I have just recently started studying these fish and have came up with four different groups of these cichlids. As my study continues I will be able to add any new information I find. So far the cichlids are in one of the following groups:

1. Neotropical
2. African
3. Madagascar
4. Asian

This is where the studying begins. After you figure out what group your cichlid is in then you can find out alot about your fish.

Neotropical cichlids are also known as New World Cichlids. They are popular and beautiful to look at in fish tanks. They are happy fish and they are very colorful. These fish are found from Central America through South America. These fish can usually be categorized into 3 different groups.

1. Dwarf cichlids
2. Larger Amazonian cichlids
3. Larger Neotropical Cichlids

Each of these groups have different care levels. Dwarf cichlids are more passive than the others, which makes them better for a peaceful aquarium. The Larger Amazonian and Neotropical Cichlids are easily adapted to larger bodies of water than the Dwarf cichlids.

Along with larger bodies of water the Larger Amazonian and Neotropical can adapt to an aquarium. When keeping these Larger cichlids in an aquarium you should use caution. These fish are predators and are highly territorial. These South American Cichlids are very intelligent fish and are one of the most popular groups to use as aquarium fish.

The base color of the firemouth is blue gray with black blotches and brown fins lined with blue. The females are not as brightly colored as the males. All of these cichlids have coloration differences; it depends on the place of origin.

These fish can be found in Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. They are found in the middle to bottom of slow moving bodies of water. They tend to stay close to shore to feed on some meaty foods and algae.

These cichlids are able to be kept in a minimum 20 gallon tank. It is recommended to keep them in a 30 gallon or more with no more than 2 kept in the same tank. The ideal temperature for your tank is 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit, the ideal Ph in your tank should be 6.5-8.0, and the ideal hardness should be 8-15 degrees.

Just like when they are in their place of origin in the tank they swim in the middle or lower part of the tank. Having fine sand in the bottom of the tank is ideal for them to burrow.

There needs to be some open room for swimming in the tank, but there should also be rocks for hiding. Plants that are recommended for this cichlid are the Sagittaria plants.

All in all, the firemouth is a peaceful fish, but when it comes time for spawning they may get aggressive. It is recommended to put only fish of the same size in the tank with this fish. Some recommendations of fish you can put with your cichlid are: Sharks, Scavenger Catfish, Loaches, other South American Cichlids or Plecos.

The firemouth will also usually become fairly territorial when spawning. The female carefully cleans the bottom of the tank before she deposits her eggs. They are kept in pits at the bottom of the tank and moved several times. With many species of cichlids, the male and female fire mouths both take care of the eggs. The female may raise several broods in the course of a year.

These cichlids are also known as Banded Cichlids, and Hero Cichlids. There are two main colors of the Severum. The Gold Severum and the Green Severum. The Gold actually developed from the green Severum. The Green Severum is distinctive and has darker colored horizontal bands on the body where the Gold does not. Although rare, there are also blue variations of the Severum.

The Severum is a very beautiful fish, and it’s some what shy nature, makes it an ideal cichlid for your aquarium. This cichlid comes from the North Amazon region.

Aquarium Care: A tank of 55 gallons is ideal for a Severum. The average length of this cichlid is 8” but it is not un-common for the Severum to reach 12”. Severum aren’t as easily cared for as some other species of cichlids. The Severum is very sensitive to the water quality in their tank which means you must change your water frequently. Another must, is too check your water regularly for toxins. The nitrate level must be watched and kept to a minimum.

The filter must work effectively. Your tank should have open areas for swimming but also should have an adequate amount of hiding spots. Plants and upside-down flower pots are some good things that can provide your Severum with hiding. The recommended temperature is 72-83 degrees Fahrenheit with the Ph being between 5.0-6.5.

Feeding: Similar to that of other cichlids the Severum is carnivorous and does well on most foods. Cichlid pellets, flakes, frozen foods, green vegetables, and blood worms etc. are all good food for your Severum, brine shrimp is also a good feeding choice for your fish. The feeding of a Severum is probably the easiest element of taking care of them, they are not picky eaters.

