Species Profiles FAQ Information http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:01:27 -0500 1440 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=25463
The catch
I was pacing the rows of tanks at my LFS when I noticed a new shipment had come in, along with some long awaited Apistogrammas. I had hoped for agassizii to go along with my female but what showed up obviously wasn’t. I bought seven and had them identified as A. paucisquamis, and A. gibbiceps. Apistogrammas weren’t my thing back then and I gave away all of the juveniles and only kept one adult of each species, unfortunately, they died off and I really began to miss them.

I became a full blown Apistophile really began to miss keeping A. paucisquamis and never thought my collection complete without one. My Apistogramma collection grew until I had 9 species in all including Apistogramma sp. abacaxi, A. sp. tefe, A. gibbiceps, A. bitaeniata, A. agassizii, A. cf. pertense, and A. hippolytae.
One thing however was missing, I had no A. paucisquamis.

Second chances
It was during a trip to the interior to the Amazon basin where my desires were satisfied. I had never been collecting there before and probably few if any ichthyological work has ever been done at the location. I planned on staying the week there, but the time was cut in half as we had to return sooner. I was fishing along a sandy beach when suddenly in my nets there appeared a black Apisto jumping in my net. I scarcely believed it, Ap. Paucisquamis!!! Thrilled I continued to fish along the banks with my net, poking in any likely place, under leaves, twigs, beside plants, until I had caught over 10 specimens. The place where I caught them was in a little inlet where the water was relatively still, they liked leaves, and other structure to live in. I let some of the juveniles go but kept the adults.
Unfortunately while I was there two of my prized adults died from unknown causes.
What was left of the group survived the way back, almost 11 hours on busses, boats, cars, and walking! The quintuple (three males and two females) acclimated well, the largest male in a separate, 16 gallon, tank while the younger ones (and a subadult male) went into a temporary 8 gallon tank.
The 16 gallon tank is a dwarf cichlid only tank currently containing some 11 species while the 8 gallon has lots of rocks, is sparsely planted, has driftwood and copious amounts of leaves. Cories and pencilfish serve as cleanup crew and dithers among the different Apistogrammas. This tank is filtered with a top-fin 20, the substrate in both tanks is beach sand.
The paucisquamis is not an aggressive species but it can get rowdy and some times disruptive, unfortunately however they can also be bullied by larger more boisterous Apistos.
I have to admit, this is one of my favorite fish I have ever had and that is saying a lot, as I enjoy many of my fish.

Tank setup
I believe that in the long run these cichlids deserve a tank of at least twelve gallons, though 15 is better. The substrate is not as important as for some Apistos as they do not like to sift sand as much as some other members of the genus.
They prefer lots of boundaries such as rocks, leaves and driftwood. Where I caught the most paucisquamis was in a big heap of twigs, and leaves.
They like tannins in the water and a low ph, less then 6 preferably.
Many people claim that these Apistos are hard to keep. So far mine have been relatively hardy. Frequent waterchanges are good for these fish, there is no such thing as too many waterchanges.
Description
This Apisto can be identified by the banded forked tail, grayish body, and duel parallel bands on its body.
The paucisquamis is in the bitaeniata group and was first imported from Manaus.
They are often collected in the company of A. gibbiceps.

Conclusion
A paucisquamis is an awesome Apisto, it comes in a variety of colors, my personal favorite is the orange coloration. The fins are edged with red, it is breathtaking.
I really enjoy this Apistogramma and if you ever get the chance to get one, do so, it isn’t likely they will be coming around again soon.
]]> Passionate 4 pikes Passionate 4 pikes Thu, 14 May 2009 08:19:36 -0500 Thu, 14 May 2009 08:19:36 -0500 25463 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=22928 But now, it´s already a third start in the way that was the big wish from the beginning on - to have a website of it´s own. So - this is not a last painful try to get more acceptance, this now is a result of the tries, ideas, toughts and suggestions of the former years. The ACP has gone to be adult in cause of consequent evolution - in formal aspects as well as in contents. This surely is not too early, hopefully not too late. All which are knowing the ACP yet are having greatest commitment that a program like this is more than necessary, regarding the current situation in the hobby.

Therefore an invitation to all the ones which had no contact to the ACP until now: Look in for what we are doing this, look in to see our intentions. An join. Work with. We have an important target. It is our hobby.

Anton Lamboj

You can reach the ACP at http://www.acp-database.com]]> Cichlidenwelt Cichlidenwelt Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:11:41 -0600 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:11:41 -0600 22928 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=22194 Midasman21 Midasman21 Sat, 13 Oct 2007 02:19:24 -0500 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 01:23:27 -0500 22194 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20706 Scientific Name: Altolamprologus calvus

Origin: Lake Tanganyika

Temperament: Mildly Aggressive, Not Territorial

Tank Size: 30g long and above, known to do well in smaller tanks as well. More floor space the better.

Setup: Sand substrate or fine gravel, rocky caves or equivalent, sturdy cover they're jumpers

H2O Chemistry: Ph 7.5-9.0 Hard Alkaline, Good water quality (keep up w/water changes)

Temperature: 75-85°F but 80°F is ideal

Diet: Carnivore but in captivity it will accept a variety of foods such as flakes, sinking pellets, frozen and live foods it will eat fish eggs and fry and small invertebrates, high protein diet is preferred.

Size: Adult male max out at 6" where as the female only hits about 4"


Despite its awesome predatory look this little guy is actually pretty peaceful compared to other cichlids. This is a very SLOW growing species that’s why it can be kept in smaller tanks, but it will require a 36" or bigger tank when full grown for optimal happiness and well being. There are several varieties black, white, yellow, red, and even a zebra.

These are compressed fish, if viewed from the front it is very thin (skinny), it’s got a steep sloping forehead which has no scales. Its body has stripes that are more apparent on the head region and white spots that cover the back of his body. Also, its can bend in various ways so it can enter small caves and crevices where he sucks out his prey with its big mouth that acts like an underwater vacuum. It also has this armor like scales on its body. As a defense bending his body exposing the scales and when bitten it will fray the enemy’s lips. The heavy duty scales also help protect from sliding in and out of caves.

This fish is a great addition to a Tanganyikan community setup and many other fish in similar size. This is because they don't bother other cichlids they seem to mind their own things. Care should be taken when feeding these guys in community tanks because they are not competitive and the other fish will eat the food before it gets to him. DO NOT OVERFEED. Great tank mates are shell dwellers. I also had seen them do fine with SAs.

Males are bigger and higher bodied and have more elongated fins that female dose. Sexual maturity is reached at 2-3 years of age the equivalent of 2.5-3". This is a long time. But when it comes time to breed they are secretive. They will find a shell or a small cave in which the male cannot enter. She will stay inside the cave and the male will release a milt at the entrance of the cave and the will both fan it on the eggs. About 80 or so eggs are laid by a small pair and by a large pair there would be around 200 or more. The male will then stay at the mouth of the cave protecting it. The eggs take more than a week before they hatch and they are big fry, big enough to move on their own. This would be a good time to move them out if you want the majority to survive. The female can spawn about every 3-5 weeks.

This is an awesome fish and you must definetly own one in your aquaria lifetime. They go for about $15-25 and are one of the top awesome amazing cichlid out there. So awesome in which they made me make a profile of them searching the internet for about 2 and a half hours. It's my very first profile and I wanted to share this awesome species with all of the hobbies hobbyists. Feel free to add any additional info that I might be lacking.
]]> Doobycareful Doobycareful Thu, 15 Mar 2007 01:00:26 -0500 Thu, 15 Mar 2007 01:00:26 -0500 20706 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19302
common names- Black Eared Piranha, Black Heart Piranha, Black Shoulder Piranha

adult size- size of the adult depends on many factors includeing, water quailty, tank size, proper feeding, etc, though if taken care of properly this fish can hit 16" though over 12" is very rare in captivity

tank size need for an adult is 75 gallons- because these are a shoaling spieces of piranha you will be able to keep 4 in the tank, though as with all fish, the bigge rthe tank the better, as the tank size gets larger so does the amount that you can keep in it, once you have the 75 gallon tank then for every fish after add another 20 gallons on to the tank size to determine the tank size you want for the fish, so in a 125 gallon tank you can keep 6 caribe.

filtration- because these fish are dirty they will requrie a heavy amount of filtration, for a 75 gallon tank, 2 ac110's, and a rena filstar xp3 canister filter, both are high quality and create great filtration.

tank setup- tank setup can be as easy as nothing at all, but many hobbists love very buetiful tanks, so many decide to make there tanks planted with many plants driftwood, and all sorts of things.

water tempeture- 24-29 degrees Celsius (76-84 degrees Fahrenheit).

water chemistry- pH should be between 6.0 - 8.0, ideal is slightly acidic to neutral water: pH 6.5 - 7.2
Soft water is preferred.

compatibilty- may shoal with other of the same species, any other fish are not compatible- has been known to be shoalable with oscars, also can be cannabalistic and terrotoriale, to own spiecies

feeding- this fish is predatorial and can be feed foods like shrimp, smelt, catfish and tilapia fillets.


]]> boba fett boba fett Sat, 23 Sep 2006 09:19:39 -0500 Sat, 23 Sep 2006 09:19:39 -0500 19302 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19137
Scientific name- Hypselecara temporalis

Family- Cichlidae

Also may be know as the Emerald Cichlid,

Size of adult-10-12 inches

Temperament: - mainly they are just large and peaceful thought they may sometimes get predatory and often aggressive, even towards its own kind.
But usually they are peaceful.

Origin- South American Amazon.

Chocolate cichlids are not so aggressive when small, but will become much more so as they grow older. They have large mouths and will swallow any tank mates which are small enough to fit into their mouths. As juveniles they have a much lighter color compared to their adult form. Adult males in good condition can even show intense red-black coloration. The chocolate cichlid requires a large tank which has a lot of swimming room, and a few caves. These fish are messy and like to dig, so decorations will need to be sturdy, and good filtration is required to maintain the health of the adults.

Water conditions- pH around neutral, prefer soft but will cope with quite hard water which is well filtered.

Feeding- The chocolate cichlid is carnivorous, and should receive a meat based diet of frozen shrimp, worm foods, beef heart, and even small fish. They will also accept granules or cichlid pellets.

Tank size, minimum 55 gallons

Water temp- 77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit

Breeding- Chocolate cichlids spawn on a flat rock which is cleaned by the parents and they guard the fry in pits dug in the gravel. Apparently, one partner may even be killed during courtship.

Sexing- Males have more pointed fins and develop a cephalic hump. They may have more intense coloration.

Sources-

http://www.americancichlids.com/chocolate.htm

http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/f...hoccichlid.html

http://fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/530.htm

]]> boba fett umbiemaniac Thu, 31 Aug 2006 01:08:59 -0500 Fri, 01 Jun 2007 21:52:40 -0500 19137 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19136

Also known as- triangle cichlid

Family- cichlidae

Scientific name-Uaru amphiacanthoides

Origin- Amazon river basin

Minimum tank size- an adult can be kept in a 55 gallon aquarium
Minimum tank size for mating pair is an 80 gallon tank

Max size- 10-12 inches in length

Diet- omnivore- uaru’s will eat most anything, flakes, pellet’s, prepared foods, any average cichlid food are acceptable, varied diets are very important for cichlids, so feed a variety of foods.

Breeding- Uaru’s have a reputation for being hard to breed, if you have the tank space keep 6-8 of these fish in a tank, and they should do the rest, they breed in substrate of aquariums., they will lay any where from 100 to 800 eggs at a time.

