Papiliochromis ramirezi

Photo Credit: Gerhard Müller-Lang

The Blue ram is indeed one of the most peaceful and beautiful cichlids of all. They are dwarf cichlids as they grow to 5cm. They comprise of many enchanting colours but since most are tank bred, lack these amazing colours. Even a gold strain of the ram has been developed. The most striking feature of the blue ram are its blue irridescent flecks and the black spot and vertical band it has. The males are more colourful than the females. Females are rounder with a pinkish abdominal area. As far as water is concerned - it has to be perfect or close to it. These fish have a bad reputation to die, they only live for 2 years or if you're lucky, maybe 3 years. They must have clean and crystal clear water with an acidic pH and it also must be soft. Rams are very, very delicate so only the advanced aquarists are experienced enough to look after them well. Note that rams don't take to medications well and prefer to be in a species tank with driftwood and amazon sword plants.

Photo Credit: Marcos Avila

I have 2 Altispinosas. These are really fun little fish. They are always dancing around the front of the tank looking for attention. They are currently being housed in a 120 L tank with two 8 cm Oscars, two 8 cm Yellow Labido´s, 2 Pink Convicts and 1 8 cm Jack Dempsey. Don't worry about these Altispinosas! They can take care of themselves. The larger of the two goes mouth to mouth with the Jack Dempsey sometimes at feeding and never backs down. Other than that the only aggression is by the slightly larger of the two chasing the smaller one with no harm done. They never go after the other fish. I have a 7.2 pH and the temperature at 26°C. They are very easy to feed...I mix their diet with flakes, shrimp pellets, brine shrimp, and bloodworms. I understand that they will be around 10 cm.

Photo Credit: Cathy Byrnes

The Apistogramma agassizi is one of the easiest South American dwarfs to keep and breed. Definitely a good beginner fish. This species likes the pH aroud 6.8 to neutral and a dH of 8-10. Temperature should be the same as most other South American dwarfs.

Photo Credit: Marcio Soares

Photo Credit: Maia S.

Photo Credit: Heidge Fukumasu

Photo Credit: Gianmarco Bertaccini

I have two of these wonderful Cichlids, they are peaceful except when I feed, then they can get a little nippy. They are in a community tank with 4 Clown Loaches and 2 Bala Sharks and 1 Albino Ruby Shark.

Photo Credit: Marcos Avila

The Amazon Angelfish has always been an all-time favorite among many aquarists. It's almost impossible to find a hobbyist who has never had at least one. The angels' lack of bright coloration is compensated by their unique, beautiful fins and by the variety of patterns which have been achieved through many decades of selective breeding.

Photo Credit: Shawna

They are rare in the hobby. All are wild caught in the pet stores, since commercial fish farms do not breed them yet. They are different from the common angels, they're in my opinion more beautiful and the fins are generally longer and pointy compared to the common angels.

You can gather a lot for a fish species from knowing where it comes from. The discus comes from the Rio Negro and surrounding tributaries and streams in the Amazon Basin. From this we k 545p152f now it likes very soft and acidic waters, with minimum current and warm temperatures. Wow! those are the basics of keeping discus. The discus, despite popular belief, doesn't typically inhabit the same waters as the angelfish. The angelfish is more or less originated around the Amazon River itself and surrounding tributaries, which is a bit farther north. The water the discus comes from looks like a well brewed cup of tea from the large amount of wood and leaves releasing tanins into the water. There is a greater concentration of wood and rock to plant life in the discus habitat, most of the plant life is lillies and other floating types, so the discus feels more at home in subdued lighting.

