What is your experience with Macaw cichlids?

One of my tanks is coming with a bunch of juvenile Macaw cichlids (like 30ish)...we are going to try to unload most if not all of them to LFS's...but so far the first one we approached wasn't interested. I'm a bit apprehensive as I understand they get up to 10 inches when full grown and though I do have multiple tanks that I could put them in, I don't have any experience with them and not sure how aggressive they will be with each other and fish not of their species.

Without question my favourite fish in the hobby. Truly stunning animals - especially the females. I’m in the process of setting up a tank for some in one of my journals if you get chance to have a look.

Males can get to 10 inches but usually 8-10 and females 6-10. They are a Central American cichlid so harder water than south’s but neutral is usually ok.

They can be really hit and miss in tanks sometimes totally fine with other fish othertimes too aggressive. What kind of set up are you thinking of?

Nica Cichlids are Macaw Cichlids now? I kept them and they didn't have that name!

They are in the group of fish who are easy to breed and murder to distribute. It's a problem for a lot of Central American Cichlids. They are relatively aggressive and grow large, and stores know they tend to sit in tanks unsold as a result. For a store, having a tank with fish that don't sell is like not having a tank at all.

I only had them to grow them for a few months, for a friend who was installing a tank for them, so while I can say they fought a bit, I didn't have them long enough for mayhem. He did, and they were as rough as they were beautiful. He had bought 6 juveniles in an auction, for $2, because he was the only bidder in a room of over 100 aquarists. They don't have the best of reputations.

GaryE said:

Nica Cichlids are Macaw Cichlids now? I kept them and they didn't have that name!

They are in the group of fish who are easy to breed and murder to distribute. It's a problem for a lot of Central American Cichlids. They are relatively aggressive and grow large, and stores know they tend to sit in tanks unsold as a result. For a store, having a tank with fish that don't sell is like not having a tank at all.

I only had them to grow them for a few months, for a friend who was installing a tank for them, so while I can say they fought a bit, I didn't have them long enough for mayhem. He did, and they were as rough as they were beautiful. He had bought 6 juveniles in an auction, for $2, because he was the only bidder in a room of over 100 aquarists. They don't have the best of reputations.

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They have quite a few names. Macaw, Nics, Mogas - think Moga is the local name for them. Very right they sit in the store for a long time, then they colour up and sell in a single day haha

Wills said:

Without question my favourite fish in the hobby. Truly stunning animals - especially the females. I’m in the process of setting up a tank for some in one of my journals if you get chance to have a look.

Males can get to 10 inches but usually 8-10 and females 6-10. They are a Central American cichlid so harder water than south’s but neutral is usually ok.

They can be really hit and miss in tanks sometimes totally fine with other fish othertimes too aggressive. What kind of set up are you thinking of?

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Well, the juveniles are currently about 1.5 to 2 inches each I would say, and they are in a 40 breeder that we are buying. We will have a 220 gallon community tank as of next Saturday - but my boyfriend is hesitant to put them in there since it will have many other types of fish - including some quite small (like a school of about 100 or more, green neon tetras). I have two 75 gallon tanks that they could go in, and six 40 gallon breeders - that should be able to keep them until they are nearly grown up. I'd be down to throw them in the 220, but like I said, my boyfriend is against this (at least for now, maybe as they color up and if we test them out and theyre not aggressive - hopefully he would change his mind). The person we bought them from claims the parents were in his community tank and were not aggressive- but I've never owned them before.

I mean with 30 its really hard to say how you could keep that many long term as I've not seen that many kept before. There is evidence in the wild they are somewhat gregarious but they are a pairing fish that make nests - interestingly some spawn in open pits in the sand and others dig tunnels into the river bank to spawn. Females are known to raise broods together in small groups of 3-4 and interestingly this is because they have a relationship with Dovii Cichlids and male Nicaraguans have been seen raising Dovii broods while the mothers (male Dovii are not too paternal and have a few nests and partners) go out hunting - typically for Neetroplus which are a rival fish to the Nicaraguans for feeding and breeding areas.