Sexing- sexing can bee hard on these cichlids, females are plumper during spawning, and mature males may get a more round head.

Tank conditions- ph 6.5- 7.5, temp- 75-84

Temperament- these fish are similar in temperament as severum cichlids.

Tank mates- uaru’s are mostly peaceful and can be kept with other fish such as- severums, silver dollars, and less aggressive medium sized cichlids.

Sources-

http://www.gcca.net/fom/Uaru_amphiacanthoides.htm

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/triangcichlids.htm

http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Summary/Speci...ry.php?id=11187

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/guaru.html

http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=627



]]> boba fett boba fett Thu, 31 Aug 2006 01:08:11 -0500 Thu, 31 Aug 2006 01:08:11 -0500 19136 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18451 Scientific Name: Hemichromis lifalili
Common Name: Red Forest Jewel
Distribution: Central Africa; in tributaries of the Zaire (Congo) and Ubanghi Rivers.
Habitat: Soft, acidic forest streams and rivers.
Maximum Size: 4" - 5"
Minimum Tank Size: A tank with a capacity of 20-25 gallons (75-98 L) is sufficient.
Tank Set-up: Tropical African rainforest stream set-up; with bogwood, inert rocks, leaf litter (not essential, but helps to re-create soft acidic conditions in their natural habitat), plants, etc. Suitable hiding places in the form of caves made from non-calcareous rocks, bogwood or even flowerpots should be provided.
Temperature: 73-79 F (23-26 C)
pH: 6.0 - 7.5
Hardness: Soft water is best.
Diet: A carnivore, the Red Forest Jewel does well on good brands of cichlid pellets/granules/flakes with a high protein content. However, this diet should be supplemented with live foods (such as Brine Shrimp, Ghost Shrimp, mealworms, bloodworm, Tubifex, etc.) as treats once in a while. Those live foods can also be used to condition the fishes for breeding.
Temperament: Generally belligerent and territorial; conspecifics are quite intolerant of each other. However, if the tank is large enough and there is a multitude of hiding places, the aggression is usually much reduced.
Sexing: Females have brighter and lighter colors while males are distinctly darker. Venting is another method of sexing this fish.
Breeding: A substrate spawner. Once a pair is formed, the female will find a smooth surface, such as a plant leaf or the smooth side of a rock, and lay her eggs there. Meanwhile, the male will eradicate any fish in the vicinity which is deemed as a threat to the eggs/fry in typical cichlid fashion. Both parents care for the eggs/fry.]]> Kaz Kaz Fri, 16 Jun 2006 04:39:41 -0500 Fri, 16 Jun 2006 04:39:41 -0500 18451 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16698
[attachmentid=17325]


Scientific name: Apistogramma cacatuoides
Common name: Cockatoo / Crested Dwarf Cichlid
Synonyms: Apistogramma cacatuoides
Genus: Apistogramma
Order: Perciformes
Class Actinopterygii
Family: Cichlidae
Subfamily: Geophaginae
Size: Males: 3.5" (9cm) females: 2.3" (6cm)
Origin: Brazil, Colombia & Peru
Minimum Tank Size: From 12" for a pair
Tank setup: Not too critical apart from hiding caves are needed, spawning caves will also be needed for breeding purposes.
Temperament: Peacefull, this species is a Peaceful species although sometimes males can harass the females, it is important to give them places to retreat
Compatibility: Best in a species tank, perhaps with a few small "dither fish" such as pencilfish or neon tetras
Water Type: Freshwater
Temperature: 75-82°F (24–28°C)
Hardness: 5-19dH
pH: 6–8 this species has a fairly wide pH tolerance although it prefers a pH of about 6.8-7.0
Sexual dimorphism: Males are generally larger and more colourful, they also develop longer dorsal rays for the first 5 or so rays in the dorsal fin.
Breeding: one of the easiest apistogrammas to breed, this fish is a hareem breeder so you can keep a male with up to 4 females, the females lay eggs in small cave, this species are known to be good parents.
Feeding: These fish will accept most foods, its a good idea to use colour enhancing foods sometimes to show this fish in all its glory, also if you are planning to breed this species you should give them a lot of good quality foods.
Other Variants: There are many colour Variants of this species.

Apistogramma Cacatuoides is most likely the most common species of apistogramma available but also one of the least demanding to keep or breed, they can be kept in a wide variety of water conditions and bred in relatively small tanks.
This species is relatively shy and usually darts behind cover whenever a larger fish comes near or when the owner comes close to the tank, they will often be more tempted to come out if more cover is provided, likewise some small dither fish may also help.
This fish will thrive if given a quiet tank which is preferably 18" with plenty of cover, no larger fish, a good diet and the water is kept in good condition.
For breeding a pH of 6.8-7.0 is ideal and a GH & KH of about 8, provide spawning caves and also feed well on quality foods and also some livefoods.
People sometimes have a male and a few females in there species tank because this species will breed in groups or a "hareem".

*If you have any pics or comments on this species please add them below

heres a handy link
heres another handy link
heres another handy link
heres another handy link]]> Innes polomax24 Fri, 10 Feb 2006 16:19:02 -0600 Sat, 18 Feb 2006 02:16:26 -0600 16698 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16057 Aequidens tetramerus
[attachmentid=16768]
Scientific Name: Aequidens Tetramerus


Common Name: Saddle Cichlid


Order: Perciformes


Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)


Sub-Class: Cichlasomatinae


Local: Very wide range covering the Amazon and Tocantins river basins, the rivers of French Guiana, Suriname, and Guyana, as well as the Orinoco basin.


Size: One on the largest of the genus with the largest males pushing a foot. Largest known was 11 inches.


Tank Size: A trio will get along in a 75 gallon provided they have many dithers to help diffuse their aggression.


Water parameters: pH 4.9-7.5, dH 1-13, water should be moderately soft. A. tetramerus prefers tannic tea-stained water.


Tank Setup: A tank of at least 75 gallons (preferably 6 ft) should be decorated with wood, large clay pots, and large plastic plants to provide ample cover for the smallest of the pack. Gravel is not of much concern, as they do not play with it much outside of breeding.


Temperament: This is a deceptively aggressive fish. It is not like rivulatus where it is mostly show and nothing to back it up. This fish is not very flashy but can be a devil especially to other members of its own species and genus. The fish are not easily threatened by other fish and are vary reluctant to back down. Once they begin to chase a fish they are relentless in their pursuit of that one fish. If close attention is not paid to the occupants of an A. tetramerus aquarium one may find the occupants seriously injured.


Compatibility: Will get along with other large South and North American fish. Notable tank mates include: “C.” grammodes, V. regani, H. coryphadoids, G brazilensis, and H. carpintis. The best solution to their aggression is larger tank size. Growing A. tetramerus out with its tank mates and adding dithers will also help. Good dithers include: Buenos Aries Tetras, Tiger Barbs, Tinfoil Barbs, Red Hooks, Convicts, Jewels, and Clown Loaches.


Appearance: Aequidens tetramerus have a greatly varying coloration depending on which local color morph is being looked at. The basic coloration is a silver/grey body with a black lateral band running from the top of the gill plate to the upper part of the caudle fin. Other prominent markings include the saddle spot in the middle of the band from which it draws its common name, a similar but smaller spot at the lateral band’s end, and a triangular blotch beneath the eye. Some individuals show a read chest with a green and brown body. Red appears in all individuals during spawning activities. Other individuals show gold and blue body and finage.


Sexual Dimorphism: Females are smaller than males. Males will show brighter colors and longer trailers on pectoral, anal, and dorsal fins.


Breeding: Breeding usually occurs on a flat surface that is lying on the bottom of the tank. Clay pot bottoms work well for this, as they are reluctant to spawn in an actual pot. The female cleans the surface and around 1500 eggs may be laid. Fry are kept in safe places usually surrounded on most sides by rocks or wood. Not a great deal of digging takes place during spawning activities.


Feeding: A. tetramerus does well on cichlid pellets but benefits from the occasional treat of peas or earthworms.


Other: These fish can be surprisingly cruel to other fish and are likely the most aggressive of the genus, care must be taken not to underestimate them based on their genus.
]]> grammodesguapote polomax24 Wed, 04 Jan 2006 19:34:59 -0600 Fri, 06 Jan 2006 17:37:38 -0600 16057 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14145 Common Names - Salvini, Tri-color Cichlid, Yellow-belly Cichlid
Class - Actinopterygii
Order - Perciformes
Family - Cichlidae
Genus - Nandopsis
Distribution - Most of Central America, especially Nicaragua, although this species exists not just in the lake, but in the rivers and streams too.
Minimum Tank Size - A tank measuring 90 centimetres in length is adequate for a breeding pair, while a 60-centimetre tank can probably house an adult Tri-color Cichlid quite comfortably. In a cichlid community a tank of about 180 centimetres in length is required.
Temperament - A quite vicious cichlid, unless given lots of space and retreats, otherwise it might harass weaker fish (mostly cichlids). Males are not belligerent towards the opposite sex, however.
Suitable Tankmates - Nandopsis grammodes, Amphilophus alfari, Amphilophus altifrons, Amphilophus robertsoni, Nandopsis friedrichthalli, Nandopsis managuense, Nandopsis octofasciatum, Archocentrus nigrofasciatus, Archocentrus spirulum, and any other species of cichlid able to defend itself against the Tri-color Cichlid.
Maximum Adult Length - Even males never breach the 21-centimetre mark. Females over 15 centimetres long are quite rare. (Applies to fish in aquaria)
Water Conditions - Slightly hard and alkaline with a pH of preferably lower than 8.5 but higher than 7.1. This species tolerates temperatures ranging from 24C to 29C.
Sexual Dimorphism - Females have a black patch at the dorsal fin, are plumper, and don't get to as large a size as the males.
Breeding - The couple clean a smooth surface before the female lays her eggs. Afterwards, the male will fertilize them. About 48 hours later, the eggs will be almost transparent and you will see black 'eyes' inside. If the eggs are still white, they are most probabaly unfertilized. Once the eggs hatch, the parents move them to pits dug by them in the gravel. Later, when the babies become free-swimming, the leave the pit and swim in a shoal near the parents. Free-swimming fry can be fed on very fine powdered flake and brine shrimp nauplii. Powdered egg yolk is a great food too as it's VERY high in protein. Microworms are yet another alternative. Separate the fry by size as the Tri-color Cichlid has piscivorous tendencies and will not hesitate to eat any fish that can fit into its mouth, unless that fish is its offspring. Hence, the smallest will probably end up in the tummies of the biggest.
Feeding - Anything meaty except fatty mammalian meat. Examples - pre-killed fish (silversides, guppies, platies, rosy-reds, etc.), thawed chunks of prawn/chicken/fish, insects, frogs, dry foods, frozen foods such as bloodworm, spirulina and brine shrimp, and also, definitely, cichlids' favorite: live ghost shrimp.
References - My brain.]]> Kutty Sadim Fri, 02 Sep 2005 11:47:31 -0500 Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:30:32 -0500 14145 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13776 Common Name - Jewel Cichlid
Minimum Tank Size - A tank with a length of AT LEAST 24'' is required for a single fish, and a tank with a length of at least 36'' is required for a breeding pair.
Tank Setup - Provide a fine gravel substrate with driftwood and rocks as decor and also to provide retreats; plant the tank heavily, too. Efficient filtration is a must.
Temperament - Jewel cichlids of all species are very belligerent, and will attack fish twice their size when defending territories/eggs/fry. Therefore when you have a pair remove all other fish - regardless of size - IMMEDIATELY.
Compatible Tankmates - Medium to large cichlids that know how to take care of themselves, such as Grammodes, GTs, JDs, RDs and Midas cichlids, Oscars, etc.
Water - Ideal pH is 7.0, but will tolerate a range of 6.3-7.8 well. Best temperature is 27C, but anywhere between 24C and 29C is acceptable.
Size - 5-6''
Diet - Piscivorous and insectivorous, this species has been used to control populations of tilapia species in some places. Feed your jewels beef-heart, market prawn, raw fish, pellets/flakes/sticks and occasionally a bit of vegetable matter as well (STRICTLY NO FEEDERS!).
Breeding - A pair will clean out a flat stone or suitable surface and the female will lay her eggs thereafter. Both parents guard eggs and fry fiercely. Free-swimming fry can be fed Brine Shrimp Nauplii immediately.]]> Kutty aFrIcanSH Fri, 12 Aug 2005 10:59:01 -0500 Sun, 21 Aug 2005 01:29:18 -0500 13776 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13700 Common Name: Oscar
Minimum Tank Size: A tank at least 36'' in length, 16'' in width and 16'' in height is required for a single Oscar. For a pair, a tank of at least 48'' in length is required.
Tank Setup: Young Oscars (1-5'')- Fine gravel, with driftwood and large inert rocks to provide shelter. Filtration should be VERY good, as Oscars produce truckloads of waste! Also, NO PLANTS! Any plants, live or artificial, will be dug up almost immediately. Large Oscars (6-13'')- Bare tank, with a small amount of gravel for the Oscar to 'play' with. Leave the tank free of decor for easy cleaning. Anyway, your Oscar will not need hiding places. Very good filtration is required.
Temperament: Oscars are in fact very docile, except when breeding, during which they behave like bulls defending their calves, attacking any fish approaching.
Compatible Tankmates: Green Terrors, Jack Dempseys, Eartheaters, Pike Cichlids, Peacock Bass (remove them when they get too big), firemouths (remove them when the Oscars get too big), and any other semi-aggressive cichlids. Other fish like Bala Sharks and large barbs (Tinfoil Barbs) are good tankmates too.
Water: Ideal pH is 7.0, tolerates 6.5-8.0 well. Temperature from 25C to 29C. Ideal dH is 12.0, but tolerates 9.0-20.0 well.
Size: Gets to 15'' at the most.
Diet: Naturally piscivores, Oscars will take almost any meaty food in captivity, as well as algae wafers, cichlid pellets, flakes and the like. It is best to provide a diet with 45% protein as the maximum limit, to prevent dropsy/bloat. (HITH is said to be partly caused by poor diet, so be sure to give the highest-quality pellet and live foods!)
Breeding: Provide a flat piece of slate on which the female will lay her eggs. Later, they will move their fry to different pits in the substrate.]]> Kutty thatcichlidguy Tue, 09 Aug 2005 01:42:23 -0500 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:03:43 -0600 13700 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13695 Common Name:South American/Amazonian Leaffish
Family:Nandidae