The Basics: You can house a single individual or a mated pair in a 75 L tank, but surely you would give such a grand fish a more roomy penthouse than this. In my opinion a discus should not be kept in a tank smaller than 180 liters. This tank can house 4 discus along with some cories and peaceful algae eating fishes. The general rule I have found with discus is that you keep a single fish, a *mated* pair, or in a large group. Why? do you ask, discus are cichlids and when adults will kind of establish a pecking order. Pairs typically are bonded and don't pick on one another very much, a solo fish doesn't have anyone to pick on or vice versa, and in a group no single fish is target for all the picking. Discus are predatory and in the wild they would eat small fishes, bugs, worms, grubs and maybe even dead animals. So the diet for your discus should be meaty, but do add some vegetation, it really perks their coloration. I have found Tetra ColorBits to be good at bringing out colors and my discus relish the small pellets, this is about the only dried food they will have. They really have a preference for frozen foods. A lot of the big breeders keep their discus in nothing more than a water filled glass box. I personally don't like this method and believe for the discus to show its best colors and be healthy it should have some hiding places.

Breeding: I won't go too far into this subject, because I have only reared a handful of discus in comparison to some of the professional discus breeders. But the pair chooses their spawning site - usually a leaf, pot, slate rock or some other smooth flat surface - and lays their clutch of eggs. They protect and fan these eggs until they hatch in about 2-3 days. The young act much like Angelfish, they will wiggle and squirm about for 5-6 more days. Then they will free swim and feed from the mucus coating on the parent fish. I start supplementing this diet with newly hatched brine shrimp when the fry are about 3-5 days old. This is truely a sight to see, it is touching and amazing to witness a group of around 100 young discus feeding from their massive parents. Doing daily water changes of 20% is good. When the young are about 2 cm, move them out to their own tank and continue feeding the brine shrimp. Start introducing some frozen foods and basically keep that tank clean. They really aren't hard to keep if all precautions to keep water in its prime is taken.

Conclusion: Whether you are and avid discus addict or just looking into these beauties, there's certainly one thing most of us agree on: there is no fish quite like the discus. There is no site so grand as to see a tastefully planted tank with several of these peaceful cichlids floating about in the midst of the plants.

Photo Credit: Marcos Avila

I don't know why people don't pay much attenion to this fish. I think they are wonderful. I have found them to adapt well to any tank water, but they do best in the same conditions of Discus. These are one of the few wild fish that will hang around a group of wild Discus. They like a densely planted aquarium also, such as one for some Gouramis. They do get quite large, up to 7 inches. I would not recommend this fish for a community because they can be aggressive at times. Many people think they belong to the gourami family, but this is wrong. They are a true cichlid. I would strongly, strongly reccommend these be put with other amazon cichlids, and Discus. During the quarantine period of the discus, they would be great to accompany the discus while in this process, especially wild discus. They will eat a variety of foods, but make sure they get a varied diet because as with other large cichlids they can get HLLE (Head and Lateral Line Erosion). Please go out and buy one, I would like to see these wonderful fish rise to popularity!

Photo Credit: André Mantz

A beautiful and personable fish, they are easily bought very inexpensively at a small size, but the eventual size of the fish should be considered before purchase. A 100 gallon tank would be considered to be a minimum size for a pair of these fish. A high-volume filter is also a necessity, as the fish are messy eaters, and regardless of tank size, regular water changes should be performed in order to keep the fish in good health. Meaty foods, especially live foods are recommended, but if feeding goldfish or other "feeders", be careful not to introduce disease to the tank.

Photo Credit: Dean Hougen

These fish are adaptable. They seem as they will thrive in any tank with a pH under 8.2. They are great for about any tank, because of their size they can handle being kept with more aggressive smaller cichlids. They would be another good comment for an eartheater tank. They prefer foods like earth worms and beefheart, but will eat a good meaty pellet mix. Although these fish get one foot plus they are very slow growers. It takes about 3-4 years to get a full size one. They go by many names, but you will know one when you see one. They come from just about anywere in the amazon basin, even slightly brackish water at times.

