SA

South American Fish: 

South American Fish

Livebearers- Mollies : 

Livebearers- Mollies Mollies Family:POECILIIDAE Species: Poecilia latipinma Common Name:Sailfin Molly Size: 4 in (10 cm) Habitat:CENTRAL AMERICA: streams and rivers in Nicaragua Diet:Omnivorous Behavior:peaceful, best kept by themselves Water:slightly alkaline, add 1/2 tsp salt per gallon Care:easy

Livebearer - Platy: 

Livebearer - Platy Family:POECILIIDAE Species: Xiphophorus maculatus Common Name:Platy Size: 1½ in (4 cm) Habitat:CENTRAL AMERICA: streams and rivers in Nicaragua Diet:all aquarium foods Behavior:peaceful and active Water:medium hard and slightly alkaline Care:easy Communities:excellent, dont keep with soft water fish Suitability:excellent

Livebearer - Swordtail: 

Livebearer - Swordtail Family:POECILIIDAE Species: Xiphophorus helleri Common Name: Swordtail Size: 4 3/4 inches (12 cm) Habitat: Mexico and Guatemala Diet: all aquarium foods Behavior:peaceful and active Water:medium hard and slightly alkaline Care:easy Communities:excellent, dont keep with soft water fish Suitability:excellent

Livebearer - Guppy: 

Livebearer - Guppy Common names: Guppy, Millions Fish Scientific/Latin names: Poecilia reticulata Maximum length: Males 0.5 to 1.5 inches, females 1.5 to 2.5 inches Colors: Red, blue, yellow, black, white, gold, green, and many more\ Temperature preference: 65 to 75 degrees F, can withstand about 50 to 100 degrees F (60 to 90 for fancy varieties)\ pH preference: 7 to 8.5 Hardness preference: Moderate to hard Salinity preference: 1 Tablespoon per 3-5 gallons\ Compatibility: Good but prone to chasing and nipping same and other species, voracious eaters of egg-laid fry Life span: 2 to 5 years\ Ease of keeping: Easy if water is not too soft or low in salts Ease of breeding: Easy

Hatchetfish: 

Hatchetfish Scientific Name: Gasteropelecus sternicla Family: Gasteropelecidae Origin: Brazil, Guyana, Surinam Adult Size: 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) Social: Peaceful, suitable for community tanks Lifespan: 5 years Tank Level: Top dweller Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallon Diet: Carnivore, prefers insects Breeding: Egglayer - not bred in captivity Care: Intermediate pH: 6.0 - 7.0 Hardness: up to 15 dGH Temperature: 73-81 F (23-27 C)

Angelfish: 

Angelfish Family:CICHLIDAE Species: Pterophyllum Scalare Common Name:Angelfish Size: 5 in (12.5 cm) Habitat:SOUTH AMERICA: reed beds of the Orinoco River system, Venezeula Diet:Carnivorous Behavior:peaceful, will eat small fish Water:neutral Care:moderate Communities:good, no fin nippers Suitability:good

Discus: 

Discus Family: CICHLIDAE Species: Symphysodon aequifasciata Common Name: Blue Discus Size: 8 in (20 cm) Habitat: SOUTH AMERICA: rivers and Lake of Amazonia Diet: Carnivorous Behavior: very peaceful Water: very soft acidic water Care: hard Communities: should be in a species tank Suitability: not for beginners 

Acaras: 

Acaras Family:CICHLIDAE Species: Aequidens pulcher Common Name:Blue Acara Size: 6¼ in (16 cm) Habitat:SOUTH AMERICA: northern Venezuela; also Trinidad Diet:Omnivorous Behavior:semi aggressive Water:not critical Care:easy Communities:will eat or bully small fish Suitability:OK

Dwarf Cichlids: 

Dwarf Cichlids Family:CICHLIDAE Species: Apistogramma cacatuoides Common Name:Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid Size: 3 in (7.5 cm) Habitat:SOUTH AMERICA: streams and rivers of the Peruvian Amazon Diet:Carnivorous Behavior:peaceful Water:soft, slightly acid Care:easy Communities:best if kept in a species tank Suitability:good

Eartheater Cichlids: 

Eartheater Cichlids Family:CHICLIDAE Species: Geophagus surinamensis Common Name:Surinam Geophagus Size: Up to 12 inches. Habitat:South America, Guyana and South to the Amazon river. Diet:Omnivorous, live, frozen and flake. Behavior:Aggressive Water:ph 6.5 to 7.0 temperature 72 to 77 Care:medium Communities:poor, when not fighting they are digging Suitability:Species tank 

Neon Tetras: 

Neon Tetras Family: Characidae Scientific Name: Paracheirodon innesi Size: Up to 1.5" (4cm) Tank:20 inches Strata:Bottom, middle pH:5.5 to 7.5 Hardness:Soft to medium. dH range: 1.0 – 25 Temperature:68ºF to 78ºF (20-25°C)

Cardinal Tetra: 

