View Full Version : Anyone else keep keyholes ?
WetWhiskers
03-02-2010, 10:16 PM
Does anyone have any experience with keyhole cichlids ( cleithracara maronii )
I have what i hope is a pair .They are not often seen around by me so i got the only two my LFS had. I know they are not the most colorful of fishes but they have such cute faces.
wesleydnunder
03-03-2010, 5:42 AM
I have keyholes in a planted 36 bow. I'm hoping I have a pair also. I've kept acaras before but this is the first time for this species. They've gotten over their initial shyness and now rush to the front of the tank to beg for food like little dogs whenever I walk up. I have them in with bloodfins, black neons, albino cories and an ABN. The keyholes don't harass tankmates at all. Very enjoyable little fish.
Mark
fish-n-chips
03-03-2010, 7:44 AM
I have one keyhole and he is my favorite. They are very peaceful and hardy. I like that they also grow slow. I bought mine at an inch long and after 2 years he is only around2 1/2 ". They can reach up to six inches and might eventually make a meal of small tankmates but that won't be for some time if you puchased yours relatively small.I saw on a nature show keyholes making a meal out of baby pirahna and thought it was rather ironic, eh. Good luck with yours and if they do pair up I have one word.....pics,pics and more pics. You'll have years of enjoyment out of yours no matter what.
WetWhiskers
03-03-2010, 11:07 AM
mine are a good 3 inches and usually hang around each other.I have them in with rummy noses.Sadly they are a little camera shy right now.One has a very bright orange eye.I think that one may be a male.
That is pretty ironic considering how peaceful the keyholes seem.
mbunabum
03-03-2010, 9:52 PM
Like "wetwhiskers" said they are also difficult to find around my area and I really wonder why. I had been 6 months trying to find any. My local LFS been trying to order them with no luck. I got lucky last November while on a hockey road trip to Mass & Southern NH - we had time to kill on Sunday morning before my son's game and came across a little family run pet store.... and luckly found four. I wasn't sure I could get them home safely with a 9-10 hour trip ahead... still had 2 hours before a 3 hour college hockey game and a 4 hour ride home. I was talking with the owner and they were great... they boxed a large garbage bag with about 4-5 gallons of water and plenty of air and a 9 hour trip later... The result was 4 healthy keyholes found a new home in my bedroom community SA tank. I am partial to any cichlid but the Keyhole is my favorite. I can not recommend them highly enough. They are the "perfect" cichlid.... easy for even a beginner to experience cichlid keeping. Great personalties and behavoir. Stay small and can easily kept in a community setup as they are very mild mannered for a cichlid. I find them to be an extremely beautiful fish when they are comfortable in their enviroment. My favorite fish.
Like "wetwhiskers" said they are also difficult to find around my area and I really wonder why. I had been 6 months trying to find any. My local LFS been trying to order them with no luck. I got lucky last November while on a hockey road trip to Mass & Southern NH - we had time to kill on Sunday morning before my son's game and came across a little family run pet store.... and luckly found four. I wasn't sure I could get them home safely with a 9-10 hour trip ahead... still had 2 hours before a 3 hour college hockey game and a 4 hour ride home. I was talking with the owner and they were great... they boxed a large garbage bag with about 4-5 gallons of water and plenty of air and a 9 hour trip later... The result was 4 healthy keyholes found a new home in my bedroom community SA tank. I am partial to any cichlid but the Keyhole is my favorite. I can not recommend them highly enough. They are the "perfect" cichlid.... easy for even a beginner to experience cichlid keeping. Great personalties and behavoir. Stay small and can easily kept in a community setup as they are very mild mannered for a cichlid. I find them to be an extremely beautiful fish when they are comfortable in their enviroment. My favorite fish.
Interesting. I've never owned them but would like to. My LFS consitanty has them around the 2" mark. You recommend them as tankmates with Geophagus or Satanoperca? I was considering Biotodoma Wavrini, but keyholes are much cheaper. Are they skiddish?
tanker
03-04-2010, 12:30 PM
My LFS seems to always have them. I have not had any in years (but use to keep and breed them)-- from experience---one of the easier medium cichild to keep and breed.
A 30 would be minimum for a pair, and I would treat them like angel fish for tank mates.
Not really a shy fish, but not "showy" either.
MonteSS
03-05-2010, 1:12 AM
I bought three Keyholes at about 1" a few months ago. Now the one is over 2" and the other two are about 1 1/2". I assume the larger is a male and the other two are female. They get along great together.
They are in a 46g Bowfront with a breeding pair of Australoheros Oblongum (fish in my Avatar) and Serpae Tetras. The tank is relatively peaceful. My Keyholes are not shy and nearly eat from my hand. I feed them flake and very small (1mm)sinking pellets
They are not the most beautuful Cichlid but the males do get nice trailers and they do have that "cute" factor.
...Bill
PhaidOut
03-05-2010, 11:05 PM
Nice fish Bill, I had to look them up. I don't recall hearing of them not to mention seeing them available anywhere.
Keyholes, in my experience are shy when young but will get more bold with age. I found keeping them in heavily planted tanks seemed to keep them more shy. They are pretty mellow fish and I have always liked them. It's a good call to measure them like Angelfish for tank mates. They are mostly mellow but still cichlids.
MonteSS
03-07-2010, 12:03 AM
Got a decent shot today. They are getting chunky.
http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq257/zz430t56/Picture1008.jpg
...Bill
wesleydnunder
03-07-2010, 5:42 AM
Nice pic!
Mark
WetWhiskers
03-08-2010, 7:34 PM
nice pic :) this is the best i can get so far
fish-n-chips
03-09-2010, 8:58 AM
Good choice on the keyhole WW:clap:. I like the colors on them alot. Judging by the long finnage on it , I think that you have a male. You'll get years of enjoyment from him.
MonteSS
03-09-2010, 3:26 PM
beautiful male WW!
...Bill
CaliLifeStyle
03-09-2010, 4:29 PM
I had two keyholes, but now I'm down to one and I haven't seen any in a while at the LFS. If you get them to breed, I'm interested in buying some! :)
WetWhiskers
03-10-2010, 11:30 AM
Thank You
i hope the other one is a female it's hard to say.I've tried getting a pic but so far no go.I will post one once i get a clear shot.
crazy4cichlids
03-11-2010, 4:56 PM
I have kept Keyhole Cichlids many times in the past 35 years and they are by far one of my favorite cichlids. I have also been fortunate enough to have them spawn for me a number of times, which I had to admit was very exciting. The last time that I kept these fish was about three years ago and they paired off when they were around three inches long. They spawned in a clay flowerpot that was turned on its side. I have found in keeping cichlids that clay flowerpots work very well when spawning cichlids. Let me know if you have any other questions regarding these fish and I will see what I can do about answering them.