cheesy feet
Fish Aficionado
Common name:Texas Cichlid, Rio Grande Perch.
Scientific name:Herichthys cyanoguttatus.
Family :Cichlidae
Origin:Texas to northeastern Mexico
Lifespan: 7 years +
Max size:12 inches for Males.Females rarely reach over 10 inches
Sexing:The males are larger and they have a very distinctive bump on their head.
Social:IME these fish are highly aggressive. Provide this fish with a large tank and territories & they might just get on with some other cichlids.Ie red devils,GT and Convicts.s
Feeding: Some Texas cichlids (such as the one I owned) will only eat live/frozen foods, such as blood worms,tubifex worms,glass worms etc.However most are omnivores and will take some cichlid pellets and flakes.
Scientific name:Herichthys cyanoguttatus.
Family :Cichlidae
Origin:Texas to northeastern Mexico
Lifespan: 7 years +
Max size:12 inches for Males.Females rarely reach over 10 inches
Sexing:The males are larger and they have a very distinctive bump on their head.
Social:IME these fish are highly aggressive. Provide this fish with a large tank and territories & they might just get on with some other cichlids.Ie red devils,GT and Convicts.s
Feeding: Some Texas cichlids (such as the one I owned) will only eat live/frozen foods, such as blood worms,tubifex worms,glass worms etc.However most are omnivores and will take some cichlid pellets and flakes.
Tank Conditions
h 6.5 - 8.0; dH range: 5.0 - 12.0, temp.: 20 - 33°C. They can tolerate vast changes in temperatures and are very hardy.However they must have regular water changes as IME they can get bacteria/fungal infections easily.Tank set-up & size:75g for a large adult and at least 30 gallon for sub adults.With a 90 gallon you may have an option to have a tank mate.These cichlids love to dig up gravel and make the tank 'their' home.Provide them with rocks, bog wood, territories and gravel to dig in.
Tank level:Low-Mid
Breeding: These cichlids are very easy to spawn however you will need at least a 125 gallon aquarium, (from research) and some dither fish (such as silver dollars).I will explain later on why you will need these extra fish, an alternative is to have a divider.The female is ready to breed at 2-3 inches, and like most cichlids she will clean the surface which she wishes to lay the eggs on (slate, rocks etc) . The pair will also dig a pit (in the gravel/substrate) prior to breeding for the fry to hide.The female will tend and care for the eggs after laying, then the male will guard the perimeter (which is at least a couple of feet!).The male will follow fertilizing the eggs.At this point the male will be getting very boisterous, to divert the aggression from him to the female you must have some dithers, or you can simply put a divider in.However you will not see their natural breeding behavior, and it may even 'depress' the fish.In 3-5 days the eggs will hatch and be deposited into the pit for 5-10 days.The young then become free swimming and will eat organic matter, baby brine, cyclops and crushed flake .When the fry approach an inch in length they should be removed,so they don't get eaten!
Care level:Intermediate
Tips:When changing water on a regular basis this fish will 'show off' it's colours.They seem to love fresh tap water.Do weekly water changes & try to vary their diet.They can become a very friendly & rewarding fish, however they may bite when they see a 'worm' in the water
. Provide them with hides, caves & tunnels.They need a good place to establish a territory. Sub adult Female.
