90g Showtank - New species - Guianacara Dacrya

Hey there! Most of you know what I've been doing with my tanks (aquascaping for those who don't know).

I have been working a lot on my 90 gallon tank recently, making sure it is very beautiful before taking the "money shot" for the IAPLC due for this summer.

This tank houses for the most part South American fish.
I recently had the chance to get 5 baby Guianacara Dacrya. I am watching them interact with the other fish and absolutely love them, they are cute and curious and eat pretty much everything. I can't find much information on them other than they are gregarious and rather peaceful unless they are breeding, then they are like normal cichlids.

They are not diggers, which is very good to me and to my dirted tank.

Any information you have on this species will be welcomed!

Maybe I get a pair out of them?

Here is the tank they live in:


And here are two of them:

Looks good! How long has the tank been planted?

I have bred Guianacara owroewefi, and have video of them digging down to the bottom glass as part of the courtship ritual. Last week, I got a pair of Guianacara sphenozona, and I hate to admit it, but my first though was I hoped they'd breed so I could see the neat digging behavior again...

I absolutely love the Genus, and am very excited to have some again. But you may have a problem there - they are in the eartheater group.

So unless the owroewefi were an anomaly in the Genus,  heads up in a dirted tank.

Damnit. I really hope they don't do that to my tank.
The owner told me they didn't dig.
At least I know who to send them to if I see them doing this!
I know that the Dacrya Species is a "different" fish, but I'm not sure anymore.
Only time will tell!

Repteel, the tank has been planted since june!

My male sphenozona is defying my expectations from my last Guianacara! He has begun digging shallow conical pits - there are now 2 in his 4 foot, 75 gallon home. He and the female have begun to get along - he no longer chases her.
I would estimate they are only 1-2 cm deep in the centre. He could dig deeper, but doesn't seem to want to - good news if yours follow this pattern.
It's a beautiful fish.

I'm glad to know that your fish are already showing signs of breeding!
Must have got them older than mine hehe

My Guianacara stergiosi did not dig in a sand bottom tank. When they spawned, it was on or among some rock that I had placed in the tank - small groupings of pagoda stone. There are several very similar species that are commonly called bandit cichlids.

They are still a bit small so I have yet to witness any spawning signs. My biggest is about the size of an adult Bolivian Ram.
I can't wait to see them at full size and once and for all know if the dig or not

Hello!
Here is a video of my tank



This is my 90g tank, it's been up for almost a year. I started adding botanicals from Tannin Aquatics about 1 month ago. (This is the "debris" you might see in the tank.)


Specifications:

Substrate: Dirt mix (Organic soil+bentonite clay) with pool filter sand cap
Lightning: quad t5h0
Fertilizers: PPS-PRO and osmocote root tabs
24/7 CO2 injection (Reactor)
Flow and Filtration: Modified Eheim 2217 + 2 circulation pumps

Plants:
Hygrophila Corymbosa Angustifolia
Various Crypts (Chameleon Green, Wendtii Brown and other unidentified species)
Rotala rotundifolia
Blyxa Japonica
Lymnophila Aromatica
Alternanthera Reinicki
Micranthemum "Monte Carlo"
Ludwigia Repens
Lobelia Cardinalis

Fishes:

P. Scalare
Guianacara Dacrya
Bolivian Rams
T. Ocellicauda
L201, L340
Corydora Sterbai+Golden Lazer
Cardinal Tetras
Rummynose tetras
Siamese Algae eater
Lava Snails
Nerite Snails
Amano Shrimp
Kuhli Loach