# Characodon audax?



## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

Well i think the goodeids are really cool and they , apparently, only grow to 1.5 inches, well i found them for sale at $20 a pair, Do you think I could keep them with platys? The tank will have a zillion plants for the rare fry to hide in... And hopefully a 1 gallon refugium strapped to the side for me to place any fry I catch so they can survive. Also, since I've heard that goodeids are mainly herbivores, would newborn BN pleco fry and shrimp be safe with them? I'm thinking yes because they normally are good with platys (The fry are too armored to eat and some shrimp hatchlings will make it) and if my black princes are even more vegetarian then they wont screw stuff up...


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## junebug (Jun 17, 2015)

Goodeids really should be in a species only tank, if for the simple purpose of fry survival. Many species are critically endangered or totally extinct in the wild, so captive reproduction is more important than ever.

Goodeids aren't herbivores, they are omnivores like most fish, though many species seem to eat more veggie matter than meaty matter. Generally if the shrimp can fit in their mouths, they will get munched.

For some reason as I post this, the site is down, but here is the link to the SeriouslyFish article on the species you mentioned: Characodon lateralis ? Rainbow Characodon ? Seriously Fish

I've found SF to be among the best sources of information on the less common species we like to keep in aquaria. Hopefully the article will give you some more information specific to that species.


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## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

I meant they are a bit more on the veggie side, still an omnivore and I would definitely save the fry, none of my platys are fry munchers and I would net out all of the fry I find, but okay, they'll munch shrimp?


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## junebug (Jun 17, 2015)

Yeah they will probably eat shrimp, at least the babies.


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## skiffia 1 (Oct 3, 2012)

They are not more on the veggie side. In there wild habitat part of there diet would be grazing on algae. as live foods are not always available this applies to most Livebearers.

Feeding
All Livebearers should be feed live foods there is much confusion among many fish keepers about how often to feed live foods. Well they can be feed almost daily when feed a variety all my fish are feed on large quantity of daphnia and many other types of live food that live and feed on algae. so I have never found the need to feed veggie matter.

Characodon auldax do well when kept between 68f- 74f to get them in good breeding condition feed live foods 2 or 3 times a week when the female becomes gravid cut back on the live food about 2 weeks before she is due to drop fry. 

Gestation period is 6 weeks brood size up 20 usually a lot less. the fry are quite large at birth if giving the chance the adults will often attack and kill the new born fry. The adult fish need plenty swimming space and plants or caves to take cover as adults mature they can get very aggressive and often result in deaths.


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## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

Thanks skiffia, I've done research about their care I'm just wondering will they behave nicely in a pleco breeding tank


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## skiffia 1 (Oct 3, 2012)

how big are the pleco some goodeids attack corydoras catfish


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## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

Oh they do? I'll be breeding BN plecos in the tank...


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## skiffia 1 (Oct 3, 2012)

I’m not sure if they will be ok with the very small BN you will need to keep an eye on them


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## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

Okay, and where did you get that report of their care? It seems to go with everything I've heard except for the aggressive behavior, I've always heard that they're actually quite peaceful


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## skiffia 1 (Oct 3, 2012)

I specialize in keeping and breeding goodeids


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## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

Wonderful way to get information


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## junebug (Jun 17, 2015)

Honestly a fair assumption with any fish is that if it can eat something, it will.


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## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

Yeah I'm aware of that, but from all reports I've heard this goodeid is about platy sized and from my other sources platys and similar sized fish wont be able to eat pleco fry because they are armored and they didn't evolve predatory...


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## skiffia 1 (Oct 3, 2012)

when i say you need to keep an eye on them it's because some goodeids atack the eyes and fins of small catfish
and some times killing them.


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## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

Ahhhh


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## skiffia 1 (Oct 3, 2012)

There are 40 species of goodeids I have most of them. 
not all of them are easy some can be very difficult to keep


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## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

Are black princes easy?


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## skiffia 1 (Oct 3, 2012)

there not too difficult I know a few fish keepers at have problems breeding them do not let temperature rise above 76f they will start to suffer


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## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

Okay


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## skiffia 1 (Oct 3, 2012)

If you only own one pair it may take some time to get established its best to start of with group of about two or three pairs


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## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

Oh, they're $20 for a pair plus shipping so I was only going to get 1 set, especially since I'm re-graveling my tank and getting a canister filter soon, so I'm not able to spend too much


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## skiffia 1 (Oct 3, 2012)

keep them well fed on live food it will get them into good conditions for breeding 
I got my first black price in 1990 and still like them


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## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

They are very beautiful


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## skiffia 1 (Oct 3, 2012)

all goodeids are beautiful please keep me updated on how you get on with them.


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## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

Okay, I'm still debating, I was originally planning least killis in the tank and since I plan to have shrimp in there too I'm thinking that might be a better bet


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## FistSlaminElite (Sep 2, 2015)

Skiffia what would be the best goodeid for the tank? It has for sure platys and plecos, if it eats the platy fry no problem, pleco fry I would really rather not ,and if at all possible not a shrimp muncher, although the last one mig ht be impossible I don't know so no biggy, worst case scenario I'll get least killis and those are amazing so if there's no goodeid for me that's okay...


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