Any Info On Chocolate Cichlids Or Guianacara Sphenozona?

[Bazaman]

My uncle who as been breeding fish for over 30 years is sending me a dozen chocolate Cichlids and a dozen guianacara spenozona both are south american Cichlids. I am trying to learn as much as i can about both speices before they get here next month. so if anyone has had any experince with either of these your input would be nice. Thanks

 

[thereverendturtle]

I've only had experience with the chocolates, so I can only speak of them. Mine was fairly peaceful for a large cichlid. They get to be about 8" and mine left other fish alone, that didn't easily fit in its mouth. Give them a varied diet, pellets, worms, veggies and they will grow into very stunning fish.

 

[Bazaman]

yup i am planning on starting a small compost in a large bin in order to raise worms so i will always have fresh worms for them to eat.

is there and plants that would work with these fish that any of you would know of? i like to keep live plants in all of my tanks.

 

[thereverendturtle]

Potted up amazon swords and epiphytes, java fern, anubias sp. and vals do well. Just protect the roots from being dug up. The ferns and anubias are good, because you just tie them down and let them go.

 

[Davo86]

Just out of curiosity, what size tanks will these 12 Chocs and 12 Guianacara be kept in?

Both are nice, large, relatively peaceful cichlids, with the Spenozona being fairly uncommon. but you will need to give them space if you want to avoid aggression due to lack of territories

 

[Bazaman]

as they are babies they will be put into 20 gal grow out tanks as they get bigger i will separate them and i am currently saving for a 80Gal+ tank for them. i don't know how many will survive the trip i am picking them up on a tuesday night doing a water change on them on wedensday morning and they will be in their tanks wedensday night.