Teleocichla monogramma - couldn't help myself!

dogofwar

dogofwar

CCA Members
Picked up a group of 6 wild Teleocichla monogramma from Dan Ye and Jon Jennings at www.americancichlids.net.

Teleocichla are probably best described at mini pikes. The abstract of Kullander's description of the genus says "Crenicichla-like cichlids with specializations for bottom life in rapids." They only get maybe 3"...

This will be my third try with these guys, 2nd with T. monogramma (kept T sp. Xingu for a couple of years). They just recently became available again when Brazil changed some of its export rules, so I jumped on them.

The 6 I received are little guys but seem to be doing well. They're in a 2'x2'x1' tank with tap water, temperature of my fishroom (76 or so), sponge and box filters running pretty hard, pool filter sand bottom and a bunch of 1/2" pvc bits for hiding spots (like their native habitat, of course ;)).

They're in with a bunch of baby Geo orange head Tapajos and some baby goodeids. The Teleocichla were actually stalking the goodeids, so I gave the tank some cichlid wigglers last night (which were appreciated). This afternoon they got some frozen small bloodworms, which were devoured.

Anyway, these guys can be absolutely brutal on each other. I've kept them for months before...and then found females just shredded (out of the blue and overnight). I'm hoping that lots of tankmates and hiding spots helps solve that.

My last batch switched to flake and pellets pretty easily. Hopefully these do to...

Here's the link to their profile on Cichlid Room Companion: http://www.cichlidae.com/gallery/genus.php?id=147

Matt
 
dogofwar

dogofwar

CCA Members
Definitely will...the last batched (started with 3, I think) became a single, I'd assume, male. He was actually a really personable little guy...lived with a pair of rainbow cichlids, a pair of Rio Choluteca cons and some Nyassochromis prostoma (mild Malawi Hap), of all random tankmates. They don't seem aggressive to anything that's not a Teleocichla and isn't big enough to eat.

I really don't want the 6 to end up a single one this time, so I'm intentionally not giving them their own tank. They're in with a BUNCH of other fish and seem to be loving it. Or at least pre-occupied. We'll see.

I thought that they were going to be 2-3" but they're pretty small...they were really skinny before today's worm feast. Both of the last groups had no problem with prepared foods. Hopefully these guys will adapt as well.

Just fed some live blackworms. Kinda big for them but they've got bulging bellies now :)

Matt

mscichlid said:
Good Luck! Share your experience with them. They are hard to keep.
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mscichlid

mscichlid

Founder
Be careful with overfeeding of blackworms. Get them to a healthy weight and try alternative foods to supplement their diets.
 
dogofwar

dogofwar

CCA Members
Yeah - I agree. These guys came in super skinny and want to get them over the hump :) They were mouthing earthworm flake last night...but spitting it out.

If I got Chaetobranchopsis and Chetobranchus (filter feeders) onto NLS...I can get anything to eat prepared food...

Which brings me to my next random thought: Now that I've got Teleocichla, my next "must have fish" is Chaetobranchopsis australis...the cool-water (from Argentina) cousin to C. orbicularis (which I've already kept). Bigger and yellower than C. orbicularis. Just what I need :rolleyes:

Matt

mscichlid said:
Be careful with overfeeding of blackworms. Get them to a healthy weight and try alternative foods to supplement their diets.
Click to expand...
 
dogofwar

dogofwar

CCA Members
Yeah - bought some frozen at Congressional this AM (like $6!..although The Tots did get 30 mins of entertainment and learned the words "Pleco" and "Remora" today).

For the record, these are the first live or frozen worms I've bought in YEARS (red wigglers RULE...but are a little big for these guys).

Matt
 
N

Nathan

Members
That must be why. I looked into them once and was told (by a Japanese friend) the best way to keep them was in at least a 48x18 foot print filled with rocks. And he said that was even iffy. Bigger would be better. You've probably heard that though.
 
Avatar

Avatar

Plenipotentiary-at-large
Going fishing

I like. Enough to make the extremely generous offer to house a pair in a 33-long with strong current and multiple hiding places. If that sounds about right and you find that you've just a tad too much clutter down there in your lair, do let me know. In any case, hope that your third time is indeed a charm as they are very very cool.
 
dogofwar

dogofwar

CCA Members
Well...the 3rd edition of my Teleocichla novel ended poorly.

The little guys never really recovered from not eating for the 5 days when the power was out (lost I think 3/6)...and one every few days since.

All of the other fish in the tank (baby Geos and goodeids) are doing great, so it's not a water thing.

You win some; you lose some!

Matt
 
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