Cardinal Tetra Family: Characidae Scientific Name: Paracheirodon Axelrodi Size:Up to 2" (5cm) Tank:20 inches Strata:Bottom, middle pH:4.5 to 7.0 Hardness:Soft dH range: 2.0 - 8.0 Temperature:75ºF to 84ºF (24-29°C)

Black Skirt Tetra: 

Black Skirt Tetra Family: Characidae Scientific Name: GYMNOCORYMBUS TERNETZI Size:about 2 inches (give or take a quarter of an inch) Tank:24 inches Strata:bottom, top, and middle pH:huge range from 5.8 to 8.5 Hardness:soft to hard Temperature:68°F to 79°F (20-26°C) Diet:omnivorous (will take anything from flakes to live food)

Buenos Aires Tetra : 

Buenos Aires Tetra Family: Characidae S.N.: Hemigrammus caudovittatus Size: 3½ inches Temperature: 65 to 82 Water: neutral to slightly alkaline pH: 6.8 to 7.4 Origin: Argentina Two things to be noted about the Buenos Aires tetra are that when they get large and older they tend to be somewhat aggressive and are fin nippers, and they will eat plants with a vengeance. Other than this, they are fine community tank fish.

Bleeding Heart Tetra : 

Bleeding Heart Tetra Family Characidae S.N.:Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma Size: 3½ inches Temperature: 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit Water: Not particular Origin: Upper Amazon Basin, Peru Bleeding heart tetras prefer a somewhat dark environment. They are best housed in a tank that contains several bunches of large plants (either live or plastic) in back and on the sides of the tank, with smaller plants in the front, leaving plenty of open space for swimming. A layer of floating plants to diffuse the light is also suggested. Pay strict attention to water quality.

Silver Dollar: 

Silver Dollar Family: Serrasalmidae S.N. METYNNIS HYPSAUCHEN Size:Up to 8" (20cm) Tank:48 inches Strata:MiddlepH:6.0 to 7.5 Hardness:Soft to medium. dH range: 4.0 - 18.0 Temperature:75ºF to 84ºF (24-29°C)

Plecostomus: 

Plecostomus Scientific NameHypostomus plecostomus Common NamesSuckerfish, Suckermouth Catfish Pleco Care Level Easy to moderate Size Up to 18 inches (46 cm)pH6.5 - 7.5 Temperature73°F - 82°F (23°C - 28°C) Water Hardness5° to 19° dH, Lifespan10 - 15 years Tank Size Depends on the type, but a 55 gallon minimum for the common pleco given its large adult size. Compatible Tank Mates Many, given the mostly peaceful nature of this fish. Tank Region Bottom and the sides of the glass.

Oto – Dwarf Sucker: 

Oto – Dwarf Sucker Common names: Otocinclus, Otto, Oto, Pygmy Suckermouth Catfish, Dwarf Sucker Scientific/Latin name: Otocinclus affinus (other similar species exist, like O. vittatus and O. vestitus) Maximum length: 1 to 2 inches Colors: Natural, black Temperature preference: 70 to 80 pH preference: 6 to 7 Hardness preference: Soft to moderate Salinity preference: Low Compatibility: Excellent (may suck on large fish like discus and goldfish) Life span: Unknown, maybe 3 to 10 years Ease of keeping: Moderate Ease of breeding: Moderate to difficult

Corydora Catfish: 

Corydora Catfish Common Name: Leopard Cory Scientific Name:Corydoras trilineatus Family: Callichthyidae. Distribution: Trinidad and the Guianan plateau of South America. Size: Up to 3 inches or 7.5cm. Water Chemistry: They live in water that is slightly acidic (pH 6-7, although 5.8-7.8 is cited as a range of possible pHs in which they may live). The water has a dH between 2 and 30, but soft water is better. pH: Ideally 6.5-7.5 (They prefer slightly acidic to Neutral water). Like many fish which are tank bred, they can be acclimatized to a ph slightly outside this range if carried out slowly and carefully. Life Span: 8-10 years. Housing: 10 gallons for a small shoal. Description: Need to be kept in schools of at least 4-6

Oscar : 

Oscar Scientific Name Astronotus spp. Common Names Albino Oscar, Tiger Oscar and Red Oscar, Marbled CichlidOscar Care Level Easy, good for freshwater beginners with a large enough tank. Size13 inches (33 cm) pH 6 – 8 Temperature72°F - 80°F (22°C - 27°C) Water Hardness5° to 20° dH Origin / HabitatAmazon Lifespan10 - 13 years Temperament / BehaviorThey can be aggressive if not given a large enough aquarium. Breeding Oscar Fish / Mating / ReproductionThey reach sexual maturity at 4 inches and will form life long pairs. Keep the water temperature around 82°F (28°C) and provide a spot for them to place the eggs. A large rock would work well. Tank Size55 gallon or larger. Compatible Tank MatesNot many - Bala Shark, Silver Dollar, Pleco and Jack Dempsey are some acceptable tank mates. However, don't put in any fish that are small enough to fit in the mouth