• You liked BFD7 now you should join this forum and of course become a club member to see what CCA is all about.
  • Thank you to everyone who registered and showed up for the BIG Fish Deal #7.

September

Pat Kelly

CCA Member
Staff member
Who wants to keep this fish? Our September speaker will be brining a pair for the auction.
Crenicichla celidochilus
DSC06821.JPG

Note: Photo taken from internet_ http://edburress.blogspot.com/2010/12/crenicichla-celidochilus.html
 
Last edited:

Pat Kelly

CCA Member
Staff member
I had the link under the picture with the statement that I stole the picture from the web. LOL
I have always wanted to try pikes.
Hmm Wonder if it would get Francine back into fish. LOL
 

dogofwar

CCA Members
Outside of Felipe, Ed, Ken Davis and Pete are probably the folks most experienced with Ceilos. I think Ed's the only guy outside of Uruguay who's bred them (Felipe has as well).

They're from the Rio Cureim in Northern Uruguay (the river that forms the border between Uruguay and Brazil), which is a pike wonderland: C. missioneira, C. vittata, C. minuano, C. tendybaguasau (sp?) and also a very nice C. "saxatilis". You probably catch 10 missioneria and other pikes for each ceilo that you catch (hook and line primarily).

Ed and I collected these on our first trip to Uruguay and I sold the pair to a fellow hobbyist. Fortunately I was able to get another pair (actually from Pete) a couple of years later. I had them until last winter when - within a couple of weeks of each other - both of the fish died (each at ~8-9").

I was never able to get them to co-exist without a divider, although, especially when they would court in the spring, I would lift the divider and let them hang out. I was never able to successfully spawn them although they definitely were primed ready to go a few times. That's when the amazing red colors come out.

Ed's set-up is ideal for them. They're really rough on conspecifics and even worse on other pikes. I kept them with similarly sized C. missioneira, some of which were bitten in half! I'd probably keep them with barbs and tetras that can withstand cooler temps and maybe high-bodied fish like chanchitos or acaras that are big enough not to get eaten but can provide some cover.

In nature, Ceilos primarily eat fish (tetras). I fed mine pellets and red wigglers. They don't seem to have an eating "off switch" and I've heard of them eating themselves to death. Mine would eat everything you gave them.

Ceilos, like all Uruguayan fish, really need a cool down period in the winter. While I keep most of my Uruguayan fish on the floor or bottom-level of my fishroom and allow temps to get down to the mid-50s / low 60s, I kept my Ceilos in the middle, which probably didn't get as cool. Did temps only getting down to the mid-60s shorten their lives? Maybe. Did excess nutrition? Maybe also. I also do cold water changes on all of my Uruguayan tanks in the winter (and feed them less).

These are primo super-rare fish that ONLY come from people who collected them in Uruguay... not something that you can order, unless you want to ship them from Uruguay. It's really cool that Pete's bringing a pair :)

Matt
 

Pat Kelly

CCA Member
Staff member
These are primo super-rare fish that ONLY come from people who collected them in Uruguay... not something that you can order, unless you want to ship them from Uruguay. It's really cool that Pete's bringing a pair :)

Matt

So not something a beginner like me should mess with.:(
I was going to email Vin Kutty for information but you have given me what I need.
 

dogofwar

CCA Members
Hi Pat - they're not particularly hard to keep, per se, just different than say Haps and Peacocks.

Not sure how Pete's currently keeping them or if the pair is relatively compatible but they're sure cool fish!

Matt

So not something a beginner like me should mess with.:(
I was going to email Vin Kutty for information but you have given me what I need.
 
Top