WIDE span of behaviors across Dicrossus

[Stuart Hall <sturob@swbell.net>]

Just a question/observation for those of you out there who've kept 
any of the various Dicrossus spp.

D. filamentosus: quite shy and retiring.

D. maculatus: less so.

D. sp. "Red-finned Rio Negro": almost aggressive!

I'm keeping seven adolescent (4M 3F) wild-caught D. sp. Rio Negro in 
a 58G with 8 Nannostomus espei, 6 sailfin tetras (Crenuchus 
spilurus), 6 Hyphessobrycon robertsi, 6 Mimagoniates microlepis, and 
a single flat flyer pleco (L235-ish).  I've got a friend who kept 
about 10 D. sp. Rio Negro along with C. spilurus, until he saw the 
Rio Negro attack a C spilurus and kill it.  This is someone who's 
kept and bred fish for many years, and I think the story is reliable.

My Rio Negro have never been that mean.  As a matter of fact, there's 
not even very much male-male strife.  However, they're far from shy: 
never do they run and hide, even when a net's in the tank.  They swim 
boldly up to anything in the tank to check it out.

Has anyone bred these fish?  My only reference is the Tetra Dwarf 
Cichlids book (Horst and Linke) and it mentions that they're the 
hardest to breed of the known Dicrossus spp.  I've got them in 
peat-filtered pH 6.5 water, and they're really coloring up nicely. 
Even some purple in the caudal fin.  Anyway, any tips or tricks would 
be appreciated.

Also, I've added some Marc Weiss Instant Amazon as directed on the 
bottle.  I have no idea if it does anything, but it hasn't hurt.


Stuart
-- 
--
Stuart Hall
(sturob@swbell.net)
(gasdocstu@my-deja.com)


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