# Threadfin Geophagus and ferts



## Euruproctos (Mar 2, 2012)

So, I recently acquired a Threadfin Geophagus, which I'd heard aren't as bad about messing with plants as other geos and I'm wanting to keep as planted a tank as I can, BUT my research has said that these fish need very clean water, and I'm wondering if anyone here knows how much I can safely dose for ferts with this fish. 

Thanks!


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

My threadfins weren't bad in a planted tank, but they did uproot a number of plants as they paired off. They weren't as hard to keep with rooted plants as Satanoperca or Geophagus.
I didn't use ferts with them as the plants were doing fine without them, and I was concerned about hardening the water. I wanted to breed the fish. I'll admit, I ended up removing a lot of the uprooted rooted plants and replacing them with java ferns, Bolbitis,and Anubias - plants I could attach to substrates where the Acarichthys didn't bother with them.


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## Euruproctos (Mar 2, 2012)

The main thing I want most in my tank is christmas moss, and if it uproots what plants I plant, so be it.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

My Satanoperca sometimes eat strands of java moss, but only ones that have broken off a dn floated free. Generally, they are great with moss.


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## Euruproctos (Mar 2, 2012)

One thing I really want to experiment with is Watersprite. Would putting it in a pot maybe help?


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

Acarichthys don't eartheat like a Geo will - they are more like a giant altispinosa. I seem to recall mine nibbling plants. They weren't devourers of vegetation, but if they were hungry, they weren't inclined to patience. They were of the 'one leaf every few days' persuasion, and the plants uprooted were ones they pulled on. The only real issue is that while they weren't directly destructive, they are a very big, muscular fish, so every little thing they did had an effect. If they were people, they'd always slam the door.

Not many people keep them, in spite of their beauty. It's too easy to fall into keeping attractive but common Oscars and dempseys when you want large cichlids, and not do the extra reading and exploring that would inform you of the beautiful possibilities out there. So I don't know if this thread is doomed to be you and I bouncing back and forth. It'd be good to hear from others.

I would try pots. Waterprite is such a magnet to plant eaters - if I were a fish, I'd eat it and I don't even like veggies. But you are trying a difficult fish in a hobby that likes easy ones, so you end up being the one trying the experiments. While all my tanks are planted, and some are very planted, plants are really secondary to me so I've never really noted how they've worked out with a lot of the uncommon or rare cichlids I've kept.


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## Euruproctos (Mar 2, 2012)

On the subject of that, do you think this, since it's not really as closely related to other geos would be compatible with say, a geophagus tapajos? I kinda like them.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

I eventually tried that! Tapajos red heads with heckeli. They allowed the threadfins to grow their monster fin extensions without even nipping them. It would have to be a monster of a tank though, and no rooted plant would stay rooted for long.
Different Geos do well together too. I never saw them court outside their species, if their species was available. They can tell the difference.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

I keep geophagus balzani's and even with pairing off they leave the plants alone, however they were very violent during this process and actually killed off 2 other balzani's and ate everything that could fit in their mouth.

I keep crypts and swords mainly with mine and they have not been able to uproot them(I use a UGF plate with 1" holes bored in it to secure my plants down). The balzani strain is your gentle giant aka the great danes of the cichlid world due to demeanor) They are alot more skittish then even my discus are.


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