You really want a minimum of 75 gallons (or any big 4 foot tank) for them some people keep them as small groups 1 male 2-3 females but other times they are best kept alone with a community around them of fast moving, medium to large fish that have similar water requirements. Though really keeping 30 of any 8-10 inch fish is always going to be tough.

In my 75g I'm planning to keep a single female Nicaraguan with some Rainbow Fish, Livebearers and Synodontis Catfish. Tempted to add a few more Central American Cichlids but not 100% on it.

Yeah, we are definitely trying to offload some/most of the juveniles - don't want that many full grown macaw cichlids...even if they're pretty. Thank you for the interesting info!

ChasingFish said:

Yeah, we are definitely trying to offload some/most of the juveniles - don't want that many full grown macaw cichlids...even if they're pretty. Thank you for the interesting info!

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No probs I know far too much about them and I don't get many chances to talk about them haha.

Wills

I would keep them away from the 220 - they will eat smaller fish. Any large fish, even a goldfish will.

I don't share @Wills enthusiam, but I understand it. They are beautiful big beasts. If I had a few enormous tanks, they are one of the three big fish species I'd consider - each would need its own tank though.

I had one over 10 years ago, who got to about 2 years old one of the best fish I've ever kept stunning colours, an amazing personality and the more I've learned about them the more fascinating I find them.



IMO there is more than one species, but they have never been studied enough (or properly) to determine it. Decades ago they were 3 species but then as the whole of the Central taxonomy was reviewed they were put into one. In 2007 they were studied from preserved specimens (not live!) and were put into a different name but that got reversed in the latest big central review. People keep trying to put Neetroplus in with them but again I think thats crazy.

Other than their colours, shape and physiology they are the only cichlid species with non adhesive eggs, the only cichlid in Central America to tunnel with their nests (I can only think of one South that is rumoured to do it - Threadfin Acaras) and they have a symbiotic relationship with a predator...

Reasons why I think there is more than one species - colour, some are blue and yellow some are orange, some are green. Some have a prominent spot where the body meets the dorsal fin, some have irregular black marks over the body, some have stripes in the back half of the body. Some make nests in pits in the sand, some dig nests into the river bank - and that seems to vary between locations.

Like I say... know far too much and don't get much chance to talk about them...

Wills said:

I had one over 10 years ago, who got to about 2 years old one of the best fish I've ever kept stunning colours, an amazing personality and the more I've learned about them the more fascinating I find them.

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IMO there is more than one species, but they have never been studied enough (or properly) to determine it. Decades ago they were 3 species but then as the whole of the Central taxonomy was reviewed they were put into one. In 2007 they were studied from preserved specimens (not live!) and were put into a different name but that got reversed in the latest big central review. People keep trying to put Neetroplus in with them but again I think thats crazy.

Other than their colours, shape and physiology they are the only cichlid species with non adhesive eggs, the only cichlid in Central America to tunnel with their nests (I can only think of one South that is rumoured to do it - Threadfin Acaras) and they have a symbiotic relationship with a predator...

Reasons why I think there is more than one species - colour, some are blue and yellow some are orange, some are green. Some have a prominent spot where the body meets the dorsal fin, some have irregular black marks over the body, some have stripes in the back half of the body. Some make nests in pits in the sand, some dig nests into the river bank - and that seems to vary between locations.

Like I say... know far too much and don't get much chance to talk about them...

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I appreciate it! I will take whatever info I can get. Well, our current plan is still to try to sell/trade most of them to our LFSs and possibly at a fish show in our area next month. But I do have multiple 75 gallon tanks, plus a 65, and a 50 gal, and six 40 breeders. So, like I mentioned before, as they grow I can separate them for space as needed....up to the point they are outgrowing those tanks. Hopefully it doesn't come to that. If I can offload all but one or two of them, they can stay in one of the 75 gallon tanks. I would like to raise a couple since I've never kept this kind of fish before.