Photo Credit: Luciano Takahashi

Several years ago I owned a single male Acarichthys heckelii, wildcaught in Rio Negro, Brazil. This was a mighty guy. When I got him he was about 10 cm. After 5 years he was grown up to 26 cm (without the threads) in length. He was intensively colored red and sparkling blue-spotted, with extremely long red threads at the end of his dorsal fin. It really was a dream fish! Eventually my A. heckelii died of "Hole in the Head" disease. These fish need very good biologically-filtered water, GH max. 4°, KH 2°, pH ~ 5.0-6.5. A. heckelii is a cave breeder and needs stones and wood assembled as a "grotto" in the tank. This species belongs to the Geophaginae and is related to the Eartheaters.

Photo Credit: Luiz Henrique

I have two Waroos. These are very complicated fish to own. Only the experienced aquarist should maintain this fish in domestication. Mine are about 10 cm long. Both have the normal green tint. The most extraordinary quality of these fish are their orange eyes. These fish are good to have in your tank.

Photo Credit: Francesco Zezza

Jack Dempseys are beautiful fish. I had a pair of them for five years, the female just recently passed away. They bred 3 times, allowing us to see the progress of the babies from the very beginning. It was a wonderful experience, and I'm glad I got a chance to see it.

Photo Credit: Marcos Avila

This is a beautiful variant from the original Jack Dempsey, which is usually dark brown with many metallic blue spots. Blue Dempsey juveniles are basically white with black and brown stains, the wonderful turquoise-blue gets stronger as they grow. Sexing them also gets easier then...the male develops long, pointed dorsal and anal fins, and also a thin, dark red stripe on top of the entire dorsal fin. I have learned that true Blue Dempseys do not produce viable young though. You need to cross them back with the normal Dempseys to get fertile "hybrids". Then cross these hybrids among themselves to get 25% Blue Dempseys, or cross a hybrid and a Blue to get 50% Blue Dempseys again. This variant grows a little smaller, and also has a milder temperament than most Jacks. A new, rare and wonderful fish to have in a cichlid tank!

Photo Credit: Simon Voorwinde

I have a black convict that is about 13 cm long. I have it in a 40 liter tank. This fish loves to eat, I will feed him vegtables to help improve his color and heath, I also feed him bugs, pellet food, brine shrimp, meat from my dinner, and feeder fish. I relly enjoy this type of fish.

Photo Credit: James Meehan (Mez)

I have a male firemouth which is about 10 cm long. He is so tough, he holds his own with a 20 cm albino oscar. They become very colorful when they reach about 10 cm. I recommend this fish for people who are looking for an easy to care for cichlid. He eats pellets, earthworms, and feeder guppies. I think firemouths are great.

Photo Credit: Ronen

Photo Credit: Simon Voorwinde

We have a huge gold severum - it has grown quite rapidly and is beautiful! The only trouble is, if it doesn't get fed twice a day, like when we go on vacation, other smaller fish mysteriously disappear. We are almost sure it is the severum eating them, although the people at the fish store say not. We have even taped up the back of the tank, so they can't jump out. The severum is a very lovely fish, just put it with larger fish that it cannot eat or never make it miss a meal!

Photo Credit: Ronaldo Hilgert

Purchased a Port or Black Acara from a pet store years ago, it was only 3 cm long but was aggressive and hardy, surviving in a large tank with convicts and severums. He grew quickly and eventually I gave him to a friend and he lives there happily today with giant oscars and other large cichlids. He is about 20 cm long and looks just like the picture.

Photo Credit: Ronaldo Hilgert

The chameleon cichlid is the best cichlid you can have. I have two of them and they are brilliant. When ever I tap on the glass they know I'm getting ready to feed them and swim straight to the top of the tank. Aside from them being smart and cute, they are aggressive. I had 2 jack dempsey's and as soon as my chameleons saw them they immediately attacked and killed them. I was disappointed, but I forgave them. I love these fish.