Breeding: The Severums do not breed as readily as some other species of cichlids. Studies show the reasoning being that it is hard to distinguish between the male and female. It is best, if trying to breed, to put a male in the tank with several females. Like other cichlids, the Severum cichlids are egg layers and they prefer to spawn on a clean and horizontal surface.

Along with the color of this fish, the structure varies some too. The Red Devil is very conscious of their owner. When you move your hand across the front of the tank he will follow it, same if you are cleaning your tank or feeding. Some other names this cichlid may be known by are the Lemon Cichlid and the Midas cichlid.

The Red Devil Cichlid is originally from Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Now they can be found in Florida and Hawaii. The Red Devil Cichlid is very aggressive and has very violent tendencies.

Aquarium Care: A single Red Devil Cichlid should be kept in no less than a 55 gallon tank if adding more than one cichlid a 125 gallon tank is recommended. If you are wanting to keep more than 3 or 4 Red Devil Cichlids, then a 200 gallon tank would be ideal.

When setting up your aquarium the bottom would ideally consist of fine sand. It is important to leave room for your cichlid to swim around, with additional spaces for him to hide. Some rocks and plants are helpful. Make sure the plants and rocks are placed directly on the bottom glass, then the sand and rocks to keep them from floating to the top. These cichlids swim near the bottom and can be a digger. The ideal Ph for these fish is 6.5 to 7.0 and the temperature should be between 75 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit with the hardness being fairly soft.

Feeding: The Red Devil Cichlid is omnivorous and will eat a wide a range of foods. This fish is mostly a meat eater but it will definitely need plant matter in its diet. You should regularly include boiled peas, lettuce, and other green vegetables. Primarily using a high quality pellet food is good, and then supplement with snails, earthworms, fish, and even insects.

Breeding: The Red Devil Cichlid spawns in the open. They like to spawn on inclined surfaces in the wild. In the tank, it is necessary to put a flat rock or sheet of glass down for the female to spawn on. She will typically lay around 800 eggs. These eggs are transparent and amber colored. The eggs hatch after about 3 days, and will feed on their parent’s skin for additional food. After roughly five days the fry will be large enough to start swimming. At this point you can start feeding them small live food.

They are also capable of changing their color according to their moods. Rainbow Cichlids are unique in that they possess tricuspid teeth. These 3 teeth have earned the multispinosa its own genus, Herotilapia.

Aquarium: Rainbow Cichlids require a minimum tank size of 50 gallons with a fine gravel bottom. Rocks, wood and pottery are needed for hiding places. Also hardy, well rooted plants are recommended.

It can easily be kept with other cichlids such as convicts, firemouths, and parrots.

Water should be neutral with soft to medium hardness. pH approximately 7.0 and dH 5-10 with temperature of 75-82 degrees. Regular, partial water changes of at least 20% are appreciated.

Breeding: Rainbow Cichlid partners will form lasting pairs and make a neuclear family. They take good care of their young, but may eat some of them. They are open breeders and the female will drop 300+ pinkish-tan eggs on rocks and roots. Then the female will circulate water over the eggs by fanning them with her fins carefully guarding them in pits. Both male and female will turn almost black during this time.

Feeding: The Rainbow Cichlid is an omnivore and will eat most prepared and frozen food, including freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, and ocean plankton, as well as flake food and cichlid pellets. Although peas and spirulina are sufficient staples of a varied diet and are usually consumed with much enthusiasm…

The Green Texas Cichlid, also known as the Pearlscale Cichlid, Blue Texas Cichlid, and Lowland Cichlid, is a very amiable fish. It can actually grow to a max of 12 inches in length if male, and females are always a bit smaller.

Habitat: The Green Texas Cichlid comes from Mexico mainly which confuses its name.

Aquarium care: Green Texas Cichlids need at least a 50 gallon tank. Much the same as other South American Cichlids they need hiding places in they’re tank also. If adding plants to your tank they will probably be uprooted as the fish like to dig. These fish are very adaptable to different water chemistries, although 75-78 degrees Fahrenheit, Ph of 7.0 and hardness being 15 degrees is ideal. Regular weekly water changes of about 50% are also recommended.

