Geophaagus iporangensis?

**Decker504** · 03-19-2012, 12:31 AM

I've found what I believe to be aa pair of Geophagus iporangensis at a LFS in my area listed as Geophagus sp and they have no idea what they are. I'm thinking of picking them up tomorrow and I've been researching them online a bit. Does an fellow ACA folks have experience from keeping or any advice for keeping this species?

**Narwhal72** · 03-19-2012, 10:13 AM

They went through the Milwaukee club scene a couple of years ago and a few members still have them. I kept them and bred them a few times. They are prolific spawners that breed at a young age.

They really get to look their best when they get older though. In most respects they are similar in behaviour and temperament to Geo. brasiliensis.

I wish I had kept mine as a club member who bought some of my fry kept them and his dominant male is stunning now.

Andy

**Decker504** · 03-19-2012, 1:21 PM

Ok that's good enough 4 me!

**notho2000** · 03-19-2012, 2:48 PM

I have maintained and bred 'iporangensis' for a couple of years now. And they have been pretty available in the Winnipeg area for some time. They are willing breeders even at a very early age (as Narwal 72 has mentioned) and are certainly an attractive fish. Mine have never grown as large as my 'brasiliensis' but they are both fish that can "take care of themselves". Here's a video taken a couple of months ago of an 'iporangensis' pair guarding fry. I highly recommend them.

**Decker504** · 03-19-2012, 3:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notho2000

I have maintained and bred 'iporangensis' for a couple of years now. And they have been pretty available in the Winnipeg area for some time. They are willing breeders even at a very early age (as Narwal 72 has mentioned) and are certainly an attractive fish. Mine have never grown as large as my 'brasiliensis' but they are both fish that can "take care of themselves". Here's a video taken a couple of months ago of an 'iporangensis' pair guarding fry. I highly recommend them.

Very nice, my girlfriend actually bought me the pair and they even threw in an additional male for free! They didn't know what they were and wanted them out of their shop! SCORE!!

**smitty** · 03-19-2012, 5:27 PM

A spectacular looking fish.

**Decker504** · 03-20-2012, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smitty

A spectacular looking fish.

They colored up quite differently than at the LFS in my 230. They have some attitude too! I removed female because my baby juruenese took a swipe at her. I'm gonna let her put on some size and possibly throw trio in a breeder tank. I will post pics soon...

**nuchal man** · 03-20-2012, 12:52 AM

Nice pick up. I bred them a few times a few years back. Nothing extremely difficult about keeping them. If you've kept 'Geophagus' brasiliensis, care is exactly the same, but they stay smaller. The largest male I ever got was around 8", but they'll breed considerably smaller.

As far as spawning them, I got five spawns out of mine before I sold them and each time they bred in a cave with an opening just large enough for the fish to get into. I had the same experience with 'Geophagus' brasiliensis as well as 'Geophagus' sp. "bahia red", so I'd definitely recommend adding some breeding territories like that. I found them to be pretty good parents and to defend their fry well.

**Decker504** · 03-20-2012, 9:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nuchal man

Nice pick up. I bred them a few times a few years back. Nothing extremely difficult about keeping them. If you've kept 'Geophagus' brasiliensis, care is exactly the same, but they stay smaller. The largest male I ever got was around 8", but they'll breed considerably smaller.

As far as spawning them, I got five spawns out of mine before I sold them and each time they bred in a cave with an opening just large enough for the fish to get into. I had the same experience with 'Geophagus' brasiliensis as well as 'Geophagus' sp. "bahia red", so I'd definitely recommend adding some breeding territories like that. I found them to be pretty good parents and to defend their fry well.

I described them to a friend as having more of a Red bahia's body type but closer to the color of Brasiliensis.

**nuchal man** · 03-21-2012, 12:12 AM

That's a very good description. They have all the colors of the brasiliensis with the elongate and less deep body profile similar to that of the bahia red.