult and form pairs wont they fight alot>?

 

[Wills]

Most types of Geophene, so thats Geophagus, Guianacara, Biotodema, Microgeophagus(rams), Satanoperca and Gymnogeophagus do best in groups both in the wild and in tanks some species of these above fish are often found in groups of 30-50 and although pairs do form they all live within a hierarchy which will get replicated in your tank.

I would do a group of 6 personally.

Wills

 

[Balloons&killies]

Most types of Geophene, so thats Geophagus, Guianacara, Biotodema, Microgeophagus(rams), Satanoperca and Gymnogeophagus do best in groups both in the wild and in tanks some species of these above fish are often found in groups of 30-50 and although pairs do form they all live within a hierarchy which will get replicated in your tank.

I would do a group of 6 personally.

Wills

ok ,got it , how cold do i have to drop the temp for them in the winter >?

 

[Wills]

Just found this on an other forum so its someone elses experiences rather than my own but it seems about right -

"I cooled them for about 2.5 months. I dropped their tank temp from about 79degrees to around 61-62degrees for that time. When you do the cool down remember fish that are kept at that temp do not need to eat as often, I feed them once a week for the time period."

Interesting not there about the feeding and something to bear in mind.

Wills

Also a video worth refering too - http/il.youtube.com/watch?v=gS71G2cW_2o - looks like Buenos Aires tetras are good companions I imagine some cory species as well as some come from pretty cool waters.

Wills

 

[Wills]

Okay so done a bit more reading in a few forums and Im going to post some fish names that you will need to research further but of course I will be able to help you out

So the list of possible tank mates for these fish -

"one of the guys found some sort of green swordtail to combo with his gymno... Said they were commonly found together and fine with the change in temps and the cooler temps."

"peppered cories (Corydoras paleatus) which is found in the south"

"Bloodfin tetras or white cloud mountain minnows both should be able to handle the cold"

"buenos aires tetras as well as goodeid livebearers. I have mine in with Ameca splendens, Xenoteca eiseni, Chaplicthys pardalis and a couple of others. They're a great source of live food and also enjoy the cooler temps"

Right so off that it is quite an interesting list there - have to admit I hadnt really thought of livebearers but they do make a lot of sense as tank mates as the all come from central america (mostly) which is cooler than mid south america and probably closer in temperature reaches as in far south, south america

And also from the posts I have read I would really really recommend the Buenos Aires Tetras as a really good choice of tank mate. But yeah might be worth while having a really good look at fish fact sheets and looking for fish that come from Southern Paraguay and Southern Peru and Southern Brazil as these will be the fish that will be able to handle the cold winter period.

Wills

 

[Balloons&killies]

Thanks Wills,

im thinking im gunna go with buenos aires tetras, im thinking of adding driftwood that i found into the tank,ive been soaking it in a 5g pail outside for weeks now, but it keeps discoloring the water. is there any way i can get rid of the tannins>?

 

[Wills]

Cool sounds good The wood should be good in there, with the tannins just keep soaking in hot water like fill it with hot water and cover the top with tin foil. Or you could use carbon to sort out the tannins in the tank but you need to swap the carbon quite frequent. I would just keep it soaking for a while longer.

Wills

 

[Balloons&killies]

Cool sounds good The wood should be good in there, with the tannins just keep soaking in hot water like fill it with hot water and cover the top with tin foil. Or you could use carbon to sort out the tannins in the tank but you need to swap the carbon quite frequent. I would just keep it soaking for a while longer.

Wills

ok but is it alright to use outdoor drift wood>?

 

[Wills]

Sometimes personally I wouldnt do it just because it adds an element of risk to the tank. Found wood can soak up all kinds of pollutants and if the wood isnt dead when you find it it will rot in the tank and add to the bio load of the tank on the whole. Rocks are sometimes different but still risky personally I only get decor hardscape from fish shops just for my own piece of mind. I know its expensive but with such special fish (and these are special fish) its important to be safe.

Do you know what kind of wood it is?

Wills

 

[Balloons&killies]

Sometimes personally I wouldnt do it just because it adds an element of risk to the tank. Found wood can soak up all kinds of pollutants and if the wood isnt dead when you find it it will rot in the tank and add to the bio load of the tank on the whole. Rocks are sometimes different but still risky personally I only get decor hardscape from fish shops just for my own piece of mind. I know its expensive but with such special fish (and these are special fish) its important to be safe.

Do you know what kind of wood it is?

Wills

got know clue , found it on a beach, but i think i might get soime at the LFS just to be safe , (V)

 

[Wills]

Cool looks like we are all set then

Just to check you have seen what these look like as adults havent you? Because originally in the thread you thought these were going to be like Geophagus Surinimensis and they are actually a lot different to these - have a google of Gymnogeophagus Balzani (spelling) and just to double check you are prepared.

Personally I think they are a great fish but I could understand if they were not to others tastes.

Wills

 

[Balloons&killies]

thanks,

Yeh they very stunning the males with the hump,