Keyhole Cichlids

[Allivymar]

The icky lfs has a few; they've had em for months and no one has shown an interest, plus anything that can survive there for that long is one strong fish *grin*

Anyway, I'm tempted. Did a bunch of research, but was wondering if anyone has kept em. For example, all the sites I checked say adult size is around 3-4 inches. These lil buggers are maybe 3/4 inch long and have not gotten any bigger in all the time I've seen em (could be due to the parameters there; not sure).

 

[Fruitbat]

I've kept Keyhole Cichlids and I'm always on the lookout for more! They don't show up in my local fish shops often.

Keyhole Cichlids, Aequidens (Cleithracara) maronii, is a wonderful fish. They are peaceful almost to the point of being shy and retiring. They like heavily planted tanks with lots of hiding places, though you may find that you hardly ever see them if they're in a tank to their liking. None of the Keyholes I kept were plant-eaters though they do occasionally move a few plants around. They are cave spawners primarily, not substrate spawners, so they don't dig like some of their larger cousins.

I had my best success breeding Keyholes by putting 4 or 5 of them in a 29 gallon tank (a 20 gallon would do nicely, I'm sure) and letting them pair off on their own. Sexes are difficult to distinguish.

Aequidens maronii will never knock anybody's eyes out with its muted color pattern. It is, however, a very elegant and personable fish and might even get along in a larger tank with Rams and Angelfish (hint...hint....Allivymar!)

 

[Allivymar]

I think they are absolutely adorable! I can't see em in my angel/ram tank LOL not if they're at all peaceful. If theres one thing I don't have its peaceful tanks LOL That store owes me a little money from the ram fiasco; maybe I can convince em to give me the keyholes. Now all I need is a tank...and a filter...and a heater...and oh dear, here we go again LOL and I'm already looking for another tank for that mated pair of angels (the rams LOVE angelfish fry...yummy LOL).

 

[Sati]

Alli, I have one keyhole that I won in a raffle at my aquarium group. He's the sweetest little guy. He's very cute He's quite shy and does like to hide but he feels comfortable enough to come out often. I just got a ton of java fern so he's enjoying that, but he gets along wonderfully in my community tank. I think he's about 3 inches long here:

 

[Allivymar]

Oooooh! What a cutie! I want those lil buggers even MORE! I wonder if I can move the angelfish fry that I split off and popped into the 10g back in with the parents LOL Think I'm going shopping for a new tank or 2 today...

 

[Guest]

He he he..

Last weekend when I bought my rams, that was my choice, rams or keyholes?
Odd choice to have to make, this lfs never has anything interesting to me.

i went for the rams, wanted color.

Way back in the day I had a roommate that kept them, I recalled that I liked them a lot. He had 3 or 4 in a 55 community tank, they were great. I remeber being impressed with their sweet disposition.

He moved out before they got bigger than 3 inches or so, IIRC.

I was sorry to see the fish go, but not the roomie!

 

[Sati]

lol, Alli, you're just terrible Keep me updated though

And corvuscorax, "sweet" is definitely the most fitting word for keyholes. I can't really think of another fish I've had that I'd describe as sweet, but these guys are just that!

 

[Allivymar]

So I stopped off and spoke to "Manny" today about the keyholes. I'm picking up a coupla tanks tonite, so I'll have a home for em *grin* he's gonna hold them for me and I'll pick them up after vacation. Not like they're going anywhere; poor buggers have been in there for at least 3 months. I am curious tho (for those who have had em). They are TEENY. I don't even think they're a full inch long. Dwarfs dwarfs? Malnourished maybe? I thought they got to be around 3 inches long as adults, but these guys haven't grown a stitch since I started watching em. Don't care; they're adorable LOL but I'm curious.

Also, I'm wondering whether to have them with the breeding rams or the breeding angels. Any suggestions?