Distribution:Thoughout the Peruvian Amazon,shoreline areas

Size:3"-4"

Coloration:Can be changed at will,to camouflage for hunting prey and avoiding predators,but usually brownish-yellow

Food:Live Fish,Ghost Shrimp,And for the aquarist who posses infinite patitence,they can be trained to take strips of prawn.Fry should take insect larvae

Temprament:Timid,Hides in the thickets of plants most of the time

Temperature:72-78
pH:5.5-6.5

Sexual Difference:It is said that males have larger fins
Breeding:Eggs are laid on plants,stone,and flat objectsAbout 300 eggs are laid,and fry have to be separted according to their sizes later on as they can be cannablistic

Tank Set-Up:Thickets of plants,provide bogwood,soft acidic water.Filtration MUST be efficent as they are sensitive to water quality drops.Their fins will be clamped if there is something wrong with the water.(eg. High Nitrate levels)Although filtrationj must be good,the current MUST NOT be strong.

Additional Information:It will take a while for these fish to settle down,and once they have,will feed vorociously.They would stay almost montionless among the leaves,and once prey is spotted,they slowly float toward the prey,fluttering the fins.Their eyes will widen and the victim is sucked into the mouth by a strong vacuum created by the sucking in of water.]]> aFrIcanSH aFrIcanSH Tue, 09 Aug 2005 00:32:53 -0500 Tue, 30 Aug 2005 02:18:42 -0500 13695 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13676 Common Name:Dusky African Snakehead
Size:maximum size 60cm,but they grow slow
Coloration:Usually Light Brown with Black blotches and brown on the top
Food:small fish being its main preference,it takes time for it to accept dead food
Tank Size:150 gallons for a fully grown specimen

Additional Information:Usually They don't breed in aquaria so i won't mention much on breeding,but the male guards the fry,the young are CANNABALISTIC.Provide a heavily planted tank with thickets of plants,lots of wood for it to stalk and hunt down its prey.best to provide heavy cover glass as this species tends to jump.In addition,also provide good filtration]]> aFrIcanSH aFrIcanSH Mon, 08 Aug 2005 07:19:21 -0500 Tue, 30 Aug 2005 02:17:56 -0500 13676 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13351
picture from turdinabox^
Scientific name: Lepomis Macrochirus
Common name: Bluegill
Genus: Lepomis
Order: Perciformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Centrarchidae
Subfamily: Lepominae

Origin: All over in North America

Minimum Tank Size: 55 U.S. gallons or more
Tank setup: A dimmer lit tank, lots of plants or driftwood for cover, sand or a finer gravel for your substrate. They will prefer slower moving water so no power head is needed. A heater may be needed depending on you climate.

Temperament: Mildly aggressive but will become very aggressive and territorial around breeding time.
Compatibility: Should be kept with other North American fish of roughly the same size and temperament. Anything small enough to eat will be eaten.

Water Type: Fresh water, pH 7-7.5, dH 10-15, temperature 65*F- 70*F

Size: 8” inches

Sexual dimorphism: insufficient amount of information for me to learn.

Breeding: Males build a small circular nest in the gravel or mud, the female come in and lays the eggs. The male will fertilize the eggs and guard them till they hatch. They will often build nest in colonies and smaller males may try to sneak in and fertilize eggs in other nest or even steal eggs and take them back to his own nest, fertilize them and care for them there.
They can hybridize with other sunfish.

Feeding: Just about anything you could offer them. Insects, snails, smaller fish, frozen foods, pellets, crawdads, and what ever else that would be healthy for them to eat.
They hunt throughout the water column, so if you have bottom feeding fish that are slow you might need to take steps to make sure they get food.

Other info: A pretty hardy fish. Popular game fish and quite a fun catch on some light tackle or for kids.

References:
Fise Base
more info]]> Mr.Freez grammodesguapote Thu, 21 Jul 2005 15:38:42 -0500 Fri, 30 Dec 2005 11:22:05 -0600 13351 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12948

JD7.62's fish^


Scientific name: Lepomis Megalotis
Common name: Longear Sunfish
Genus: Lepomis
Order: Perciformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Centrarchidae

Origin: North America, as far north as the great lakes and south to Mexico. Wyoming to the Appalachian Mountains.

Minimum Tank Size: 30 U.S. gallons or more for one
Tank setup: Gravel substrate some driftwood for cover and dense planting. Heaters are not needed, they would appreciate a slight current in the tank.

Temperament: Comparable to Oscars. Males can become very territorial if breeding.
Compatibility: Nothing too small or it will be eaten.

Water Type: Fresh, 72*F to 75*F, pH neutral. A good method would be to get the water you caught the fish from tested and try to match those conditions as close as possible in your tank.

Size: 6” inches
Sexual dimorphism: Males tend to be more colorful with a more pronounced “black ear”
Breeding: The male will build a nest by fanning the gravel to make a small circular indentation. The male will then lead the female to the nest and lay her eggs, then the male can fertilize. The male will then guard the eggs and the surrounding territory till the hatch and may even guard the area for a while after the fry is gone.
In the wild they often will breed in colonies and the female will move on to another nest to lay eggs leaving the male to do all the work. He is such a good parent that lots of time other fish will try to sneak in and lay their eggs with the sunfish’s eggs and the father will raise them with out even knowing.
To get them breeding in your tank just set the temperature around 77*F, feed a nice high protein diet and provide enough space so the male doesn’t have to keep chasing off the female, keeping the male in his own tank with no other tank mates would be ideal.

Feeding: Predominately surface feeding fish and in the wild their diet usually consists mainly of insects but, invertebrates and other smaller fish are also on the menu. In the home aquariums they will eat pretty much anything, worms, frozen foods, pellets, and store bought fish.

Other info: This is a great North American native for beginners to start out with because they are a very hardy fish, easy to care for, very colorful, they can have a great personality, and are easy to get a hold of, but keep in mind some states netting maybe illegal.
Can be found in clear, shallower waters, it may move into deeper water at dusk and dawn to avoid predators.
Other color variations can be found in different parts of the river or other ponds and lakes but the long black ear will help identify them, long as cross breeding hasn’t happened too much.

References:
more info
more info
more info
more info
the NFC
more info
fish base info
p-fury info
more info]]> Mr.Freez rbp 4 135 Thu, 30 Jun 2005 15:14:29 -0500 Mon, 11 Jul 2005 01:24:53 -0500 12948 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12812
Common Name: Two-Spot Pike Cichlid

Distribution: Brazil, Bolivia

Max size: Males 10'', females 8''

Preferred Temperature: 23-29 degrees Celsius

pH: 6.3-8.0

Temperament: Extremely aggressive towards conspecifics, especially those of the same gender, but only territorial towards other cichlids

Diet: Piscivorous, will accept dried foods over time

Suitable Tankmates: Medium-sized to large CA/SA cichlids like oscars, severums, GT, JD etc.

Minimum tank size for single fish: 90cm/40cm/40cm (male), 60cm-80cm/30cm/30cm (female)

Minimum tank size for breeding pair: 120cm/45cm/45cm

Sexing: Males have much larger fins with filamentous ends to the dorsal and anal fins. They also have many more spangles (spots) than females. Females have a white submarginal stripe at the top of the dorsal; below it is a thick red line. When 'ripe', females develop a bright red belly.

Remarks: This pike is an extremely rewarding fish to keep. Although not considered very aggressive, this species will stake out a cave or some sheltered spot and defend it against tankmates. NEVER keep them with each other, except when attempting to breed them. Even so, do so with extreme caution, and have ready a divider at all times. pH is relatively unimportant, provided extremes are avoided. Wild pikes may need live food at first, but tank-raised ones are easily weaned onto frozen, dry and dead food like krill, pellets, pieces of prawn, silversides, bloodworm etc.

My male lepidota died of old age last year, so no pics. ]]> Kutty beansaranguren Thu, 16 Jun 2005 02:17:49 -0500 Sun, 03 Jul 2005 00:32:35 -0500 12812 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11961
here Pei's fish^

motororay's fish ^

thePack's fish ^ just a juvy

Scientific name: Vieja Synspila
Common name: Red head cichlid, Fire head cichlid, Quetzal cichlid
Genus: Vieja
Order: Perciformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Cichlidae

Origin: Southern Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala

Minimum Tank Size: 100 U.S. gallons for one
Tank setup: They come from slow moving muddy waters so a sandy fine gravel substrate in a dimly lighted tank with not much current would be best. If you use live plants make sure they are firmly rooted because this fish will sift through vegetation and the substrate looking for food and may even eat your plants. A shy fish so some driftwood or other cover to hide out around from time to time is good. Lots of water changes and would do well with peat filtration.