Wills said:

I had one over 10 years ago, who got to about 2 years old one of the best fish I've ever kept stunning colours, an amazing personality and the more I've learned about them the more fascinating I find them.

View attachment 310011

IMO there is more than one species, but they have never been studied enough (or properly) to determine it. Decades ago they were 3 species but then as the whole of the Central taxonomy was reviewed they were put into one. In 2007 they were studied from preserved specimens (not live!) and were put into a different name but that got reversed in the latest big central review. People keep trying to put Neetroplus in with them but again I think thats crazy.

Other than their colours, shape and physiology they are the only cichlid species with non adhesive eggs, the only cichlid in Central America to tunnel with their nests (I can only think of one South that is rumoured to do it - Threadfin Acaras) and they have a symbiotic relationship with a predator...

Reasons why I think there is more than one species - colour, some are blue and yellow some are orange, some are green. Some have a prominent spot where the body meets the dorsal fin, some have irregular black marks over the body, some have stripes in the back half of the body. Some make nests in pits in the sand, some dig nests into the river bank - and that seems to vary between locations.

Like I say... know far too much and don't get much chance to talk about them...

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Wills! I will have to post some updated pictures soon, some of them are up to 3-4 inches now and they are starting to get quite pretty...and I've seen some of the color/pattern variations that you mentioned here - but they are all siblings from what I understand from the person we bought them off of. We did end up putting 6 of them in our big community tank (220g) for now, and I am setting up a 120g in my bedroom soon, I think I will be putting some in there as well. So far, they are really peaceful and aside from being voracious eaters they aren't going after tankmates, I just have to make sure the other fish are getting enough to eat because these guys are fast! I know that once they reach sexual maturity, they might need to be separated. Thinking of just keeping some girls and getting rid of the males. Although, I'm struggling to sex them. I've been reading up on it, but I think maybe they just aren't big enough for me to tell yet.

ChasingFish said:

Wills! I will have to post some updated pictures soon, some of them are up to 3-4 inches now and they are starting to get quite pretty...and I've seen some of the color/pattern variations that you mentioned here - but they are all siblings from what I understand from the person we bought them off of. We did end up putting 6 of them in our big community tank (220g) for now, and I am setting up a 120g in my bedroom soon, I think I will be putting some in there as well. So far, they are really peaceful and aside from being voracious eaters they aren't going after tankmates, I just have to make sure the other fish are getting enough to eat because these guys are fast! I know that once they reach sexual maturity, they might need to be separated. Thinking of just keeping some girls and getting rid of the males. Although, I'm struggling to sex them. I've been reading up on it, but I think maybe they just aren't big enough for me to tell yet.

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Definitely! Please do! Would be interested to see such a big group at such a size - interesting that you are seeing different markings between them all.

At 3-4 inches you should be able to sex them quite easy, the males get a spotty pattern in the dorsal and tail fin with a black spot on the side and the females should have a black stripe down the middle of the body, no spotting in the fins and the dorsal fin should be turning a metallic blue.

Wills

That's helpful, I did read elsewhere that females usually keep the line down the side whereas males usually lose it. But multiple searches online didn't mention it at all and I thought maybe that wasn't a very reliable method of sexing them. I'll be home soon and try to remember to take those pictures!

Wills said:

Definitely! Please do! Would be interested to see such a big group at such a size - interesting that you are seeing different markings between them all.

At 3-4 inches you should be able to sex them quite easy, the males get a spotty pattern in the dorsal and tail fin with a black spot on the side and the females should have a black stripe down the middle of the body, no spotting in the fins and the dorsal fin should be turning a metallic blue.

Wills

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I'm including ine that I think is a male (#1) my favorite, #2 I think is a female, and #3 seems to have some vertical bars...this is not all of them of course. They are so hard to photograph or even count, because they are so fast.