Photo Credit: Marcos Avila

Pike Cichlids are some of the most intense and interesting fish one can own! They tend to get along very well even with the most aggressive Cichlids. The only warning I have is that they can get very aggressive towards their own kind. They are omnivorous and will eat anything that will fit into their mouth. They are extremely interesting to watch and easy to care for. I feed mine bottom feeder sinking pellets and live feeder guppies. All you need are three pieces of decent sized slate to make an adequate home for this fish. Mine actually likes to frolic with my Pictus Cats and Plecos. They will follow one another around without chasing or getting aggressive. Pike Cichlids will get very defensive around their caves. Often times chasing away anyone who gets too close for their liking. I would recommend this fish to any Cichlid lover. They will provide you with hours of enjoyment.

Photo Credit: Raymond Tan

Green Terrors are beautiful fish. They are to me, the second most owner responsive fish, other than the Oscar. Green Terrors are afraid of nothing, know how to hide from danger and are not overly aggressive. Mine eats from my hand just like my Oscar. A varied diet is a must, so that they do not develop a digestion disorder.

Photo Credit: Dave Antuono

Blue acara's are interesting fish. Nice colours, but typical cichlids. They dig in the substrate a lot, so good filtration is required. A lot of websites say this fish is a great addition to a cichlid tank. This may be true, but it depends on the individual fish. My larger Acara constantly beats on all his tankmates, to the point where I had to remove all other fish except the other Acara and a common pleco. They are somewhat sensitive to water conditions, so a 25% change weekly is highly recommended. I would recommend this fish to anyone wanting a cichlid that is generally peaceful and won't outgrow a medium tank.

Photo Credit: Robert Norris

I bought my first Texas about three months ago from the local Pet Store. He was about 5 cm in length when I brought him home, since then he's been growing at a rate about 3 cm per month. He seems pretty docile for now, I guess. I keep him in my 470 liter aquarium with my three Tiger Oscars, Red Devil, Jack, two Convicts, Black Shark & my Plecostomus.

Photo Credit: Ann O'Mera

I've owned my pearlscale cichlid for 2 years now. They're a semi-rare species, not very likely you'll find one in a pet store. In the wild, they can grow over 30 cm long, but limited up to 25 cm home aquaria. He likes to sift through the gravel and eat whatever my oscar's gills spew out. He's territorial but tolerant of my other fish. Use heavy filtration because they love to stir up the gravel a lot. I can't get mine to eat flakes or floating cichlid pellets, so I feed him frozen brine shrimp or sinking shrimp pellets, or whatever sinks to the bottom.

Photo Credit: Raymond Tan

Herichthys sp. is actually Herichthys sp. "Rio Cazones" from The Rio Cazones river in Mexico. A common name of this fish is Turquoise Herichthys.

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The fish displayed here seems to be a mature male H. carpinte, with a recognizable nuchal hump on the head. There are three species known in the trade variously as "Texas Blue", "Texas Cichlid", "Blue Cichlid", etc, including Herichthys carpinte and H. cyanoguttatum, plus one other I can´t remember, which seem to be mixed together indiscriminately in the hobby in a similar manner to the various "Red Devil" (C. citrinellum and C. labiatus) species have been. The two species named above are also found together in nature at least in their transplanted homes. They are native to Southern Texas in the Rio Grande drainages, from which they have spread north throughout the state, thriving and able to survive through temperate winters due to their extremely low temperature tolerance (some reports estimate this at 5°C). In 1996 "Texas Cichlids" became established in the drainage canals of suburban New Orleans where they have since nearly eradicated competing Centrarchid (Sunfish, or colloquially, "Perch"). This population was not a colony of the Texas population but appears to have been established after the accidental release of several dozen individuals from a local pet store. They are doing very well indeed in the canals of New Orleans and in some cases have consisted of more than 60% of the biomass in samples taken by local scientists from UNO (Cashner). They are omnivorous but seem to mainly be opportunistic detrious sifters in the wild according to University of New Orleans professor Robert Cashner (personal communication). In the aquarium, they are a fairly typical medium sized Central American Cichlid. Fairly pugnacious, but not quite as murderously territorial as say a Red Devil. They get along well with other similarly sized species, eat most any prepared foods, and seem fairly indifferent to environmental conditions. They can even tolerate up to 16 parts per thousand salt water without any undue stress. (Robert Cashner, personal communication). They grow slowly, but will mate when only about 8 cm.