Temperament: A more peaceful fish, said to have a personality a lot like Oscars but a bit more shy. As they get older they should become a bit braver.
Compatibility: Would do well with other medium to large size cichlids that aren’t overly aggressive. If kept by themselves just one male and one female should be done. When by themselves they maybe bully the weakest of the pair. To have a higher chance of a pair that gets along start out with a group of younger Quetzals and when they pair off get rid of the others and keep the pair.

Water Type: Fresh water, temperature 75*F to 82*F, pH 7 to 8, dH 9 to 20.

Size: A pretty large cichlid with the females staying around 12 inches and the males getting up to 14 inches or more.
Appearance: Very colorful fish as it get older, with red covering the head on back to the gill plates, after that is a wide array of colors form gold, blues, greens, oranges, with black scales that kind of speckle the fish. A very attractive fish.

Sexual dimorphism: Both the male and female can develop the “nuchal hump” but the males hump would be noticeably bigger. Also the males are larger in size and would be a bit more colorful.
Breeding: Not often done with the average hobbyist due to the difficulty in getting a compatible pair. When they do lay the eggs they’ll lay around 1500 on some substrate that the parents have cleaned up. Once they hatch a few days later when they are free swimming I would move them to a grow out tank and use proper fry care.

Feeding: Omnivores, a variety is key to help keep the beautiful colors up. Will eat most foods like blood worms, pellets, and frozen foods, but a large part of their diet needs to be vegetation.

References:
fish base info
more info
more info
more info
more info
more info
more info
more info
more info
more info]]> Mr.Freez Mr.Freez Thu, 05 May 2005 17:35:36 -0500 Sun, 08 May 2005 00:03:15 -0500 11961 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11852
Scientific Name: Synodontis contractus

Origin or Range: Africa

Average Lifespan: 5 year(s)

The Upside Down Catfish one of the more attractive Catfish available. They are known and desired for their unique trait of swimming upside down. They are rarely seen swimming right side up. They will not bother other fish that are of the same size, and they make for good community fish. They are a nocturnal species. If kept in groups, they will school. During the day, the Upside Down Catfish will probably hide in dense vegetation. Upside Down Catfish should be kept in very large tanks, with patches of very dense vegetation and rocks for them to hide in. Floating plants are also recommended, since they block out light in a natural way. Though the average lifespan for this fish is 5 years, some may live as long as 7 years. At maturity, the Upside Down Catfish will reach a size of four to six inches. They have dark green to black bodies, with various spots of brown to gray. They have rayed fins, which give the fish an exotic, somewhat dangerous look. Their bodies are long and narrow, which allows them to be extremely quick and agile. Females tend to be rounder in body than males. The females can be further distinguished by their lighter coloring. The Upside Down Catfish, or Synodontis nigriventris is from North Africa, mainly Zaire. In their natural habitat they are known to form large schools. They are commonly seen in streams, rivers and ponds with muddy bottoms. They can also be seen near the shoreline in vegetation. The Upside Down Catfish is one of the few catfish that can be commercially breed in aquariums. This makes them one of the cheaper catfish available. Curiously fry will swim right side up until they reach about two months of age. Owning Upside Down Catfish is relatively easy. They will do well in a large range of pH levels, however, ranging from 6.2 to 7.2 and a half. They should be kept in water at a temperature from 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Upside Down Catfish should be fed Mosquito larvae and other insect larvae. Other small live foods, including brine shrimp, blood worms, glass worms, beef heart, prawns, earthworms and tubifex worms are also accepted, as well as frozen and flake foods.











]]> AFO AFO Sat, 30 Apr 2005 22:39:06 -0500 Sat, 30 Apr 2005 22:39:06 -0500 11852 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11192
Drew's fish ^

brad29's fish

Scientific name: Amphilophus Citrinellus
Common name: Midas Cichlid
Genus: Amphilophus
Order: Perciformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Cichlidae
Origin: Central America, Nicaragua, Lake Nicaragua

Minimum Tank Size: 75 U.S. gallons for a single specimen and no tank mates. Upwards of 125 U.S. gallons or more for a breeding pair by themselves.
Tank setup: They like a substrate they can dig in, so a fine gravel would be ideal. I don’t suggest any plants in the tank cause they would more then likely be uprooted and destroyed. Large rocks and driftwood that makeup some nice cave for the fish to hang out in are a good choice, but make sure they are setup nice and stable so they don’t fall over or collapse due to digging around the base by the fish. They come from lakes and slower moving waters so no power head is needed and mind the amount of current the output of your filtration delivers.

Temperament: Extremely aggressive, especially males around breeding, but this fish tends to have so much character you’ll find yourself attached before you know it.
Compatibility: I personally suggest you keep them solitaire due to their aggression. Unless you are tying to breed them, and even then a divider may be needed if the female isn’t ready to breed the males constant harassment could seriously injure or kill her. If you do have the tank space to try a tank mate then other cichlids of equal or greater size and assertiveness could work out

Water Type: Fresh, temp 74*F to 80*F, pH 7.0, dH 6.0 to 12.0

Size: 12”inches to 14” inches, approximately
Appearance: They can go through may color morphs through out their lives at different stages. From most of the pictures I have seen they are generally orange and white with more or less of each color. There is also a barred morph with more of a drab base color with vertical black bars or stripes.
example of color morph

sadim's fish, this is the same fish







Sexual dimorphism: Males have a nuchal hump that develops and the fins tend to be longer. Females may also have a hump but no were near as dominate as a males.
Breeding: You’ll need a fairly large tank with something flat and some what vertical for the female to lay her eggs on. Once they hatch I would move the fry to a separate grow out tank and use some general fry care.

Feeding: Omnivores, will take pellets, various fresh vegetables, frozen and freeze dried foods. They will also eat smaller live foods, earthworms, snails and insects.

Other info: Often confused with another species the red devil (Amphilophus Labiatum). They are very often cross breed and a pure Midas is difficult to come by.

References:
more info
more info
more info
fish base info
more info
more info
more info
more info
more info
Cichlid Madness]]> Mr.Freez Cichlidfever Mon, 04 Apr 2005 17:30:29 -0500 Thu, 13 Oct 2005 12:05:31 -0500 11192 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10719
Scientific Name: Euastacus armatus

Origin or Range: Australia

Average Lifespan: 50 year(s)

The world's second largest crayfish is so large that it is sometimes called a lobster. Murray Crayfish are rather good at escaping their tanks, and are strong enough to lift up even tightly closed lids, so a weight on top may be necessary if your lid does not have some sort of locking mechanism. They are otherwise relatively easy to care for, though they are notorious for destroying items in their enclosures. Murray Crayfish can also pinch, so they should be handled with care. They prefer well-oxygenated water, and a brisk current, and these conditions may be simulated in captivity. Murray Crayfish grows to about six inches (150 millimeters) in length and extends backward from the head over the thorax. Murray Crayfish range in color from green or dark green to greenish-brown. Murray Crayfish should be kept in large enclosures with heavily weighted or locking lids. Usually, a piece of edible soft wood or mallee root in their enclosure will be beneficial for your crayfish, though it may be quickly destroyed and should be replaced from time to time. A hiding place should also be offered. Air stones or plastic materials in a Murray Crayfish's enclosure may be destroyed, and should be placed in a protected place inaccessible to the crayfish if necessary. An air stone or powerhead can be useful to simulate the fast-flowing, well-oxygenated waters a Murray Crayfish frequents in the wild. Under-gravel filters may not be appropriate, due to the tendency of these crustaceans to plow gravel. Sand may be an appropriate substrate. The enclosure should be kept clean and uneaten food should be removed before it soils the water, usually after a few hours of feeding. Murray Crayfish can be maintained on small bits of vegetable and protein matter fed once or twice every two to three days. Often, carrot peel, pumpkin, potato, and earthworms are offered. Tough vegetable matter, like leaf lettuce, should be frozen in order to break apart tough structures and make it easier to eat and digest. After a molt, it is advisable to leave the old exoskeleton in the enclosure, since Murray Crayfish may eat their shells to derive calcium. Murray Crayfish normally breed in late winter, though sometimes the breeding season extends into early spring. The eggs are carried beneath the tail of the female, and may require five months before they will hatch. Because the young Crayfish do not grow quickly, they may not be able to breed until they are nine years old.]]> AFO AFO Wed, 16 Mar 2005 21:44:54 -0600 Wed, 16 Mar 2005 21:44:54 -0600 10719 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10716
Scientific Name: Procambarus alleni

Origin or Range: Florida

Average Lifespan: ??? year

In the wild, Blue Florida Crayfish are usually found in habitats that have distinct wet and dry seasons. Although they are abundant in wet seasons, they normally remain hidden in dry periods. During this time, Blue Florida Crayfish burrow into the mud to remain damp until their habitat becomes wet or flooded once more. When water is abundant, Blue Florida Crayfish stay near the bottom of the flooded area, eating invertebrates and algae. Normally they do not move or dig into their substrates they are not known to burrow in captivity. By maturity, Blue Florida Crayfish achieve lengths of 15 centimeters. Blue Florida Crayfish should not be kept in enclosures smaller than 100 liters. Temperatures should remain between 10 and 22 degrees Celsius. They usually require pH values upward of 7.0. Usually, Blue Florida Crayfish get along well with other fish. They are omnivorous and can be fed on invertebrates as well as plant materials. They will often eat formulated fish foods as well. It has been reported that the addition of freshwater salt greatly enhances the health of this species. Blue Florida Crayfish breed regularly in captivity. In the wild, Blue Florida Crayfish normally reproduce in large numbers during the wet season. During the mating act, Blue Florida Crayfish constantly clean each other. It is the male that initiates copulation. The female carries the eggs in her pleopods. Blue Florida Crayfish eggs normally hatch in about four weeks. They emerge as miniature versions of adults, though lacking reproductive organs. In the first 24 hours of life, Blue Florida Crayfish fry must molt, and many may not survive this first molt. You should begin changing the water regularly and maintaining the best water conditions possible to aid the fry in surviving. They can be fed freshly hatched brine shrimp, microworms, or liquefied foods. After about two weeks, the young Florida Blue Crayfish have generally become much more hardy. They will still be rather transparent, but by the time they reach sexual maturity they will have gained adult coloration.]]> AFO AFO Wed, 16 Mar 2005 19:46:15 -0600 Wed, 16 Mar 2005 19:46:15 -0600 10716 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10700
Scientific Name: Cherax quadricarinatus

Origin or Range: Australia

Average Lifespan: ??? year

Red Claws are rather peaceful. In fact, they are pretty shy, and will spend most of their time hiding under rocks, only to come out at night. Red Claws may attack slower moving fish for food. Red Claws spend their time either at the bottom of the tank, or climbing various obstacles, including plants, heaters, filters and airlines. Red Claws are escape artists, and enjoy the challenge of escaping their confines. Their aquarium should be covered, and should have moderate rock and plant decoration. The Red Claw should have plenty of places to hide, especially during molting, when they are more susceptible to being attacked. PVC tubing is great, but both ends need to be open, and it should be wide enough for the Red Claw. At maturity, Red Claw Crayfish usually grow to around 20 centimeters in length, though individuals as large as 30 centimeters have been reported. The Red Claw does best in tropical fish water conditions. Their water temperature should be between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and slightly alkaline water, with a pH level between 6.5 and 8. Red Claws are scavenging omnivores, and will eat whatever they can get their claws on. Their primary diet should include plant matter, worms and even certain vegetables. However they will munch on what ever falls to the bottom of the tank.
The Red Claw will most likely breed between September and April. During spawning, the male deposits sperm on the belly of the female. Eggs are released in the next 24 hours, and are fertilized by the sperm. The eggs are attached to the legs of the female, and will hatch roughly 10 weeks later. If disturbed during this period, the female will give up on them. Approximately, 200 to 1000 eggs are produce in each spawn. The Red Claw is capable of reproducing when it is one year old. This species has been bred in captivity.]]> AFO peacemerc Wed, 16 Mar 2005 00:43:43 -0600 Sun, 12 Jun 2005 01:27:53 -0500 10700 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10698
Scientific Name: Paleomonetes sp.

