Re: Teleocichla centrarchus

[Lisa Wrischnik <wrisch@uclink4.berkeley.edu>]

>Hi everyone,
>anyone know where I can find a pic of this fish? I'm told it is something like
>T. cinderella.
>Also has anyone had any success breeding any teleocichla?
>
>Thanks,
>Jason
>
>

Hi Jason,
I've been breeding Teleocichla proselytus "Rio Tapajos".  I keep them in
tap water (hardness ranges from 50-150ppm) with just a touch of blackwater
extract
(I like Tetra and I'm too lazy to screw around with the peat I have). There
is also a nice "leaky" log in the tank that helps keep some color in the
water.  My pair is in a 20 with two sponge filters with vigorous water
movement and lots of little pots and caves and PVC joint "caves".  The pair
I have is fairly agressive.  The male is overall about twice as large as
the female, and he beats on her until she fills with eggs (you can see the
bright red eggs building up inside), and then as soon as she spawns the
tables are turned, and she is the agressor. (I think they would mellow out
in a larger tank, but since they spawn for me fairly regularly I am loathe
to change anything. You know how it is.......).

In my case, mom is a pretty good parent.  I took the first eggs away from
her and none of them made it (I have had no luck artificially hatching
either these or Crenicichla compressiceps eggs).  I have let her keep every
other spawn, and she is a good mother up to a point.  The problem is dad -
he will eat the fry if he can, and several times I have come home to find
them scattered in the tank, if I can find them at all.  Obviously, I have
taken measures to keep dad away, so as soon as they spawn I put a tank
divider in and then I don't have any problems.  I have had generally small
spawns of around a dozen fry, which probably means that my conditions are
not perfect.  I currently have fry in a 55, where I'm hoping to pair some
of them up eventually, and maybe I will give them a little more space and a
power filter, as well as playing a bit with the pH (though Aqualog claims
they need no special requirements for water, if I recall correctly).

I think they are neat little fish, and if the above means you have the
chance to get centrarchus, you should!

Good luck,
Lisa






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