# My Central American C.A.R.E.S Species



## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to share my Central American C.A.R.E.S species. As of right now I have livebearers under the C.A.R.E.S list but I would like to get threatened CA cichlids when I can setup more tanks. The livebearers I have are under the family name Goodeids. Majority of the Goodeid family is threatened and close to extinction in the wild. One specie (That I know of) is known to be completely extinct. Several are thought to be extinct in the wild. Goodeids are very interesting and not like your typical livebearer. However, I do like both Cichlids and Livebearers. Goodeids have somewhat of a chase nip aggression like cichlids. Unlike Guppies, swordtails, mollies, and platies who can store their matings, Goodeids don't store and have to mate each time. It will take 60 days for the fry to be born. When they are born they are very big and have umbilical cords. They lose the umbilical cords after a few hours of being born. They only have 6-8 fry when young but when they are adults they will have more. How many they have depends on the species. It can take the female all day to give birth. There are a few extra steps to do to take care of them but otherwise they are very easy to keep and breed. Their diet must consist of veggie based foods with very little protein. If given to much protein it is talked about that the fry can grow to big in the female and therefore can kill the female. There are other possible problems such as bloating. Also, they can go sterile by being kept at a constant temperature, too cold of a temperature, and too hot of a temperature for too long. They should be kept around 62-72 F . Being kept at room temperature is best. They should also have a winter rest. Constant water changes (Once a week or two weeks) is important. When I keep my Goodeids I put a bunch of plants in the tank. I have some floating and in the gravel. This helps with aggression and places for the fry to hide in. For some species the fry can be kept with the parents for others the parents will prey on the fry. It's best to study the species and see what they are known for and how to care for them. I hope this gives a little information on them. Here is a very informative website that will give more information.

http://www.goodeiden.de/html/goodeids.html

I have a few species. I just got in a new specie that I have been waiting for a very long time. I am very excited about having them. I will post some videos of them and update on them as often as I can.

The few species I have are:
Ilyodon cortesae
Xenotoca eiseni
Xenotoca melanosoma
Goodea gracilis

All have collection information. Take care!
Chris


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

I made a video. The melanosoma are in the beginning. Sorry, you couldn't see them too well. I have 8 total and they are only an inch or so. They are in a 38 gal (3ft). Next are the Cortesae and Gracilis. They are in a 40 gal breeder(3ft) divided in half. The cortesae are on the right and the gracilis are on the left. The eiseni are at my aunts house so I can't get a video of them but they look like this:

http://zooclub.ru/attach/aqua/531.jpg

The video:
http://s100.beta.photobucket.com/user/c ... d.mp4.html

If anyone is interested in some fry please send me a pm. I will be happy to ship and share when I have a surplus. They are not registered but I got them from very reliable sources. They are pure and not hybrids. All of them have collection information. Cortesae was discovered in 2000 and is vulnerable. Gracilis is Endangered. Eiseni is Endangered. And Melanosoma is vulnerable (This is the specie I just got).

Pictures of the other 3. These are google searches.

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n209 ... a00000.png

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc ... 9325_n.jpg

http://66.18.211.163/alapublic/images/xmelano1.jpg


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Since the post all 3 species have had fry. My new speices Xenotoca melanosoma have had their first drop of 5 fry and 3 more females are going to be dropping fairly soon. The melanosoma are fairly aggressive. I will keep updating.


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

Great fish CichlidLover. I just got a pair of Characodon lateralis, they are still in quarantine but here's a pic of the male










What type of tank setups do you have for your groups?


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Sorry I meant all 4 species had fry.

Thanks! Very nice on getting some Characodon lateralis! That's great! Nice male! Good luck with them!

I tried keeping them in the past but just like what was reported about them they would die randomly. I ended up sending the remaining fish to a friend of mine who could give them more attention.

I used to have several species but things came up and now only have 4. I will get more again when I can have more tanks.

I keep them in species only tanks and I heavily plant the tank. I put plants in the gravel on the bottom and float plants near the surface in big clumps. I have found this to work very well.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Here are some videos of my melanosoma. All 4 females have dropped and have a good number of fry. I haven't yet updated the fry video. I am going to try to clear a tank and get another specie. I will try to get a video of my other species.