Origin or Range: North America

Average Lifespan: 1.25 year(s)

Ghost Shrimp are small and transparent, normally reaching lengths of about 0.5 inch to 1 inch (1.3 - 2.5 centimeters) at maturity. The first four legs out of these 20 have tiny claws on the ends. Some varieties of Ghost Shrimp are native to brackish or coastal waters. Ghost Shrimp seem to be tolerant of a wide range of temperatures. They do well in warmer temperatures, though they can survive in waters that are as cold as the upper 50 degree Fahrenheit range. Ghost Shrimp become much more active, and they have been reported to become so aggressive as to attack fish in warm temperatures. In cooler temperatures, they are quite peaceful. Freshwater Ghost Shrimp can tolerate lower pH and salinity levels, although Ghost Shrimp native to brackish areas cannot survive long in aquariums that do not benefit from the addition of iodide salts. Normally, healthy Ghost Shrimp will breed with little encouragement when kept in groups. Female freshwater Ghost Shrimp carry their eggs underneath their swimmerets while the eggs are developing. Movement of these legs helps to oxygenate the eggs, which are visible as tiny dark balls.]]> AFO Paul Tue, 15 Mar 2005 23:42:32 -0600 Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:04:11 -0600 10698 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10485 Scientific name: Trigonostigma heteromorpha
Common name: Harlequin Rasbora
Genus: Rasbora
Order: Cypriniformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Cyprinidae

Origin: Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Tank setup: Dense planting with broad leafed plants with some open area for swimming, and a substrate of your choice but darker the better in my opinion, and a softer lighting.

Temperament: Peaceful
Compatibility: Great community fish to keep with others the same size or temperament but nothing big enough to eat it. A pretty active fish that may stress less active fish such as angles. They should be kept in small schools of at least three or more.

Water Type: Fresh, temperature 75*f to 81*F, pH 6.5 to 7.5, dH 5 to 12

Appearance: Their base color is a silverish copper sort of color with a red coloring to the dorsal, anal, and tail fins. They also have a distinctive black triangle hatchet like spot that starts at the base of the dorsal fin and tapers back to the tail fin. A very attractive fish when kept with a few others of its kind.
Size: 1.5 to 2 inches

Sexual dimorphism: The black triangle on the males lower end will be more defined and darker in color. Males are also more slender then the females
Breeding: One of the more difficult Rasboras to breed. They’ll lay their eggs underneath broad leafed plants and the eggs will hatch in approximately 24 hours. The parents should be removed from the tank because they will eat the eggs and freshly hatched fry.

Feeding: Flake, frozen, and even small live foods. As usual variety is key to help keep healthy fish.

Other Info: An undemanding fish great for beginners.
]]> Mr.Freez Mr.Freez Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:48:02 -0600 Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:48:02 -0600 10485 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10484 Scientific name: Brachydanio rerio
Common name: Zebra Danio
Genus: Brachydanio
Order: Cypriniformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Cyprinidae
Origin: India

Minimum Tank Size: 15 or more gallons, tank length will be more important then height.
Tank setup: What ever substrate you like, well planted is nice, some driftwood or large rocks are ok. Be sure to leave plenty of open swimming space as these fish are always on the move and love to swim.

Temperament: Peaceful, a good community fish, best kept in school of six or more
Compatibility: Best kept in species tanks but will do just fine with other peaceful community fish.

Water Type: Freshwater, 72*F to 80*F, pH 6.0 to 8.0, dH 5.0 to 19.0

Size: 2 to 2 ½ inches
Appearance: Light metallic shine with dark stripes running horizontal down the length of the body.

Sexual dimorphism: Females usually rounder and plump with thicker stripes
Breeding: Breeding is pretty easy. One way is to put a few (to insure you have a pair) in a 5 to 10 gal tank with large rock for the substrate so the eggs can fall down in between the rocks, so the parents don’t eat the eggs or any fry. Leave them for about a week and then take them out. Once the fry have hatched you could feed then freshly hatch brine shrimp or some very finely crushed flake food.
Another way is to just leave the fish in their tank and gravel vacc the eggs out to a separate tank.

Feeding: Can give pretty much anything, frozen to small live, but will do well on blood worms, flakes, tubifex worms, plankton, small pieces of beef heart, and mixed vegetables.

Other info: Hardy fish often used to cycle new tanks, which makes them a great beginner fish with such a high tolerance to not so great water conditions, temporary of course.
Note they are in the same family as gold fish (Cyprinidae) and should not be often used as a feeder fish for predatory animals, (see the gold fish profile).
]]> Mr.Freez peacemerc Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:46:47 -0600 Sun, 12 Jun 2005 01:33:09 -0500 10484 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10483 Scientific Name: Barbus schwanenfeldi
Common Names: Tin Foil Barb, red tail tin foil barb
Genus: Barbus
Family: Cyprinidae
Order: Cypriniformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Origin: Sumatra, Borneo and Thailand area, South East Asia.
Minimum Tank Size: 55 gal or larger for a full sized adult.

Tank Setup and Equipment: larger rocks and driftwood, plants are more for the younger ones to hide out around. Larger adult tin foils would more prefer all the open swimming area you can provide for them. You may want to invest in a good lid cause tin foils can jump. Tin foils are found in rivers so a power head maybe a good choice for your tank also.

Temperament and Compatibility: Could be kept in a community tank but not with fish small enough to eat. They may nip at the fins of fish that are slower. You could also keep them with many cichlid species, tin foils are a fast fish and may work well as a dither fish. They are a schooling fish so 5 or more is a good number to shoot for, which also means an awfully big tank given their adult size (6 foot in length).

Water Type: fresh, 72*F to 80*F, pH 6.5-7.0, dH 2-10,

Appearance: Will get to around 12 to 14 inches. Adults, are very shiny tin look with red fins. Young ones just have the shiny tin foil look and will get the red fins later on. I think their eyes look pretty big too.

Sexual Dimorphism: Not possible to tell between the sexes

Breeding: Not done in the home aquarium yet, couple reasons are the adult size and the difficultly in determining the sex. Egg layer.

Feeding: Omnivores, flake foods till they get big enough for blood worms and a good pellet, krill shrimp, and vegetables, they will eat just about anything. Will eat live plants in you tank.

Life Span: 5-8 years

]]> Mr.Freez Mr.Freez Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:45:17 -0600 Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:45:17 -0600 10483 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10482 Scientific name: Epalzeorhynchus (Labeo) bicolor
Common names: Red Tail Shark, Red Tailed Black Shark, Fire Tail
Genus: Epalzeorhynchus (Labeo)
Order: Cypriniformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Cyprinidae
Origin: Thailand

Minimum Tank Size: 20 gal for one
Tank setup and Equipment: well planted tank, rocks (they like hiding spots), and a smooth sandy bottom preferred but gravel would suffice. Will set up territories around familiar land marks to the fish and try to keep the larger décor to the sides and back to give your Red Tail plenty of swimming room.
Good filtration as always, really depending on the size of your tank and the possible tank mates, with a well planted tank you’ll need the proper amount of light to gal ratio, a heater to keep temps stable, and a power head, they like a stronger current.

Temperament: semi-aggressive, can get territorial to other fish, and especially aggressive to its own kind
Compatibility: can be keep in some semi-aggressive community tanks with fish the same size or larger with roughly the same temperament, but only one Red Tail per tank, they do not tolerate their own kind. No fish small enough to eat. They can hold there own pretty well so they can work with lots of different types of cichlids even.

Swimming Column: Middle to bottom.

Water Type: Fresh, pH 7.5, dH 5-10, temperature 75*F to 80*F

Size: 4 to 6 inches

Sexual dimorphism: Females are generally larger, dorsal fins more of a right angle.
Males, less robust then a female and the dorsal fin is more stretched out and pointed.

Breeding: Not very common with these fish cause of their intolerance to each other, a pretty large tank would be needed. Would lay 30 to 50 eggs in a cave or rocky crevice and the male will guard them.

Feeding: Omnivore, from the family of algae eaters so a good vegetation staple is more what they need but may eat fish small enough to eat. Will take pellets and some meats.

Other Neat Info: close relation to the much bigger black shark (Morulius chrysophekadion).
When young the colors will look a bit more pale and drab but as they mature the colors become extremely vivid, which is a good indicator of the health of your Red Tail Shark cause when stressed or sick the black may get dull, their color can change pretty quick.
Also the Red Tailed Shark is extinct in the wild and most are breed in farms in Thailand.
]]> Mr.Freez Mr.Freez Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:43:59 -0600 Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:43:59 -0600 10482 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10481 Scientific Name : Gyrinocheilus Aymonieri
Common Names : Chinese Algae Eater, sucker fish, sucking loach
Genus : Gyrinocheilus
Order : Cypriniformes
Class : Actinopterygii
Family : Gyrinocheilidae
Origin : Southeast Asia, Central Thailand
Minimum Tank Size : around 30” long x 12” wide, around a 55 U.S. gal or bigger awt to do for one full grown Algae Eater.

Tank Setup : A heater to keep the temp stable, they would like a power head to simulate their natural environment, caves, nooks and crannies to hide out around, you could use live plants but when they get bigger they may eat em, substrate up to you, lighting I would lean more towards the dim side, filtration would depend on how many you have and how much algae they are eating, I have three that had a lot of work to do and I had to do a gravel vacc every other day just so their waste didn’t get out of control. So you might have a big bio load for a little bit when you first get them. Just keep and eye on the water conditions.

Water Type : Fresh water, temperature 75*F to 79*F pH 6-8, (hardness) dH 5-19, as with most once you get around the fishes ideal water conditions stability is the key.

Compatibility : When their young they can be used in community tanks and kept with others of its kind. Towards adulthood they’ll get very territorial and not recommended to be keep more then one in the same tank. You can still keep them with other types of fish as long as the rest of the community fish ARE NOT slow moving, Algae Eaters will sometimes like to attach themselves to other fish and suck the slim coat off them which could stress your other fish and could even cause death in extreme cases.


Appearance : 5” to 10”, elongated, Grayish brown with a black strip down the sides, the other day I saw some that looked albino like, they were sort of an orangeish color without a strip of any kind that I saw.

Sexual Dimorphism : extremely hard to tell the difference between the two sexes.

Breeding : Not a lot is known about the breeding habits of these fish but it has occurred and can happen without you expecting it.

Feeding : They can pretty much take care of themselves but when there’s no algae in the tank they would appreciate an algae disc or some vegetables.
With these shots of the mouth you can sort of see were they get their common names.