Medium to low lighting is also ideal for this cichlid. When trying to house your cichlid with other fish it would be best to house them with other aggressive fish that are the same size or bigger than they are. Some ideal fish to house your Green Texas Cichlid would be Loaches, Plecos, Scavenger Catfish, similar sized fish, or other South American Cichlids.

Breeding: Green Texas Cichlids are an open breeder. Maturity is reached when the male is 4” in length and the female is 3” in length. It is quite obvious when a pair forms. You will watch they’re increased aggression as they pick and defend they’re territory. When rearing the fry both parents turn a dark almost black color. These fish lay eggs and the larvae hatch approximately three days after spawning. After hatching in another 4-6 days they are swimming freely. Like most cichlids both parents take care of the fry.

Feeding: Like other cichlids The Green Texas Cichlid is omnivorous and will eat many different foods. Some foods that the Cichlid would eat would be bloodworms, tubifex, flake food, and cichlid pellets.

This cichlid has a bluish lavender body, with a pink tinge on the belly. During breeding the colors of the fish are more dramatic. Female convicts are usually a bit smaller and they have more distinguished pink on their bellies. These fish are ideal for aquariums. They adjust easily and are great survivors, although they are not known for their gentle dispositions. They are aggressive and will need to be kept with others of their own disposition and size. The average life span of this cichlid is 10 years.

Aquarium Care

One of the best things about the Convict is that they are so easy to take care of. There really isn’t any specifications for this species. Some good requirements to go by are they do like to have a brighter light in their tank.

Some hiding places in the tank are good because of their aggressive behavior. The Convicts usually rearrange any decorations or plants in the tank. Basic setup is fine for these highly adaptable cichlids. Some ideal tank mates would be other South American Cichlids like, the Green Terror, Jack Dempsey, Red Devils, and Texas Cichlids.

Feeding

Another reason why these cichlids are recommended for someone who hasn’t had initial luck with other cichlids is because they are not at all picky. They will eat almost anything and don’t have any special requirements for their diet. They generally accept all aquarium fish foods. Flakes, Frozen, Live, Freeze dried and Cichlid pellets all are good for the convict.

Breeding

The convicts are very easily bred. Get a male and female together and it is almost inevitable that they will breed. They will usually pair off and do a mating dance. All you need is a cave or a flower pot in the tank. The female will lay the eggs inside of the cave or pot. Sometimes it is best to separate the convicts from other non-aggressive fish when breeding.

They are highly territorial and may harm the other tank mates. Eggs normally hatch within 3-4 days and in another 5-6 days you should see your little convicts swimming around. When they are old enough to swim around it is best to feed them flakes or brine shrimp. The convicts are great parents’ great entertainment.

The Jack Dempsey is a Central American Cichlid. It is an energetic and beautiful fish that has several colorful speckles across its body and a stained-glass effect on its dorsal fin that is especially displayed in certain lighting.

The Jack Dempsey gets its name after former heavyweight boxing champ, Jack Dempsey.

As aquarium fish, they are fairly easy to care for, but cannot share a tank with just any fish because of their aggressive nature. Their tank mates need to be of the same size or larger and need to be able to fend against the Jack Dempsey, such as firemouths, convicts, terrors, select Oscars etc.

Jack Dempsey’s can live for 15+ years. The males can grow from 9-10 inches and the female from 6-8 inches.

Aquarium: Since wild Jack Dempsey Cichlids live in waters that are muddy and sandy it is good to use these substrates in the aquarium.

They require a good deal of space so they need to be in a 55 gallon or larger tank.

They usually eat and/or destroy live plants, so it is not recommended to have live plants in the  tank.

Rocks, wood and pottery are good to use with these cichlids because they use them for territory boundaries and if there are mates to breed they use the flat rocks or hard flat surfaces to lay eggs on.

Water temperature for Jack Dempseys should be between 72-80 degrees [22-30 degrees C]

pH range is 7.0-8.0 and the dGH should be between 9-20.

Breeding

Aquarium bred Jack Dempsey Cichlids are common.

They will clean off a piece of slate or flat rock for the female to lay her eggs on, then the male quickly fertilizes them. As the mother fans the eggs the male stands watch over them.

