red humps

[zar]

Hi all

can someone tell me more about this species or does anyone have a good link where i can read about it?

I bought two the other day but dont know much about them.
I'd like to know the scientific name, how big they grow, how to sex them etc etc, basics i guess.

thanks
zar

[Laz]

This is an excellent article on Redhumps.

Cheers
Larry

http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/breeding/Newman_Red_Hump.html

[zar]

Thanks Laz, answered most of my questions.

Are red humps the only available geos that don't grow too big (less than 15cm)?
Is there any other "dwarf" geos around?

[Laz]

Hi Zar, Blue Rams (Microgeophagus ramirezi) and Bolivian Butterflys (Microgeophagus altispinosa) both grow to around 3 inches, but you would need plenty of room and adequate cover for them if you were going to keep them with redhumps. Some species of Gymnogeophagus might be more suitable, I don't know that much about them though. A lot of people complain about Redhumps being too aggressive but you can see from that article that if they're managed properly with suitable tankmates and plenty of room they should be ok. I'm thinking of trying Firemouths in with mine. Let me know how you get on.

Cheers
Laz

[zar]

Eversince i've seen firemouths in a discus tank in a lfs i wanted to get some.
Everything i read though says that they're too agressive to be kept with discus so i dont think i'll be getting any any time soon.
I've got two juvenile red humps, one, that i'm suspecting to be a male is aggressive towards the other but thats all, currently i'm keeping them with some bristlenose and two discus, no probs. and thats in a 2ft tank. Before i had apisto cacatuoides and blue rams in that tank and they were fine, no agression shown. That all might change though once they get bigger...hope not.
The article said that they're one of the colorless geos around, :( , i saw the parents and they had great colors, but i think thats because they had just bred, i was hoping these would turn out like that too....look very grayish with a bit of blue/green body shine atm. One of them, which the seller told me could be a male, has got a bit more color above the upper lip and fins..they still look cool though i like them.

[Laz]

Hi zar, I wouldn't keep redhumps in with discus, things might seem ok now but as the redhumps grow they'll become more aggressive, and there just isn't enough room in a 2' tank. I'm thinking of putting 1 male and 3 female redhumps in a 4' tank with 4 firemouths and see how that goes. Some people keep geos with discus but from what I've read the geo best suited to keep with discus is S. leucosticta. But you need a bigger tank for that.

Cheers
Laz

[gingerbeer01]

I saw them too the other day and thinking of getting some.

On my reading and talking to folks there is a wide disparity as to there temperment.

I reckon space is the answer there. I am putting them in a 6 footer if I get reckon that will work.

The adults are bloody nice (assuming you bought the little ones where I saw them with the adults in the tank above. When I was there the pair were together getting excited.

[zar]

Hi gingerbeer1

i got mine from wetpetz. They were in a tank with other much bigger geos and discus. I really can't believe that they'll become that aggressive later on..they look very peaceful at the moment. They're temporarily in with the discus anyway, i was thinking of keeping the red hump pair in the 2 footer though...if they become too aggressive i'll just separate them into other tanks.