Other Info : I have three of these fellas I bought to clean up a tank I have were I let the algae just get out of hand, it was a 100gal and I kept the sides clean but the bottom was bare and those three little guys did a remarkable job on the clean up but as mentioned before the made a ton of waste and I had to keep on top of it so it didn’t get out of control. The less the amount of algae in the tank the less waste it seemed like I had to clean up.
If you plan on putting them in a predatory tank (such as piranhas) I recommend you add some (temporary) extra hiding spots in the tank also, I added about six different size mugs to my tank and it seemed to work just fine. They are fairly fast little guys also, so that with the temporary hidin they awt to survive for a little while at least.
]]> Mr.Freez mightymidgetwrestler Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:42:32 -0600 Sun, 28 Aug 2005 18:41:45 -0500 10481 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10480 Scientific name: Phenacogrammus interruptus
Common name: Congo tetra , FeatherFIn tetra
Order: Characiformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Alestiidae
Origin: Zaire River basin, Africa

Minimum Tank Size: 20 gal when their small but a 40 gal or larger when the get bigger, these guys love to swim about, and are a schooling fish so a nice group of six or more is what you awt to shoot for.
Tank setup: with proper lighting all the colors of the rainbow reflect of this fish, plants and driftwood if you like but leave plenty of open swimming space.

Temperament: peaceful schooling community fish, so try to keep six or more. May try to bite at smaller fish.
Compatibility: can be keep with all kinds of other peaceful community fish. May become timid with other more aggressive fish in the tank.

Water Type: fresh, 74*F to 82*F (23*C to 26*C), pH 6.0 to 8.0, 5.0 to 19.0, would like the softer slightly acidic water

Size: 3 “inches, one of the larger tetras available

Sexual dimorphism: Males are larger and more colorful with longer tail and dorsal fins
Breeding: females will usually lay around 300 eggs, a peat filtered water, and the fry can be given freshly hatched brine shrimp or some finely crushed flake foods to eat.

Feeding: omnivorous, will take flake foods, blood worms, frozen foods, small granules, and mosquito larva and brine shrimp. A high quality diet will help bring out their vibrant colors.

]]> Mr.Freez Mr.Freez Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:40:48 -0600 Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:40:48 -0600 10480 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10479 Scientific name: Hemigrammus Erythrozonus
Common name: Glow Light Tetra
Genus: hemigrammus
Order: characiformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: characidae

Origin: South America, Guyana

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gal or larger
Tank setup: live or fake plants, drift wood, or other cover for hiding but leave some open area for them to school and appreciate there color. A darker background and substrate will help bring out there colorful appearance.

Temperament: very peaceful
Compatibility: great for non aggressive community tanks, will work well with many other tetras of the same size, and I think would make a great display. Don’t keep them with anything big enough to eat them. Try to keep glow lights in a school of at least six or more fish.

Water Type: Fresh, temperature around 74*F to 79*F, hardness dH 6 to 8, pH of 6.5 to 7

Appearance: similar shape to neons and other tetras, almost translucent body with a red stripe running from there tail to their nose.
Size: 1.5 inches

Sexual dimorphism: males are smaller, less round and more colorful
Breeding: egg scatterer, raise the temp up to around 82*F, provide fine leafed plants for the female to lay the eggs around, the parents will eat the eggs so after they are laid put the parent back into the community tank. Give the fry micro worms, freshly hatched brine shrimp, or some very finely crushed flake food

Feeding: small live foods, blood worms, flake foods, beef heart, vegetables, and plankton. Pretty much anything small enough and healthy for them to eat that they will take.
]]> Mr.Freez Mr.Freez Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:38:30 -0600 Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:38:30 -0600 10479 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10478 Scientific Name : Astronotus Ocellatus
Common Name : Oscar, Tiger Oscar, Albino Oscar, Red Oscar
Genus : Astronotus
Order : Perciformes
Class : Actinopterygii
Family : Cichlidae
Origin : South America: Amazon River basin in Peru, Colombia, Brazil.
Max Size : 12 to 15 inches most common in the home aquarium but can get bigger.
Appearance : the appearance varies pretty widely, you got black with red strips, albino, an olive drab and black and some will have a red spot towards the tail. Short stout fish with a large mouth.

Tank Size : If you all ready have a 55 gal U.S. then that would do for ONE Oscar ONLY but you really need a 75 gal U.S. tank. For a pair a 125 U.S. gal tank would do and if you want to start to and tank mates with em your gonna have to factor in how much the mate will need to safely coexist with the Oscars.

Filtration : Oscars are a very messy fish and put a huge bioload on the filtration, 1 xp3 and 2 AC500s on a 125 U.S. gal tank to give you an ideal on what you should aim for. A wet/dry sump setup would be an excellent choice with Oscars cause of the superior bio logical filtration and a couple Hang on filters to take care of the mechanical filtering. Canisters would be good also cause they could do both. Id stay away from under gravel filters cause Oscars like to dig especially around mating time and would probably uncover the plates and then the water would just pass right by and nothing would be filtered.

Other Equipment : heater will be needed Oscars are a tropical fish and I recommend an air pump to provide plenty of oxygen in the water. Lighting is up to you really and if you want to try live plants, which could be difficult cause Oscars like to dig and may uproot plants you worked so hard to put in there. A heater guard will also help to keep your Oscar from gettin an injury.

Tank Setup : Oscars like to redecorate. Gravel would be a good choice seein how Oscars like to dig and sand would probably just get every were when they stir it up and get in the filters. Plants live or fake are not really a good choice cause the Oscar will up root and destroy them over time. Drift wood and larger rock work well as they are to big for the Oscar to move around. Stay away from anything small and breakable so no cute small ceramic “no fishing” signs. Oscars get large and like to move around and they aren’t all that coordinated so stay away from sharp or jagged object like lava rock. And no calcium carbonate-based minerals such as coral, aragonite, limestone, marble, sea sand, and sea shells, these will tend to raise the PH in your water. If you intend on breeding a pair of Oscars be sure to provide a flat surface like a piece of slate so they can lay there eggs other wise you might find them clearing the gravel down to the glass bottom.

Water Type : Fresh, Ph 6-8 but more important that its constant, dh range 5.0-19.0, temperature 76*F to 83*F

Sexual Dimorphism : Oscars unlike a lot of other cichlids aren’t that easy to determine there sex just from looking at them. You pretty much have to wait till you see one of em layin eggs to tell what you got, even then its still could be tricky cause you might have two females were one or both will lay eggs, and will often display breeding type of posturing. One fairly good way to tell is when there breeding and you can see their breeding tubes the female’s tube is bigger and rounded at the end, and the male’s is smaller and more pointed at the end.

Breeding : The Oscars will lay their eggs on a flat rock or slate in about 24 hours you should see an amber color for fertile eggs or if there white there infertile. Once there laid you can take out the eggs and put em in a separate tank or leave em in with the parents but if you do keep a close eye on em cause lots of first time parents aren’t all that great and may eat the eggs or the little fry. You could put the slate in vertically with a bubble wall at the bottom to try and simulate the parents fanning the eggs with their tails. There isn’t a real big demand for Oscar fry at the fish shops so don’t plan on getting rich off these guys.

Feeding : Oscars are voracious eating machines, and will even beg for food but don’t go feedin em when ever they want it, just a couple times a day will do. Oscars will eat just about anything you throw in there, but use some good judgment with what you use, a good cichlid pellet is a good choice for a staple diet along with some cut white fish or shrimp, variety is good. Stay away form live feeders bought from the fish shop to reduce risk of introducing disease and most feeders aren’t nutritious and contain growth inhibiting hormones.

Compatibility : Other cichlids roughly the same size that can hold there own. Anything that
Is small enough to fit in an Oscars mouth I don’t recommend cause if the Oscar can catch it, it will probably eat it. Plecos aren’t bad but they also are a messy fish and poop a lot. If you have a breeding pair of Oscars you better have a big tank cause the they could get real aggressive to the other tank mates, same goes with the tank mates you put in, like if you try to put in a pair of convicts, this just wont work causes the cons would get extremely aggressive towards the Oscar.

Other Random facts : Oscars are very susceptible to HITH (hole in the head disease). Oscars are a very interactive fish and some say can even recognize there owners.]]> Mr.Freez Mr.Freez Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:36:15 -0600 Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:36:15 -0600 10478 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10477 Scientific name: Herichthys cyanoguttatus
Common name: Texas Cichlid, Rio Grande cichlid, Rio Grande perch
Order: Perciformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Cichlidae
Genus: Cichlasoma
Origin: Rio Grande River, Texas and Mexico

Minimum Tank Size: 75 gal for one, 125 gal for a pair.

Tank setup and Equipment: Rocks and driftwood to hide around for cover but be careful were you put the larger decor cause like lots of cichlids the Texas likes to dig and uproot and you got to be careful that the larger decor wont get undermined and collapse , finer substrates Texas likes to filter through the substrate for food, live plants not recommended, they’ll be uprooted and destroyed.
Good filtration , a heater, the Texas comes from warmer water, a mild power head might be nice they do come from the Rio Grande River after all, but id provide plenty of dead spots for rest. Lighting is up to you really, if you choose no live plants.

Temperament: Mean son of a guns, males more so then the females, will pick on other fish to DEATH. Tons of personality. Can be real bullies.


Compatibility: Blood Parrot, Firemouth, Jack Dempsey, Gold Severum, Green Severum, Green Terror, Common Pleco. The bigger the tank you have the better off you are, Texas is extremely territorial and try to keep the tank mates roughly the same size and temperament.

Water Type: Fresh water, temp 70*F to 80*F, pH 6.5 to 8.5, dH 5-10

Size: 12"

Sexual dimorphism: Males, larger, may develop a nuchal hump (big forehead) as they mature, more vividly colored, longer more pointed anal and dorsal fins.
Females, smaller, colors are not quite as bright, shorter anal and dorsal fins.

Breeding: will clean a vertical spot (if there is no vertical spot they’ll find something) on a solid structure and lay around 500 eggs, Texas are fairly easy to breed once you have a pair. Both the parents will tend to the fry.


Feeding: Variety, Blood worms, tubifex, cichlids pellets, flakes, different kinds of fresh vegetable, beef heart, white fish, and brine shrimp when young. They’ll scoop up mouth fulls of substrate and filter it for food.

pictures apprecitated ]]> Mr.Freez jasonp Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:31:57 -0600 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:25:09 -0500 10477 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10476 Scientific name: Aphyocharax anisitsi
Common name: Bloodfin Tetra
Genus: Aphyocharax
Order: Characiformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Characidae
Origin: South America, Parana River, Argentina

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gal
Tank setup: you can have it fairly planted, they especially like valisneria and sagittaria plants. They don’t need a heater but cooler waters will dull their colors. Rocks and driftwood is ok too. Darker substrate and background to bring out the colors. Will swim in just about all areas of the tank.

Temperament: peaceful
Compatibility: keep in schools of six or more, great with other small tetras roughly the same size and temperament, and fish that aren’t big enough to eat them.

Water Type: Fresh, temperature 65*F to 80*F, dH 2 to 30, pH 6.0 to 8.0

Appearance: similar shape to other tetras, red color in the tail and anal fins with a silvery body.
Size: 2 inches
Sexual dimorphism: males have a hooked anal fin, females are larger and not quite as bright as the males.
Breeding: egg layers, the eggs are not sticky and will sink to the bottom. The parents should be taken out of the tank because they will eat the eggs. Give the fry fresh hatched brine shrimp and finely crushed flake foods.

Feeding: Flake foods, daphania, plankton, beef heart, brine shrimp, glass worms and blood worms.

