• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

280L Riparium for Gymnogephagus labiatus

hydrophyte

Member
Joined
22 Aug 2009
Messages
1,044
280L Loose Biotope Riparium for Gymnogephagus labiatus


This is a pre-journal at this point, but I think that I have scored a real nice tank to use for a new setup. My main intention for this display is to make a nice habitat for the new little group of Gymnogephagus labiatus that I scored back in July at the American Cichlid Association Convention in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, USA. Here are the little devils that I bought from a skilled Milwaukee-area fish breeder.

24-vii-10-aca-gymnogeophagus-labiatus-i-s.jpg


They came with locality information too, "Rio Olimar". I don't know any more specifics about the collection point, but I might be able to figure that out by asking around some more.

These things are awesome when they grow up into adults. Just look at this show fish.

24-vii-10-aca-gymnogeophagus-labiatus-ii-m.jpg


I think that one might have placed in the show. I was immediately in love with these Gymnogeophagus cichlids when I saw them there. I had never really heard of them before and I understand that they are experiencing a lot of recent interest among hobbyists. They only grow to about 15cm and have relatively mellow temperaments, so I think that a 280-liter will be a good match for a small group. At the convention I also caught part of the presentation by Scott Arney and Jeff Cardwell, Collecting in Uruguay, about the Southern South America habitats where these fish originate from. Uruguay is pretty far south and has an almost temperate climate. The pictures of the fish biotopes looked to me more like rivers in Wyoming than the tropical rainforest habitats that are more commonly associated with South American cichlids.

Here is a link to an awesome photo thread over on cichlid-forum.com with pictures of Gymnogeophagus and other fish along with biotopes in Uruguay.

Cichlid-Forum :: View topic - Pics from collecting in Uruguay (load warning!)

I want to put together a nice riparium planting for this tank. I might research plants to a certain extent, but I will for sure take some liberties with plants that aren't necessarily representative so that I can get a nice riparium layout. I do want to add some kind of shoaling fish that will be more or less authentic for the habitat for this Gymnogeophagus. I'll have more ideas and specifications in the next few posts. I need to work on getting the new tank here because it is still over in the next county.

With the idea of pleasing the Gymnogeophaus, this tank is going to have a broad sand bottom with maybe just a few stones. There will be a full layout of riparium plants, but I might also include a few Echinodorus swords underwater planted in tank planters to brighten that area up with some greenery.

15-viii-10-echinodorus-tank-planter-i-s.jpg
 
Back
Top