New Curviceps!!

C

Cichlid Woman

Dwarf cichlids rule ...
Nov 27, 2002
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Hi, all,

I finally went to Springfield (about an hour and a half away) to check out their fish shops. Wow. I'd had the idea of picking up a pair of keyhole cichlids, but when I got there I found a fish I'd had five or so years ago, and loved, and had given up on ever finding again--aequidens curviceps! (I know the genus name has changed to Laeticara or something, but I don't know how to spell it ...)

I scarfed up a pair. At least I think I did. I was after a male and a female; one is definitely a male. It's the female I'm not sure about. She(?) is smaller, a bit rounder, and does not have the trailing dorsal fin the other one does. They kind of hang out in the tank together, although he chased her a couple of times at first.

This was the day before yesterday; they're both still kind of shy, and run for cover when I get close. They're coming out a bit more now than they were, though, when I'm not near the tank.

Question about feeding: some internet sources say they're carniverous, others say they're omniverous and will eat flake. The ones I used to have ate flake, but these guys aren't eating yet. They just kind of hang back while the general horde goes for the food at feeding time. Is this normal, because of being newcomers to the tank? How long before they start to eat?

I'd also appreciate anything else you guys know about these fish. There's not much detail on the net. (I do have a flat piece of stone in there should they decide to mate--if I've got a female!)

Thanks in advance,

-- Pat
 
Wow Pat,

I've been looking for flag cichlids too, for quite a while and had to give up and "settle" for keyholes. I've never had flag cichlids, but the guy who got me interested in fishkeeping 20 years ago (though it was 10 years before I got around to it...) bred flag cichlids. He fed them flake, pellets, and I think bloodworms and sometimes raw hambuger. So, I guess he fed them an omniverous diet (if that helps). Glad you were able to find them!!


edit: My keyholes had trouble eating, too, when I got them last month. I tried a couple of things, but ultimately went back to the LFS where I got them and got the food they'd been eating (they'd been at the store for over a month) and that's what I'm feeding them now. Maybe you could see what your LFS fed them and try that...

Val
 
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They're chowing down when I put frozen shrimp in there, but when I put in flake they don't seem to be eating. Arggghhhh.

Do you think they'll come around to flake, or am I going to have to start feeding the whole tank frozen shrimp on a regular basis? (Right now, it's more of an infrequent, treat-type feed. Most of the time, I feed flake.)

Help, and thanks for asking!
 
Ive been seeing curviceps lately myself at the local petsmart. I was curious about them too. Are they an aggressive species of cichlid? I liked the looks of them but didnt know if they would be compatible with my current tank set up. And why the comparison to "keyholes"?
 
Curviceps are very nonaggressive fish. I've got them in a community tank with black tetras, angels, a pair of kribs, and a Blue Ram, among other things. They show absolutely no aggression to anyone--great fish!

I was comparing them to keyholes because those are two nonaggressive, mellow cichlid species you can usually put into a community tank with no problems.

They're beautiful, too--shimmery grays, blues, and greens all on one fish. I'm enjoying them immensely. And they're finally starting to eat a bit of flake, although they definitely prefer shrimp.

-- Pat
 
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