20 Gallon Tank Dwarf flag acara

[Dan1o]

Hi,
Weird question, how big is a dwarf flag acara's mouth? I want to keep them with celestial pearl danios (galaxy rasbora), but obviously I don't want the danios to "disappear"

Thanks

 

[TClare]

Not sure, their mouth is not particularly big for their size, I kept Laetacara araguaiae with neon tetras, but maybe the danios are smaller?

 

[Dan1o]

Not too much smaller I don't think, just over an inch, and I think a bit chunkier, although not much

 

[tinylostwine]

They should be fine with adult neon. The two dwarf cichild i would not keep with neon or cardinals are krobia xinguensis and Laetacara thayeri.

I'm sure there are other dwarf cichild with large mouths but those are the two i have first experience owning.

Be aware that domestic Laetacara dorsigera are frequently sold as Laetacara curviceps. The way it was explained to me is a major distributor of domestic fishes has the species misnamed because their colour form is blue/black and not red.

 

[TClare]

krobia xinguensis and Laetacara thayeri.

How big are these actually? I think they may be on the edge of being called dwarf cichlids, getting up to 15cm (6")? I know for example Laetacara flavilabris are quite a lot bigger than the other more commonly seen species. Like Bujurquina, many sites say they only reach 10cm, but I don't believe that mine are bigger already, I would not trust them with small fish. But I think that L. curviceps, dosigera and
araguaiae are likely to be fine...

 

[TClare]

I'm sure there are other dwarf cichild with large mouths

Actually Apistogramma ladislao do have very large mouths, but do not eat small fish...

Dwarf pike cichlids have large mouths and I am sure will eat small fish given the chance...

 

[Hellfishguy]

The smaller Laetacara species, curviceps, dorsigera and araguaiae, have relatively small mouths and aren’t very efficient hunters. CPDs shouldn’t have any problem eluding them.

 

[tinylostwine]

How big are these actually? I think they may be on the edge of being called dwarf cichlids, getting up to 15cm (6")? I know for example Laetacara flavilabris are quite a lot bigger than the other more commonly seen species. Like Bujurquina, many sites say they only reach 10cm, but I don't believe that mine are bigger already, I would not trust them with small fish. But I think that L. curviceps, dosigera and
araguaiae are likely to be fine...

I think the my largest krobia is around 4.5 inches with the smaller around 4 but i haven't formally measured them. The l. thayeri are similar size but not as bulky - more streamline - the krobia have a lot of girth.

The three Laetacara you mentiond, a,c,d are fine with smaller fishes. I have a's and d's; true c's are hard to find (at least in usa); but a friend who had c's said the d's were nicer (not so much looks but behavior). Other than the large mouths the thayeri aren't bad fishes and in most ways i prefer them to Krobia. I have serpa tetra and very large older flag cichild with them. Hum. Seeing if one will pose for a picture. Naw they didn't want to pose but one of the headstanders did:

 

[TClare]

I think the my largest krobia is around 4.5 inches with the smaller around 4 but i haven't formally measured them. The l. thayeri are similar size but not as bulky - more streamline - the krobia have a lot of girth.

That is interesting, in a book I have on Peru fishes it gives L. thayeri as 15cm (6"), and they look pretty deep bodied from the pictures I have seen, however I have seen neither them or the Krobia in real life unfortunately.

Seeing if one will pose for a picture. Naw they didn't want to pose but one of the headstanders did:

That is typical!

 

[tinylostwine]

That is interesting, in a book I have on Peru fishes it gives L. thayeri as 15cm (6"), and they look pretty deep bodied from the pictures I have seen, however I have seen neither them or the Krobia in real life unfortunately.

That is typical!

Well the males are a lot larger than the females. The females are definitely in the 3.5 to 4.5 range. I guess the male could be 5.5 but i need to find one near the glass to get an accurate measurement and the tank is 4 feet front to back. This is all speculative. Then there is the question of the actual species; just because they were sold as thayeri who knows what they actually are....