Laetacara Curviceps

[pica_nuttalli]

my LFS has 3 Laetacara curviceps cichlids in stock. one is very dark and the other two are light. one light colored one has a spotty pattern that's the same as the dark curviceps; the other's pattern is different and this curviceps seems less afraid of the dark one. some questions:

(1) how large is the curviceps maximum size?

(2) would the curviceps be compatible with my 60g community if i removed the kribs?

planted 60 gal
-- 2 Kribensis (M&F) [01/05]
-- 1 Otocinclus [01/04]
-- 1 Paradise Fish [04/05]
-- 3 L-200 plecos [04/05]
-- 1 Dojo Loach [07/05]
-- 2 Red-Eye Tetras [10/05]
-- Plenty of Pond, Malaysian, and Ramshorn snails

(3) should they be kept in a pair or trio?

(4) would one say that they were less or more aggressive than spawning kribs?

(5) i assume that the dark one is male and that one of the light colored curviceps is probably female. might the other one be a subordinate male? is there a precise way of sexing these cichlids?

 

[lucky62]

Are the body shapes the same ?

Do a search lateacara curviceps , and lateacara dorsiger , very similar . the base body color on curvis is gray , and on dorsiger is brown . could be both in the tank

Both grow to between 3 and 3 1/2 "

keep in pairs , just 3 in the shop , gunna be hard .........males have dorsal and anal fins that are more pointed and extend to or beyond the tail
Yes they would work without the kribs .

be diligent with water changes .......you should be fine with these .

 

[MET]

Curviceps can be hard to sex. It often takes a trained eye to tell the difference. In my experience they are very gentle and peaceful unless they are breeding but even then they are not especially agressive. I suspect they would work in your tank without the Kribs. It is possible they would work with the Kribs but unlikely that they would thrive.

To get the most from these fish provide them lots of plants, subdued lighting and good food.

There are a couple of books I can reccommend if you are interested in more.