Dwarfs
Fish Connoisseur
Common names: Uaru (Wah-roo), triangle cichlid and occasionally, poor man's discus.
Scientific name: Uaru amphiacanthoides
Family: Cichlidae
Origin: South America, black water environments. Found in same areas as angelfish and Discus
Max size: 12" (4' tank minimum)
Care: It is recommended that Uarus are kept in groups because they are a cichlid that prefers to be in a group and will most likely become skittish when kept alone. Keeping them in a group while in juvenile stage is critical, if they don't feel secure when young, they never will. If you can not house more than one or two Uarus due to their size, other fish can work as a foster family IME. I kept my single Uaru with several rainbow cichlids, and they served as his fellow Uarus for a few months, and have now been replaced with a severum and Surinam geophagus. Temp should be from 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit (27-32 degrees Celsius) They do well at a neutral pH.
An appropriate Uaru tank will have plenty of driftwood or FAKE plants for shelter, as Uarus love plants and actually need them in their diet. Uarus aren't aggressive, and won't do well when kept with overly aggressive fish. Severums make great companions for Uarus, because they both have very similar needs.
Feeding: Uarus aren't very picky at all once they have settled into their environment. They will eat just about any fish food you give them, although mine ignores pellets. Be sure that your Uaru gets enough vegetables though, they can be the key to keeping your's healthy.
Sexing: Near impossible
Breeding:Very difficult, it is said that they breed in the same manner as discus.
Other info: A very interesting fish, what it lacks in color is made up for by it's dog-like personality and eagerness to eat. If you have the space for an Uaru, get one
Juvenile Uaru (Notice yellow eyes and spots, those are juvenile traits)
Semi-adult (Note red eyes and dark triangle on flank signs of near adulthood and the reason for being called the triangle cichlid)
For more extensive information on uarus, visit the Uaru forum, a site dedicated to the Uaru and it's rarer cousin, the Uaru fernandezyepezi
Scientific name: Uaru amphiacanthoides
Family: Cichlidae
Origin: South America, black water environments. Found in same areas as angelfish and Discus
Max size: 12" (4' tank minimum)
Care: It is recommended that Uarus are kept in groups because they are a cichlid that prefers to be in a group and will most likely become skittish when kept alone. Keeping them in a group while in juvenile stage is critical, if they don't feel secure when young, they never will. If you can not house more than one or two Uarus due to their size, other fish can work as a foster family IME. I kept my single Uaru with several rainbow cichlids, and they served as his fellow Uarus for a few months, and have now been replaced with a severum and Surinam geophagus. Temp should be from 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit (27-32 degrees Celsius) They do well at a neutral pH.
An appropriate Uaru tank will have plenty of driftwood or FAKE plants for shelter, as Uarus love plants and actually need them in their diet. Uarus aren't aggressive, and won't do well when kept with overly aggressive fish. Severums make great companions for Uarus, because they both have very similar needs.
Feeding: Uarus aren't very picky at all once they have settled into their environment. They will eat just about any fish food you give them, although mine ignores pellets. Be sure that your Uaru gets enough vegetables though, they can be the key to keeping your's healthy.
Sexing: Near impossible
Breeding:Very difficult, it is said that they breed in the same manner as discus.
Other info: A very interesting fish, what it lacks in color is made up for by it's dog-like personality and eagerness to eat. If you have the space for an Uaru, get one
Juvenile Uaru (Notice yellow eyes and spots, those are juvenile traits)
Semi-adult (Note red eyes and dark triangle on flank signs of near adulthood and the reason for being called the triangle cichlid)
For more extensive information on uarus, visit the Uaru forum, a site dedicated to the Uaru and it's rarer cousin, the Uaru fernandezyepezi
