# thorichthys aureus



## Lloyd100 (Jul 4, 2012)

High im new on this forum and having kept fish all my live *** never really dabbled to much with cichlids.

iv just brought my first house and am planning on a central american tank to be on display in the lounge. using my own (little) knowledge and lot of research on the net i have decided to gor for thorichthys aureus.

Has any bdy kept adult thorichthys aureus. i think they they are the most attractive firemouth relative however none of the videos on youtube i cann see seem to show off there colours like a lot of pics on the net. has any body got any of there own vids to show off how attractive these fish can be whan mature as iv never seen one in the flesh and you cant be to sure when it just comes to photos

Heres a link to a site with some pics of some stunners

http://www.aquariump...thys_aureus.htm

Also if any one has any advice on the best set up for them. i would love a group but considering i probably wont be looking at any tanks bigger than 4ft i dont know if this would work. i dont want to over crowd the tank but if i get a pair i would like to add a few more fish......maybe swordtails or a pair hoplo catfish or synos or even another pair of cichlids (something small and relaxed like rainbow cichlids maybe)

any way they were just a few ideas but im open to all the advice you can throw at me

Thanks Lloyd
Lloyd Posts: 1Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:25 pm


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

I don't have experience with aureus, but I have kept other Thoricthys species. Depending on which 4ft tank you go with, you should be able to keep multiple pairs without any problems. I feel the addition of livebearers such as swordtails and even potentially Hoplo Cats could work quite well too.

What size tank are you considering?


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## Lloyd100 (Jul 4, 2012)

Im not 100 percent sure tob. it all comews to what i can get my hnds on at a decent price. i wont go smaller than 48x18x18. but i may even settle on something up to 6 foot.

im still not compltly settled on what to get fishwise to be honest

ie been thinking about maybe working a single robertson into the tank but i fear 4ft is toi small. but iwas even thinking about a group of Archocentrus septemfasciatus instead of the aures with a lone roberstoni or jack dempsey.

what do you think. im concerned about over crouding the tank. perhaps just a group of Archocentrus septemfasciatus or aureus with dithers unless i get a bigger tank


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

I think a group of Thorichthys would fare much better than multiple pairs of Archocentrus septemfasciatus as many of the Thorichthys species are found in large breeding "groups" in the wild. As for adding a Robertsoni, they are known to be very aggressive towards conspecifics so they would most likely not work well with aureus.

I feel a group of something like 2M/4F (depending on tank size) of any of the Thorichthys species, along with livebearer dithers would make for a very attractive and interesting setup. I really enjoy the way Thorichthys species interact with each other as they rarely do any harm to each other but are always displaying and showing off.

Here's a few examples of the type of setup I'm talking about. None of the videos below are mine however there is a video of one of my tanks in my signature that contains a trio of meeki along with some others...


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## Lloyd100 (Jul 4, 2012)

Ok thanks for your reply. those videos really are what iv had in mind to be honest. depending on tank size (probably 5ftx18"x18") do you think are group of thorichtys would co exist with a pair of Archocentrus septemfasciatus or sajicas or rainbow cichlids. maybe if i kept the thorichtys ratio at 1 male 3 females?


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## Lloyd100 (Jul 4, 2012)

which thorickthys do you think this is, its very nice ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... kjl_xE8s9A


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

In a 5ftx18x18 aquarium I think a 1/3 ratio of Thorichthys plus a pair of either septemfasciatus or sajica could work very well. If you decided to go with the multispinosa I would keep them in a small group as well as I have found that they really do enjoy each others company. I have a ratio of 2m/4f in my 135gal and they are constantly swimming by each others side.

As far as which Thorichthys sp that is in the video, it really is hard saying. Take a look at this thread, it may help you decide for yourself...

http://www.cichlidae.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8596


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## Azedenkae (Apr 19, 2012)

@Lloyd: The video depicts Thorichthys maculipinnis (ellioti)


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## Lloyd100 (Jul 4, 2012)

Ok thanks for the help every one. i think wheteher or not i getr ellioti or aureus i would still be pleased either way. they both stunning


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## Lloyd100 (Jul 4, 2012)

Hi again. would a group of thoricthys in a 4 or 5 ft work with a single salvini, or even a pai or am i just pushing it.

i really loe the idea of a tank dedicated to 1 type of thoricktys but i think something elsse in there like a lone cichlid that adds a new dimension of colour would be nice as well...... but i dont want to push my like


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

other salvini owners can speak up but I have a pair in a 55. Once they laid eggs the male was very aggressive. Once the fry were free swimming they both were very aggressive. Honestly, I think dedicating a 4 ft tank to a pair of sal's is a great idea (mine have 7 giant danios in there all thriving and growing) and the sals will swim up to the top to get the danios out of the territory but they never chase them. They did chase every other cichlid I had in there.

