Optimal temperature for A. Agassizi?

[shifty803]

I have heard a great deal of conflicting information on the correct (optimal) temperature to keep A. Agassizi.

Axelrod recommends 24°C, which is fairly low compared to some other dwarf cichlids. Then I see websites recommending temps around 26-27°C - not that I believe everything I read on the net. So, which is it? Cool or warm?

The main reason I want to know is that this effects my choice of dither. I'll probably go with something like tetras for lower temps like 24°C.

 

[Mike Wise]

A. agassizii will live in a wide range of temperature (at least 20-30ºC/68-86ºF). It really depends on why you keep the species - for a community resident or for breeding. In a community situation, a good temperature is in the 24-26ºC (75-79ºF) range. This is the temperature that I found them in in Peru during the dry season. At lower temperatures the fish tend to live longer and grow larger. On the other hand, at lower temperatures the metabolism is slower and the fish tend to be slightly more suseptable to diseases and parasites. If you are interested in breeding the species and want an even sex ratio, Römer's studies recommend a temperature around 26ºC (79ºF) for the first couple of months of the fry's life.

 

[Microman]

Tom and i have just this last week collected A.agassizii in exceedingly warm water of 34c-38c at the end of the dry season.
A very interesting population,collected from very shallow blackwater along the shoreline of a large lake connected to the Rio Tapiche by one single channel.This population included no less than 4-5 exceedingly different colour variants all living and thriving together in the same habitat. Colour variants included two very similar to the "Pastell"and "Flamenco" forms amongst others.
You would expect one single colour morph to be dominant within isolated populations but this seemed not to be the case.
Very strange indeed.
Mark...