I Miss My Curvicep Cichlid

[Akasha72]

I'm beating myself up. I lost my beautiful male curvicep cichlid just a few weeks ago and since then I seem to have lost the joy of looking into my tank and smiling. Something just 'feels wrong' without him.
 
My problem is that I have two angelfish - a male and a female. They are stunning, they're a pair of smokey blushing angels and so they are a bit special but they are also a bit naughty, the female especially. When she gets into one of her moods the entire tank suffers. 
 
It's because of the angels that I've not replaced curviceps. When he was alive he struggled with the angels and their bossy behaviour. He was too shy to cope with them and spent most of his time towards the end hiding in the plants.
 
This month though I spotted pfk magazine on the rack at the pet store and so I picked it up. I've not read it all just yet but there is a tank in there which contains a small group of curvicep cichlids ... I'd not thought of keeping a group of them as I wasn't sure if it could be done successfully without aggression setting in.
 
I'm here now to ask if any other member has kept them as a small group successfully and if any other member has kept them with angels.
 
 
I'm a little torn. I miss curviceps and I'd rather not re-home my angels but if getting curviceps back means re-homing the angels I would make it a consideration. I miss them that much 

 

[Munroco]

What size of tank are we talking about?

 

[Akasha72]

It's a Juwel Rio 240 so that's 240 litres, 4ft long 

 

[Munroco]

Should be able to keep 2 pairs at least in there especially if its heavily planted. Buying young ones who would grow up together would help too I think.

 

[Akasha72]

that's what I was thinking and wondering if a small group would help them feel safer with angels in there ...

 

[Akasha72]

so the longing to replace curviceps is hitting me hard now ... so much so that I drove around for 2 and a half hours trying to find a place in the middle of nowhere that I'd been told sometimes keeps them in stock. I failed to find the store ... feeling pretty despondent right now.
 
I think I've found the store online (I'm not 100% certain it's the right place) and now have the address to put into the satnav for the next attempt to find it but Laetacara Curviceps is not on their stock list currently.
 
I feel like a leprechaun trying to find my pot of gold and the end of a never ending rainbow. Why of why did I give the curvicep fry I had away ... I should have kept some back  

 

[DoubleDutch]

Have a look for the Laetacara Dorsigera.

 

[Akasha72]

I don't want laetacara dorsigera, I want laetacara curviceps
 

 
I can't resist that face
 

 

[Akasha72]

I finally found Aquatic Finatic in Northallerton on Saturday but no Curviceps. They had Dorsigera and I would agree Double Dutch - it's a nice looking fish but it's not Curviceps.
 
I asked about availability and was told they're getting a shipment in from Chech Republic in a couple of weeks and Curviceps is on the list. I've taken their business card and they suggested I ring before heading over so I'm not disappointed again.
 
Now I've just got to work or what I want ... do I want the hassle of breeding cichlids or do I just want peaceful ... I actually have no idea if a small group of just males will work as I've no experience of a bachelor group. From what I've read online it can work. I do know I want more than one 

 

[Akasha72]

Anyone heard the saying 'Hen's teeth'? or 'rocking horse poo'? .... both could be used to describe the availability of curviceps in my area.
 
I've been back to Aquatic Finatic today - because I knew they stocked the full range of New Era food but also to have another look - but still no curviceps. Had a chat with the people there though as it was really quiet and they've taken my phone number and if they can get some in they'll ring me. I can't fault them on that, they were lovely people. Friendly and happy to help.
 
They still have laetacara Dorsigera - just two left I think and I did think about trying those instead but it's not what I really want

 

[AshGillott]

Good morning,
 
Have you tried looking into garden centres over a specific aquatis place?
 
I assume your in north Yorks somewhere as thats where Northallerton is, and theres a large garden centre in Knaresborough, may be worth a shot, theres also a decent sized aquatics place in Leeds but that maybe too far
 
anyway heres the garden place
 
http/www.cascadegardencentre.co.uk/

 

[Akasha72]

yes, there's Moorlands garden centre (in Knaresborough) and that's where my favourtie lfs is - Harrogate Aquatics. He can normally get fish in on special order but he's not willing to order curviceps in because they arn't a popular fish and I get that. No sense in getting fish in that you're gonna struggle to sell.
 
The one in your link is on the Ripon Road close to where I live. That was where I got my original pair several years ago. I've asked if they are likely to get them in again and the said no - same reason as Harrogate Aquatics.
 
There's also Maidenhead Aquatics at Poppleton garden centre near York. I asked there too and got more or less the same reply.
 
I've also got Pet Safari in Stephen H Smith's garden centre in Otley. I've not asked them specifically because they are the smallest of the 4 stores that I class as 'local'.
 
I don't mind driving further afield - such as Northallerton (although I'm in pain today from driving all that way yesterday ) if I know they've got what I want - such as the New Era food that I'm now struggling to get locally.
 
I don't know of anywhere else. They did say at Aquatic Finatic that the South American dwarf cichlids tend to come in from September through to December which makes me wonder if these rarer cichlids will be wild caught.
I always thought my original pair were wild caught ... the way they guarded their babies smacked of a wild caught fish. I've seen tank bred cichlids and their young and they didn't guard them as viciously as my curviceps did 

 

[AshGillott]

You have been busy then, I will ask at my local today and see if they can help


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[Akasha72]

You have been busy then, I will ask at my local today and see if they can help


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Brilliant. That would be good to know Thanks

 

[AshGillott]

Not so good news I'm afraid, 1 of the shops says they never get them and the other says they rarely come in but will let me know if he here's anything. However there is a 3rd I know of and its large + I will be going past them tomorrow to get my kids so I will pop in. Fingers crossed


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