Other: Hardy fish great for beginners.


posting pictures would be appreciated ]]> Mr.Freez Mr.Freez Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:28:01 -0600 Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:28:01 -0600 10476 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10475 Scientific name: Thorichthys Meeki
Common name: Firemouth Cichlid
Genus: Thorichthys
Order: Perciformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Family: Cichlidae
Origin: Guatemala and Yucatan, Central America.

Tank setup and Equipment: Lots of rocks and driftwood to hide out around. If you want to use plants, keep them in the pot unless they are already well established, fire mouths like lots of cichlids like to uproot plants but will do it more so while breeding. But don’t over do the decor so you can leave plenty of open water for swimming and display. Fire mouths like fine substrate were they can search for food.
Good filtration and a heater to keep temps stable. No power head is really needed, fire mouths are found is slower water.

Minimum Tank Size: For one 20 gal, with a pair or other tank mates 29 or larger.

Water Type: Fresh, 74*f to 80*f, pH 6.5-8.5, dH 5-10

Temperament: Rather docile for a cichlid, will become more aggressive during breeding. When the male Firemouth is threaten or becomes aggressive they can flare their gills to show black spots on their gills to look bigger to other fish and try to intimidate them.

Compatibility: Lots of different types of tetras, barbs, but nothing small enough to eat, and other cichlids of the same size and temperament.

Size: 6”

Sexual dimorphism: Male, brighter colors and brighter reddish coloring on the throat, anal and dorsal fins more pointed and stretched out to the tail.
Females, colors a bit more dull, fins shorter and rounder.

Breeding: Males will set up a territory and do a little breeding dance with some gill flaring to try and attract a female. Once they pair up they’ll clean and area around a rock or flower pot and the female will lay 100 to 500 eggs. The female will fan the eggs while the male guards them. Firemouths will make good parents and guard the fry. A few small dither fish might make for some cool displays from the male.

Feeding: Omnivores, will eat flakes, pellets, krill, frozen blood worms, you could try a variety of things

Other Info: A nice fish for the beginner in keeping cichlids cause of the size of the fish and the rather small size of tank you need to keep one. They also have tons of personality and are just a beautiful fish to look at.


if you have pictures i would apprecitate you posting em ]]> Mr.Freez BlueIce Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:25:04 -0600 Tue, 08 Nov 2005 09:22:14 -0600 10475 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10474 Scientific Name : Archocentrus Nigrofasciatus
Common Names : Con, Convict, Zebra cichlids, platinum convicts
Order : Perciformes
Class : Actinopterygii
Origin : Central America
Size : 4 to 5 inches, with dedicated care and maintenance up to 7 inches check out this monster
Tank Size : 20 U.S. gal for one adult, 29 U.S. gal or bigger for breeding pair

Tank Setup : Convicts like most cichlids like to dig and redecorate to their liking, a nice gravel would be good to use as a substrate, fake plants seein how real plants might be hard to maintain from uprooting. Clay pots or some kind of cave system for them to hang out it and for the female to lay eggs in. I recommend a heater to help keep temperatures stable. Filtration could be what ever is designed for the size tank you have them in. Lighting is pretty much to your preference givin your usein fake plants.

Water Type : Freshwater, 75*F to 82*F, pH range 7.0 to 8.0, dH range 9.0 to 20.0, these are just some numbers to shoot for cause Convicts are an extremely hardy fish and can tolerate a wide range of water conditions so long as there stable, any drastic change could still stress the fish enough to lower its immune system and get sick.

Temperament : Aggressive, and multiply that 10 fold when you have a breeding pair, these guys are very tough and are some brawlers, there has been cases I have read of a Convicts pickin fights with Oscars 3x’s there size and wining. During breeding if you don’t have enough space in the tank for the pair and tank mates, if you have em, the cons will chase the fish to the other side of the tank or just bully them to death.

Compatibility : Danios zebra or giant, plecos with a few hiding spots, and many other cichlids that are a bit bigger and can hold there own against a con, like a Jack Dempsey or Oscar but the key thing to remember is to have enough room for them and if you want a breeding pair I recommend you keep them separate and in their own tank cause they will stress a tank mate to death.

Appearance : bluish with black strips, albino, and marble



Sexual Dimorphism : Males, generally bigger, nuchal hump develops towards maturity, in more mature fish the dorsal and anal fins stretch farther back and more pointed, colors may not be as vivid as a females.
Females, generally smaller, pinkish coloring on the belly.



Breeding : A great fish for beginners to learn how to breed fish . You don’t have to do any special to breed convicts, I do recommend that if you do breed them that you have em in a separate tank. The females will usually lay there eggs in the flower pot or cave. Then in about 3 or 4 days they’ll hatch. Convicts make excellent parents. You can leave the fry with the parents or tank them out and put them in there own tank which is a good way to go cause then you can use a sponge filter to help keep em from being sucked up into the filter and they can also eat any food stuck to the filter. Just be prepared to deal with a lot of fry once your convicts pair up.

Feeding : Will eat almost anything, their not a very picky fish, bloodworms, flake food, smaller cichlid pellets, krill, and even some chopped vegetables

Other Info : Convicts are a great “starter” fish because they are so hardy and can tolerate lots of the mistakes a new fish keeper will make. Just about every fish shop has em.


if you have pictures i would appreicate you posting em ]]> Mr.Freez PeteFromTassie Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:22:18 -0600 Wed, 30 Nov 2005 20:14:58 -0600 10474 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10473 Scientific Name: aequidens rivulatus sp.

Other Names: Green Terror, White Saum, Gold Saum

Family : Cichlidae

Order : Perciformes

Class : Actinopterygii

Place of Origin: Eastern Ecuador, Peru

Max Size: up to a foot but more often only about 8 to 10 inches

Tank size: 55 if just one (male), 180 if you want 2 (to males will not work)

Temperature: 72*F to 82*F (20-24*C)

pH: hard water with ph neutral to slightly alkaline (can tolerate a range of water chemistry)

Tank Level: Middle (has been said they prefer still water)

Diet: pellets, beef heart, blood worms, and shrimp (varity is good)

Temperament: very territorial, only single males or a pair of females can be kept with other fish, and breeding pairs will kill everything else in the tank.

Breeding: reach sexual maturity around 3 inches will usually breed in “open water” provide a flat rock to lay eggs will lay around 300 to 400, male may attack the female so provide hiding spot for her. They will guard the eggs and fry viciously, there good parents. The female will take the dominant role in guarding the eggs

sexing:male: Generally larger bright iridescent greenish blue highlights mostly on males, and the nuchal hump. The tail is reticulated and fringed in bright red. Males usually have a blue anal fin

female: drab olive green lacks the metallic look of the males, a darker color, and a more round shape, females usually have a green anal fin

Decoration: plastic plant, large rocks and drift wood, real plant can be used but start early cause these guys like to up root plants

Often confused with the Blue Acara, these guys are very aggersive and should be kept alone or in pairs but could be kept with other ciclids of the same temperament and can take care of themselves


if you have pictures i would appreciate you posting them
]]> Mr.Freez pbass22 Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:18:49 -0600 Fri, 01 Jun 2007 18:39:27 -0500 10473 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8811

first the Ebo Jager heater, has a small blue botton on the top


you wnat to pop this button up with a knife like i did


set the heater in your tank or a small bucket of waterplug the heater back in and let it heat the water put your thermometer in the bucket of water and if it read the thermometer set your ebo's heater dials to the same temp of your thermometer and click the buttom abck down yes its that easy to recalibrate your EBO JAGRER heater]]> badmatt LaZy Thu, 06 Jan 2005 16:51:51 -0600 Mon, 10 Jan 2005 04:24:06 -0600 8811 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8764
Scientific name: Heros Severus

Synonym: Cichlasoma Severus, Acara spuria, Astronotus severus

Common name: Banded cichlid, Severum

Origin: South America

Diet: Omnivore

Average Adult Size: 8"

Body shape: Laterally compressed, deep bodied fish. Discus-like. Dorsal, ventral and anal fins are long and pointed.

Colours: Color on body can range from brownish green to orange. The ventral and anal fins are reddish. Juveniles have around 8 vertical bars running the length of the fish which fades as it matures. On adult fish, only the last bar near the caudal fin is retained.

Ray count: Dorsal XVI,13; Anal VII,12; Pectoral 14. (Fin Bony-Ray,Soft-ray)

Scale count: 30

Temperature: 73°F to 84°F, optimum at 80°F

Water Parameters: pH 6.2 to pH 7.0

General Temperament: Peaceful

Sexing: Males start to exhibit more elaborate markings on the face around 3"-4" in length, and generally have deeper body. Finnage not a good indicator of gender for this fish.

Breeding: Heros Severus can be quite selective of mating partners and pairing of this fish is best done with 6 to 8 juveniles, allowing them to select their own mates. Dark substrate is preferred and each spawn may produced more than 1000 eggs. They are delayed mouth brooders, eggs are laid on open substrate and hatchlings are taken into the parents' mouth.

----------------------------------

Credit goes to Pei, buddah101 and GreenTearRoar for generous sharing of pics
and
yslexdia and Pei for their expert technical advice

----------------------------------
]]> ParamPita Pei Tue, 04 Jan 2005 10:52:43 -0600 Mon, 17 Jan 2005 23:49:53 -0600 8764 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5993










*above pics submitted by Innes

Scientific name: Ambystoma mexicanum
Common name: Axolotl, Water dog
Genus: Ambystoma
Order: Caudata
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class Lissamphibia
Family: Ambystomatidae
Size: 12" (30cm) but usually much smaller
Origin: Mexico
Minimum Tank Size: 10 Gallons
Tank setup: Fully aquatic, no strong currents, normal sized gravel can cause problems as they will swollow some when feeding from the bottom
Temperament: not aggressive, but will eat anything it can swollow
Compatibility: Can be kept with other axolotls (may bite each others feet though) and also goldfish that are too large to be eaten
Water Type: Freshwater
Temperature: 57-64°F (14-18°C)
Hardness: 6-16dH
pH: 6.5-7.5
Sexual dimorphism: Males have a more swollen anus
Breeding: Lays eggs amongst plants
Feeding: Beef or liver, earthworms, brine shrimp, tubiflex worms and fish foods
Other Varients: Albino

Axolotls are amazing creatures which are seen as a backwards step in evolution as it has evolved not to metamorphosise like other salamander species, therefore preventing it from spreading to new areas, it is also amasing because of its ability to re-generate legs and other damaged areas on its body.
I is actially possible for an axolotl to metamorphosise although very unusual unless it is injected with hormone injections (which can in fact shorten the lifespan) and I have also heard (although I doubt) that you can induce metamorphisim by lowering the water level slowely and adding iodine to the water althought I personally think one of the better things about axolotls is that they do not metamorphasise like other juvinile salamanders.
Strangely axolotls are able to breed in there juvinile form so not metamorphsising is not a problem for breeding them.
If you are keeping an axolotle that has metamorphed you will need to keep it in a moist enviroment with some soil without anything chemical added, and they will accept live insects as foods (like crickets and stuff)
Other than those morphed axolotls you need at least 10gallons for them and you should beware that anything they can get in there mouth they will swollow (or at least try to) so make sure the substraight is either fine enough to pass easily or too large to fit in its mouth, while aquatic they will accept almost anything as food from regular fish foods to beef, bloodworms, earthworms, small fish, insects, etc.
This species is on the CITES endangered species list however there are operations happening to breed and release more into the wild, also they are not taken from the wild as so many are bred in captivity.