Photo Credit: Raymond Tan

These are among the most beautiful fish from central america. The juveniles are difficult to distinguish from synspilum and fenestratum. Aqualog has many beautiful pictures and is helpful in identification. A fish well worth having if one is willing to get a large tank for them. Like many of the paratheraps, they are very personable & intelligent, but highly aggressive and intolerant of heterospecifics and conspecifics alike.

Photo Credit: Ann O'Mera

One of the true Guapotes, this fish also is from Nicaragua and Costa Rica. An enormous predator specialized to feed on other cichlids, grows to about 30 inches and is hands down the ruling king of the cichlids. Guy Jordan's Pablo (above) was known through out the world for its intelligence and fearless nature. Some specimens can be quite shy and retiring around people. While others are extremely boisterous. With a combination of size, speed, intelligence and heavy duty dentition, all have the capability to destroy any other fish they are kept with.

Photo Credit: Ann O'Mera

This is another Nicaraguan fish. It is a 35 cm predator that specializes in eating soft rayed fishes. It's best described as a bulldog like fish. Loves to dig and defend its territory. Will stand up to any other fish and fight to the death.

Photo Credit: Cichlid Scene

My male Haitiensis (33 cm) is the sole cichlid in a 680 liter, along with some large (12 to 20 cm) clown loaches and plecos. The Haiti is a blast to keep; it's not the least bit shy and is always swimming out in the open. However, it is a compulsive digger and re-arranger of tank decorations. Grows big, reaching 30 cm in less than 2 years, and can attain upwards of 40 cm. Develops fantastic finnage, including a huge "sail-like" dorsal fin with trailing filaments.

Photo Credit: Cichlid Scene

My male Trimaculatus (30 cm) is extremely owner-responsive, and has been hand-fed since it was a juvenile. A rough and ready cichlid, solidly built (broad and heavy!) and brightly colored, with a reddish/purple throat and orange/red eyes. As with many of the large C. A. cichlids, the smaller the tank the more aggressively it behaves: mine's presently in a 340 liter by itself (the minimum tank for this cichlid), as it will not coexist with any other fish. Requires excellent water quality to remain in prime condition.

Photo Credit: Jeff Rapps

This is a huge fish that is not fussy about pH, but clean water is essential to keep it in good condition. I had a large female for about 3 years and she got on great with some large cichlids and oddball species, but she recently died through a disease I could not catch in time to treat. So I bought 2 young specimens (3 cm) which are already showing breeding behaviour in my aquarium. I would like to stress that these are large, agressive fish and when breeding can do huge damage to any fish or even the hand that feeds them, so think before buying.

Photo Credit: Tom Lay

Red Devils have the same requirements as the Midas cichlid, they are almost the same fish! My current Red Devil is about 13 cm in a 380 liter tank with a red terror, 6 clown loaches, and a pleco. He is very intelligent, but he hates his reflection, tank maintenance (he tries to "kill" the siphoning tube!) and air bubbles! Another great fish for large cichlid lovers!

Photo Credit: Ann O'Mera

I have a fully grown 8 year old male called Krueger. He is exceptionally violent, even charging at our dogs. He is however so full of character that I would advise anyone who wants a solo fish to get one.

Photo Credit: Michel Lalonde

These fish are a cross breed between two central american cichlids. They are a mutt fish that was first created on accident. They should never have been created and any fish that cannot close its mouth should not be allowed to happen!