There are some other more experienced salvini keepers (bernie comeau and cichlidlover - sorry if misspell their user names) that can probably provide more insight. The bold markings on salvinis and the deep red of a female along with the blue spangling of a male is very attractive, but keeping them comes with a price in that you probably can't keep another kind of cichlid in there. I aquascape a bit differently though so maybe if I had a TON of line of sight breaks it'd be different, but my pair seems to claim the entire tank even with the cave-like spawning site they chose.


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## kaphil (Aug 3, 2006)

I would be careful getting a group of maculipinnis. I currently have 5 in a 100g tank (with some mbuna as it happens), they are very hard on each other, much moreso than other thorichthys ime. Before long i will have to restrict myself to a pair because otherwise I will end up with fatalities. They sure are beautiful fish though.
As regards the salvini, years ago I had a pair of salvini and a pair of FMs in a 4' tank, and it worked fine, both pairs breeding without fatalities. I am aware though that others have not been so lucky with this combo, so it is a risk. The trick with the decor is to place the rocks etc at either end of the tank, leaving the middle bare. That way half the diameter of the pairs' territory is 'outside the tank', as it were.


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## Steffano2 (Jan 11, 2007)

Lloyd100 said:


> High im new on this forum and having kept fish all my live I've never really dabbled to much with cichlids.
> 
> iv just brought my first house and am planning on a central american tank to be on display in the lounge. using my own (little) knowledge and lot of research on the net i have decided to gor for thorichthys aureus.
> 
> ...


I've kept and bred T. aureus in a 48" tank with no problem. In my experience I'd recommend a species only tank. They can get large and truly are stunning when they reach adulthood. Swordtails or Sailfin Mollies are a good tank mates as are cory cats, I'd pass on Salvini to aggressive IMO. If you'd like another option for a fish swimming in the upper range of the tank try some Pearl Gouramis. Aureus requires extremely good water quality at least 50% water changes weekly to keep them in tip top shape. Keep them relatively warm, I'd say around 78 degrees. To bring on breeding I fed mine live black worms, earthworm flakes, and a high quality pelleted food. I started with 6 juveniles and once the pair was formed they took control of 1/2 the tank. Interesting was the dominate/breeding male was "flirty" with all the "other" females in the tank too. It was a bare bottom tank with flower pots and large pieces of PVC pipes used as hiding/spawning aids. Good luck and you are about to own one of the flashiest CA cichlids in my opinion.


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## Lloyd100 (Jul 4, 2012)

ok thanks for the replys. i think il pass up on the salvinis and just concentrate on finding some aureus. if anyone has any advice on where i could get hold of any that would be helpful. i also like the idea of cories


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

there's an user on here who really likes thorichthys species and has nearly all of them. Not sure if has any breeding or anything but if you keep cruisin thru the CA forums you might find him. His user name has thor in it...


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## Azedenkae (Apr 19, 2012)

Ichy, would be him. Even his socolofi had offsprings. Which I think is amazing.


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## preston (Aug 11, 2012)

hello im looking for thorichthys aureus and socolofi , do you know were i can obtain some small colones from ?? =D>


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## Ichy (Oct 26, 2003)

I do not have any aureus spawning...looks like i have all females so far. 
My advice would be to find a reliable source for aureus . There are some fish being sold as aureus that IMO , are not. "Red aureum" I have bought in the past have turned out to be a form of maculipinnis , and there are rumors of hybrids quite often as well. Sometimes really nice looking maculipinnis are sold as aureus too.
There are two forms of aureus, a gold form and a blue . Anytime I have seen them offered for sale they are sold as such. 
Your best bet would be to watch price lists from Jeff Rapps at TUIC , or check with Wet Spot or Cichlid Exchange .
I myself am going to have to start watching again as well , I believe I have all female gold aureus and need to start over with a new group of them. Also I am seeking the blue form too .
It took me at least 5 years to find gold aureus, and has taken me about 7-8 years to get the species I have now. Just keep looking and they will show up ...it may take some time however as they are not all that common , unless you want meeki

HTH 
Tim


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## infoleather (Aug 21, 2012)

Maintain their prices, you might not be able to keep another cichlid in there.


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## Ichy (Oct 26, 2003)

infoleather... I am sorry I do not understand what you mean 
Thanks
Tim


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