The Firemouth Cichlid has a pearlescent turquoise-blue body with red colouration edging the scales. The throat and breast are red in colour, ranging from a brick to a fiery red shade. Female Firemouth Cichlids are less brightly coloured than the males with the males also having a sharply pointed dorsal and anal fins.
They can be somewhat territorial, especially during spawning and will inflate a throat sac and extend its gill covers during their territorial stance. They require an aquarium of a minimum of 100 litres with a fine sand bottom for burrowing and plenty of open swimming room. If adding live aquarium plants, they should be hardy and potted with their root surfaces protected otherwise they will dig them up. The aquarium landscape should also include rocks and driftwood as they like to have hiding places. If wanting to keep with other tank mates, these should be of similar size and temperament.
Male and female Firemouth Cichlids are excellent parents that pair together and form a tight-knit family unit where both the male and female share in the care and rearing of the fry. After carefully cleaning the rocks or other suitable substrate in the tank, the female will deposit 100-500 eggs on it and will raise several broods in a year. Providing an overturned clay pot would also be a great spot for them to lay their eggs. The newly-hatched fry are protected by their parents and are moved several times. The fry may be fed newly hatched brine shrimp and finely crushed flakes.
The Firemouth Cichlid is omnivorous and will eat frozen foods like bloodworms and mysis shrimp and will easily take prepared pellets and flakes. To get the best colour from these fish regular water changes of 30% should be done with feeding of protein based food ie bloodworms.
Ideal water conditions are 24 - 27°C and 6.5- 7.5 pH
|
|
from
$29.99
from
$24.99
from
$24.99
Leave a comment (all fields required)