Videos:

My group in the 38 . 5 males and 2 females

http://s100.photobucket.com/user/cichli ... 6.mp4.html

10 gal 4 females

http://s100.photobucket.com/user/cichli ... 2.mp4.html


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Here are some new videos. First one is of my Goodea gracilis and Ilyodon cortesae. At the end I was trying to fit my X.melanosoma adults in but they weren't too active. Middle video is of my X.melanosoma fry. The last video is more of the Ilyodon cortesae as they weren't too active in the first one.

http://s100.photobucket.com/user/cichli ... 2.mp4.html

http://s100.photobucket.com/user/cichli ... 0.mp4.html

http://s100.photobucket.com/user/cichli ... f.mp4.html


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Since my last post all species had drops. My X.melanosoma have had two group drops and the fry are doing great. I am also getting another specie in a few days. They are Xenoophorus captivus Location "Illescas". This population is extinct in the wild (went extinct in '95-96) and is rare in the US hobby. There are several locations of X.captivus and each location has different genes then the other. The "Illescas" was considered to be a different specie from X.captivus but later they decided they were another location of X.captivus. It's very important to keep these fish in their own specie/location tank and don't mix other species/locations together. Here is an article from Juan Miguel about the "Illescas" written in '95.

http://www.peter.unmack.net/acn/as/4/vol4no3.html#08

http://naturalaquariums.com/bb/index.php?topic=747.0


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

Congrats on your spawns and your new acquisitions (the X. captivus). My C. lateralis have spawned also. Exciting to see this little guys in the tank. Keep up the good work cichlid lover...your continued efforts with these challenged species will hopefully pay off in their future generations.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Thanks cichlid-gal!

Congrats with your C.lateralis! Glad they are doing well. It is very exciting to see fry. Thanks! Keep up the good work as well cichlid-gal. It feels good to help preserve and pass around threatened and rare fish. I should be getting a few more new species in the months to come. I will update on the X.captivus and the other species.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

I am downsizing and had to find a new home for the cortesae so that it would open room for a rarer/more in need specie.

A little while back received an e-mail that the location of melanosoma that I have are near extinction in the wild. As far as anyone knows a guy in the ALA, a guy in mexico, and I are the last keepers of this location. I have sent some fry to a friend of mine and to the guy in the ALA to help his colony.

I joined the ALA a few months ago. I am really enjoying it and wish I had done it sooner.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

New update :

My melanosoma had 16 fry and I have another female that should be dropping fairly soon. Will see how many fry I get.

Going to be getting a new specie to work with in January. Won't be a goodeid, this time it will be a specie of Swordtail : xiphophorus clemenciae. Very excited. Should also be getting a new specie or two of Goodeid in the spring.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Sorry I know its been a while. Got the x.clemenciae. They were collected by Dr. Rusty Wessel from the Rio Carolina. I have had several drops of fry since getting them in January. Very prolific and fun fish. The melanosoma had a total of 33 fry a few months back. They are now very active and should be seeing more fry soon. I will be getting Allotoca goslinei and allodinchthys tamazulae in two weeks. Both have collection history. Very excited. Also, one of female x.captivus "illescas" is gravid/pregnant and should have fry soon.

Just letting everyone know the American livebearer association is having the 2014 convention in St.Louis MO on May 15-18. Should check it out 😉 .


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## Icha Mach (Sep 15, 2019)

Hi,

recently i have receive 4 Amatitlania sajica. they are small and relatively peaceful. First i saw them in a video game named 'Aquarium' long back in 2001, at that time i liked them, now after a long time my dream to have them at home has come true.


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## Riocyd (12 mo ago)

I have 5 _Xenotoca eiseni 3 females 2 males I ad 6 lost a female she ad a baby stuck tryed to help her lost her 2 days later I think the babys are been eaten by the adults I got try some thing new any ideas to stop the adults eating the babys I don't like breeding trap to much stress you can't see on the pic but I have loads of plants and hides sorry bad pic







_


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## Aussieman57 (Dec 18, 2021)

Zombie thread.


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

Uhhh no..... Unfortunately, @Muffinhead almost certainly isn't a 'necromancer' raising up a long-dead posting thread.


CiChLiD LoVeR128 said:


> I have some floating and in the gravel. This helps with aggression and places for the fry to hide in. For some species the fry can be kept with the parents for others the parents will prey on the fry. It's best to study the species and see what they are known for and how to care for them. I hope this gives a little information on them. Here is a very informative website that will give more information.


My goodness! Does that look familiar?
It's possible this new C-f member may not actually be a human! And, with no response (expected) to my PM I sent to @Muffinhead about this?
Well, as the German Metal band 'Rammstein' might inform....
_"Adieu.
Goodbye.
Auf wiedersehen!"_


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