*If you have any pics or comments on this species please add them below

heres a handy link]]> Innes blueturq Tue, 07 Sep 2004 22:16:43 -0500 Mon, 11 Oct 2004 15:21:11 -0500 5993 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5754 Auratus Cichlid (Melanochromis Auratus)


Origin: Lake Malawi (Africa)

Water Type: Freshwater

Temp: 70 - 82°F (20 - 28°C)

pH: 7.5 - 8.1

Adult Size: 4”-5”

Minimum Tank Size: 20 Gallons

Temperament: Very Aggressive specially towards others similar in shape and very well may take on much larger fish than themselves.

Feeding: Omnivorous but mainly Vegetarian a good spirulina containing food should be given regularly (fry should be feed crushed Spirulina).

Breeding: The Aratus is a "mouth brooder" meaning it hatches her eggs in her mouth. When spawning I would recommend the female be moved very carefully in to a different tank and kept there for about 3-4 weeks. After about the 1st week out of the mothers mouth the fry "young" should be moved to a different tank cause the mother will eventually begin to eat her them. Over all the Aratus is a fairly easy cichlid to breed.

Sexing Information: The young males of this species look like the females. However when the males mature they turn a very dark black color. The lines that run the length of the body turn a beige/yellow/white color. The fins are black or clear and the dorsal fin has a beautiful yellow glow. When in breeding condition, the males also sport bright yellow/white egg spots on their anal fin.

Care Information: Very easy to care for, They should be kept in a large aquarium with many hiding places using rock but NO WOOD!. Wood makes the water acidic overtime and Lake Malawi has hard water.


Comments & Pictures are welcomed]]> BootyBandit bandbtrainingstables Fri, 27 Aug 2004 04:47:46 -0500 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:31:37 -0600 5754 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4943





Above pics submited by slylie
Common Names: Blacktip Reef Shark, Blacktip Shark, Guliman
Kingdom- Animalia
Phylum- Chordata
Subphylum- Vertebrata
Class- Chondrichthyes
Subclass- Elasmobrachii
Order- Carcharhiniformes
Family- Carcharhinidae
Genus- Caracharhinus
Species- melanopterus
Reproduction:Viviparous,16 month gestation period,Litter of 2-4 pups
Diet:Reef Fish,Crabs,Lobster,Cuddle Fish
Range:Indian and Pacific Oceans
Size: 6 ft.]]> Michelle zanshin Thu, 29 Jul 2004 20:19:32 -0500 Tue, 03 Aug 2004 06:41:45 -0500 4943 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4102
Scinietific name: Poecilia sphenops
Care Level: easy
Maximum size: 4 inches
Origin: Central America and South America
Diet: Omnivore. Flake, pellets, bloodworms, and brine shrimp.
pH: 7 to 8
Breeding: Livebearer. Easy
Min. tank size: 10 gallons
Temperature: 72 to 82 °F
Temperament: Peaceful. Good community fish.
Lifespan: 1.5 to 2 years

General information: This fish does better in brackish water then fresh water. Mollies prefer planted tanks with room to swim.

Breeding Information: mollies are livebearing fish. The males can be determined by the gonopodium. The females are more plump then the males. The fry should be separated from the adults because the adults will snack on the fry.]]> fishboy BootyBandit Thu, 17 Jun 2004 18:15:43 -0500 Sat, 26 Jun 2004 01:39:25 -0500 4102 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4101
Scientific Name: Xiphophorus helleri
Temperament: Peaceful community fish
Length: 4 to 5 inches
Origin: Central America
Food: Flakes, veggies, bloodworms, and brine shrimp.
Breeding: livebeares. Easy to breed.
Min. tank size: 15 gallons
Temp.: 72 to 82 °F
pH: 7-8.5

Breeding Information: The males tail has a long sword like extension on the bottom. The males are not as fat as the females. You should keep them in a ratio of 3 females for every male. The females will give birth of 15 to 150 fry. The tank should have lots of plats for the fry to hide in, or the adults will eat the fry. The fry are very slow growers.]]> fishboy nimbusv Thu, 17 Jun 2004 18:14:05 -0500 Fri, 18 Jun 2004 14:10:12 -0500 4101 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4100
Temperament: Peaceful. Community fish
Length: 2 inches
Region: Central America
Food: Omnivore. Tropical flakes, algae, live and frozen foods, blood worms
Breeding: easy
Min. tank size: 10 gallons
Temp.: 68-84°F
pH: 7-8

Care Information: The ratio of males to females should be one male to two females. Platys are not very picky eaters and will eat any thing that they can put in their mouths including fry. Some algae should be left on some sides of the aquarium for them to eat. The fry will also eat algae and crushed flake food.

Breeding Information: Males can be sexed by their long gonopodium. Females do not have the gonopodium. Females have bigger bellies then the males. Breeding is very easy put the male in with two females and wait. I the males is put in a tank with only one female he will harass her and stress her out. The female will give birth to at least 20 fry.]]> fishboy fishboy Thu, 17 Jun 2004 18:13:01 -0500 Sat, 26 Jun 2004 12:03:07 -0500 4100 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4099
Scientific name: Poecilia reticulata
Origin: Central America and Brazil
Size: 2.5 inches
Food: Omnivorous. Flakes, veggies, bloodworms, and brine shrimp.
Temperature: 70-82 ºF
pH: 7-8.5
Min. tank size: 10 gallons

Breeding Information: Guppies should be kept in groups of 1 male for every 2 females. To breed just put the male in with the females and wait. Guppies can have as many as 100 fry in one birth. The fry should be separated from the adults immediately or they will be eaten.

Care Information: They should have at least 10 gallons, and prefer plants. Plants will also help the fry survive. These fish are simple so care for and breed.]]> fishboy peacemerc Thu, 17 Jun 2004 18:11:02 -0500 Sun, 12 Jun 2005 01:45:28 -0500 4099 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3903 Convict Cichlid (Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum)

Origin: Central America
Temp: 70 - 82°F (20 - 28°C)
pH: 7-7.5
Temperament: very aggressive when spawning, not a community fish
Adult Size: 4”-5”
Tank Size: 20 Gallons
Feeding: Omnivorous, eats everything. Fry will nibble at algae.
Breeding: Super easy to breed when they start they don’t stop. The convict is a great cichlid for a your first fish to breed.

Care Information: Easy to care for. Convicts like to dig and will do it often exspicially when breeding. They prefer to have a cave to stay in, but they are not shy. They also like to redecorate the tank.

Breeding Information: The males are bigger with noticeably longer fins. The females have orange bellies and are smaller then the males. Just put a male and female together and wait. They will lay the eggs on a flat surface on a rock or in a cave. The eggs will hatch in 3-4 days. The parents will take care of the fry for a while, but after 1 or 2 weeks will start to eat the fry. So the fry should be removed after a week.

feedback welcomed]]> fishboy Sandi Sat, 05 Jun 2004 15:45:29 -0500 Mon, 18 Oct 2004 19:19:54 -0500 3903 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3332 Scientific Name: Astronotus ocellatus
Common Names: Oscar, Velvet Cichlid, Tiger Oscar, Red Oscar, Albino Oscar, and Veil Tail Oscar.
Temperament: Peaceful to other fish its size or larger.
Tank Mates: Large Plecos, Texas Cichlid, Jack Dempsey, and Salvini. Habitat: Oscars tend to up root plants and rearrange the tank. They do best with smooth gravel, large rocks, and/or large logs. Make sure that they can not move any thing that could brake the glass.
Diet: Oscars are carnivorous and will eat krill, pellets, beef heart, and feeder fish. Small Oscars will eat flake food.
pH: 6-8
Temperature: 72-82 Fahrenheit
Minimum Tank Size: 55 gallons
Location: Amazon River South America
Distribution: Very Popular
Life Span: 10-20 years
Breeding: Pairs usually start breeding around 12cm long. They will lay the eggs on a flat rock of a log. A full grown female can lay up to 2,000 eggs. The eggs will hatch in 3 to 4 days.
Sexing: There are no external markings to tell the difference between the males and females. If you want a breeding pair buy 4-6 and keep them tell they pair up and pick the best pair and sell the rest back to a lfs.
Comments: This fish is vary messy when it eats and will need a good filtration system. Oscars have their own kind of personality and are smart enough to learn tricks. This fish will grow very fast.
[SIZE=7]]]> fishboy unspun_hero Tue, 20 Apr 2004 18:36:58 -0500 Tue, 26 Apr 2005 14:21:06 -0500 3332 http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3321 Uaru cichlid
Uaru amphiacanthoides
Uaru, Waroo, triangle cichlid





Distribution: The black River of the affluent of the Amazon River in Brazil
(neighbor of discus and Angels, as well as the Cardinal tetra).



Maximum size: 12".
Temperature: 24°-27° C
pH - approx 6.5-7.0
Water Hardness: 5-10° gH
Temperament: Gregarious, it likes to be in groups of its same species and forms pairs that last their lifetime. tame to live with big companions, but able to defend a territory at breeding time.
feeding Habits: Omnivorous, the vegetal food must be an integral part of its diet.
Minimum size of the tank for a single specimen: 55gal
Minimum size of the tank for a mating pair: (without companions) 80gal.
Sexual dimorphism: none

This fish goes through a complete transformation when it reaches maturity, when young, Uarus are of color greenish chocolate with
white dots, when maturing all the dots disappear, changing them by a brown-orange orange with an almost black spot shaped like a
triangle from the gills towards the tail in each one of his flanks. They have great orange eyes and a spine with very long dorsal fin. This
beautiful fish is now very rare in the Hobby, occurring stratospheric prices for mature fish.

Its diet must be varied and must include vegetal (lettuce, spinach, peas, zuccini and even some fruit like peach), sometimes they also bite and eat the driftwood of the aquarium, because of that, you must not put varnished driftwood inside the aquarium. because they love to eat veggies live plants are a bad idea in the tanks of these fish, since they will end up being devoured by the appetite of Uarus.

Like all the big cichlid, a filtration of 10 times the volume of the aquarium per hour is a necessity, since these little friends will dispose approximately 10 grams of poo everyday, as well as near a third of its body mass in every day urine.

despite 10 times/hour filtration, frequent water changes are necessary to maintain to these fish in perfect conditions, since they hate nitrate, this is why maintaining nitrates below 10ppm is very recommendable so that these friends grow strong and healthy.

As far reproducing this beautiful animal, there is no sexual dimorphism among them, although some say that the sexually mature males will develop a hump or that that the dorsal and anal fins of the male will be but longer and pointier, this not always is a good indicator of the fish gender, the only sure way to know for sure is to observe them during a successful breeding attempt.

Its reproductive behavior is just the same to most of the American cichlids, the female lays eggs on a rock, or driftwood and the male will pass after her to fertilize them, an adult pair will lay between 300 and 400 eggs each time, they will take fan the eggs to prevent them from fungusing , as well as will transfer the wrigglers once the eggs hatch (after 72 hours approx) and the wrigglers fall from the surface where they were originally layed. When the wrigglers had consumed the yolk sak and are free swimming (72-96 hours after they hatched) they will be fed on a mucus secreted by the flanks of the parents for a pair of weeks, after that is necessary to feed them with newly hatched brine shrimp, in this stage it is recommended to feed them between 4 and 6 times a day, after a while young brood must be separated from the parents to growth aquariums so they keep a healthy growth and development.


Feedback Please!!]]> nimbusv delmore Tue, 20 Apr 2004 13:14:21 -0500 Sat, 05 Jun 2004 23:36:06 -0500 3321