Because of their ultra protection of their young, there should not be any other fish in the tank while they are breeding.

The parents will actually chew food and spit it out for their fry to eat.

After their young reach about ½ inch they should be removed from the tank.

Feeding

Jack Dempsey’s can be trained to eat most fish foods, but need to be fed a variety such as: crayfish, shrimp, grasshoppers, earthworms, Hikari pellets and spriulina flakes. Also, some vegetation such as lettuce and plankton.

When they are fed a variety of nutritional foods their color is at its most beautiful…

Photo credit: shaletann

This fish is also commonly known as the butterfly cichlid and is similar to a butterfly in that it is beautiful, and has a lot of color.

This fish has bright Grey and blue flanks. The head and chest have yellow, gold, black and blue with a red patch on the belly. Also, a black vertical line runs across the eye, with a red patch around it. Seeing this fish shows the true beauty over just reading the description.

This type of cichlid comes from the rivers of Venezuela and Columbia. These cichlids are very popular for hobbyists and must be kept in a minimum 20 gallon tank. Two Rams would be comfortable in a 20 gallon tank but no more than two.

These cichlids require water temperature of 72-85 Fahrenheit. The pH range needs to be 5.5-7.5, and the hardness needs to be 6-14 degrees. Soft water is best for this fish but they can adapt to moderately hard water. With these specifications, it makes it a bit hard to keep these fish. A lot of times the fish only lives a few days after purchased.

The water temperature, Ph, and hardness levels have to be just right for the cichlid to survive after a move. Along with the majority of other cichlids the Blue Ram needs hiding spots in the tank.

Along with hiding spots, plants, and deco rational items are also helpful. Hiding places are necessary because of aggression, especially while breeding. These cichlids have a life span of approximately 2-4 years. They grow up to approximately 2-3 inches. The male is the larger of the two.

Most other fish can be kept in the tank with these cichlids as long as they aren’t extremely aggressive or larger than the cichlid.

Blue Rams are omnivores. They prefer frozen or live food but will usually eat most food. When the Ram is first moved into a new environment they may be finicky or picky eaters, at this point it is best to feed them bloodworms or brine shrimp at this time and after they get used to their surroundings you can experiment with other foods like fresh green vegetables and pellets.

When the female becomes pregnant and has her eggs, the male and female both take care of the eggs. A lot of the time they will take the eggs into they’re mouths to keep them safe. When the rams have the eggs, care should be taken so the eggs aren’t sucked into the filter.

Oscars are very well-known for their aggressiveness (although they are far from being the most aggressive Cichlid) and their interactivity with their owners. They do know who their owner(s) is and will act differently with others.

Oscars are great pets, but one thing that many people do not realize is that they require alot of maintenance and care. Oscars are very “dirty” fish, as they are very messy eaters and produce alot of waste. Because of this, weekly, 1/3 tank water changes and strong filtering are needed.

Types of Oscars

Contrary to popular belief there is only one type of Oscar and that is the Wild Oscar. The Wild Oscar is the original Oscar found in the Amazon River, which was later bred into their different color variations, which are now known as the:

Tiger Oscar, Red Oscar, Albino Oscar, Pink Oscar, Lutino Oscar, Veil Tail Oscar, Pink Veil Tail Oscar, Chocolate Oscar, Gold Oscar, Green Oscar, Lemon Oscar, Purple Oscar, and more…

Food

Oscars are carnivorous, meaning they are meat eaters. There are various things you can feed them, but it’s very important to alternate and give them a variety! Probably the most healthy choice is Cichlid pellet food, as it contains all of the nutrients they need. The following are some other types of food you can feed an Oscar:

Gold Fish or Minnows - Oscars love live food and there is nothing wrong with giving them some on occasion, but it’s not a good idea to make this part of their regular diet. Many of the “feeders” you get at your local pet shot are injected with growth hormone many of them can and will bring Ick (Ich,) a common fish disease, along with them. This means there is a good chance that you’re feeding your Oscar(s) growth hormone (bad) and/or Ick. These feeders do not provide all of the nutrients your Oscar needs either.

Water Specs

Aquariam Size

Compatibility