Cichlids · Gymnogeophagus
Balzanii
Gymnogeophagus balzanii · Paraná-Paraguay and lower Uruguay basins (Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay)
Photo: CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Water temperature
21–25 °C 70–77 °F
pH
6.5–7.5 neutral water
Adult size
20 cm 7.9 in
Swims
Bottom mostly on the floor and in caves
Keep together
3 or more a shoal feels safe
Current
Calm still or slow water
Food
Eats most foods
Temperament
Territorial
Where it comes from
Home water
Paraná-Paraguay and lower Uruguay basins (Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay)
Paraná, Uruguay
Lives in river habitat.
The dot is placed on its home rivers, not an exact collecting site. Map: Natural Earth.
Tank mates
Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with low flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.
Good together
- Peppermint bristlenose L181 Plecos · 13 cm · bottom
-
Flash pleco L204
Plecos · 11 cm · bottom -
Amano shrimp
Shrimp & snails · 5 cm · bottom -
Bronze corydoras
Corydoras · 7 cm · bottom -
Butterfly hillstream loach
Loaches · 8 cm · bottom -
Cardinal tetra
Tetras · 4 cm · mid-water -
Celestial pearl danio
Rasboras & danios · 2.5 cm · mid-water -
Cherry barb
Barbs · 5 cm · mid-water
Keep apart
-
Aggressive and will eat the balzanii
-
Need a different pH
-
Need different temperatures and need a different pH
-
Need a different pH and aggressive
-
Need different temperatures and want fast, strong current
-
Need different temperatures
-
Want fast, strong current
In the hobby
Where to find it
No store or breeder we know of has it right now.
Run a store? List the fish you usually have. Breed fish? List your fry.
Tanks with this fish
No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.
From keepers
Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.
Questions keepers ask
How big does a Balzanii get?
About 20 cm (7.9 in) as an adult.
What temperature does a Balzanii need?
21–25 °C (70–77 °F).
What pH does a Balzanii need?
pH 6.5–7.5.
Does a Balzanii need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 3.
Is the Balzanii aggressive?
It is territorial. Give it its own cave or space.
What does a Balzanii eat?
It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.
Where does the Balzanii come from?
Paraná-Paraguay and lower Uruguay basins (Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay).
What fish can live with a Balzanii?
Good tank mates include Peppermint bristlenose (L181), Flash pleco (L204), Amano shrimp, Bronze corydoras, Butterfly hillstream loach.
All the numbers
| Temperature min (°C) | 21 | Sourced |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature max (°C) | 25 | Sourced |
| pH min | 6.5 | Sourced |
| pH max | 7.5 | Sourced |
| Adult size (cm) | 20 | Sourced |
| Flow | Low | Sourced |
| Swim level (top / middle / bottom) | bottom | Sourced |
| Habitat | river | Estimate |
| Smallest happy group | 3 | Sourced |
| Temperament | Territorial | Sourced |
| Diet | Omnivore | Sourced |
Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.