Fish Data : Texas Cichlid

General Information

Species Type: Freshwater Fish
Category: Cichlids

Scientific Name:   Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum

Family: Cichlid  

Temperature:   20 - 33 C; 68 - 91 F  pH   6.5 - 7.5  

Size:    30 cm; 12 inches  

Life Span:    10 years  

Diet: Omnivore

Description

   The Texas cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus, formerly Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum) is a freshwater fish that belongs to the cichlid family. Also known as Rio Grande cichlid, this species is originated from the lower Rio Grande drainage in Texas and Northeastern Mexico, particular on the sandy bottom of deep rivers.

   This cichild has a large greyish high-backed body with bright blue scales and two dark spots, one at the center of the body and another and the end of its tail. Adult males have a large hump on their heads.

   The Texas cichlid is the only cichlid native to the United States. Just like its Central American relatives, it can be quite aggressive and should only be kept by aquarists interested in dealing with belligerent fish.

Maximum Size:  Texas cichlid can easily attain a foot in length in the large tank.  However, since many Texas cichlids are reared in 55s, many will top out at six to eight inches.

 Types of Texas Cichlid :  Texas Cichlid will breed fairly easily with other species Cichlid also.  They're not as bad as killifish and rusties, but they are promiscuous.  Cross them with a Red Devil Cichlid and create your own FLowerhorns Cichlid. 

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom: These fish will swim in the middle and bottom areas of the aquarium. 

Acceptable Water Conditions:   
   Hardness: 8-15° dH
   Ph: 6.5 to 8.0
  Temp: 70-75° F (21-24° C) 

Housing : 

 

    The Texas Cichlid is like The Oscars Cichlid, They needs plenty of room , They should be housed in a aquarium of at least 75 gallons (125 gallons for multiple specimens) with a sand substrate and should be provided with an adequate amount of rock caves or pieces of driftwood to hide among and use as territory. If live plants are used, make sure they are either secured to driftwood, rock, or planted in pots below the substrate as they will either be shredded or relocated. Light intensity is not an issue, although the species prefers to have the option for shade it its disposal. These Cichlids are a hardy species, but are messy eaters and can be sensitive to high levels of nitrates; they should be provided with strong and efficient biological, mechanical, and chemical filtration in order to ensure clean water conditions and keep nitrate levels down.

 Tank Mates : 

    In the small size , Texas cichlids will mix well with many small fish , but, oddly enough, not with other young cichlids.  Chocolates and jaguars, for instance, beat the crap out of little Texas cichlids -- even in a 55.  In addition to hogging the food, the other cichlids shred their fins, peel their scales, and finish them off.  Little Texans fare best when kept with their own kind.  The fast growers and slow growers co-exist fairly well.

Feeding :

    This Cichlid is an omnivore and naturally eats worms, insects, small invertebrates, and plant matter in the wild. They should be provided with a variety of meaty foods such as many small live animals, frozen, or freeze-dried krill, ghost shrimp, crickets, small crayfish, bloodworms, earthworms, as well as vitamin-enriched, omnivore oriented flake and pellet food items. Feed one or twice daily.

Sexing and Breeding :  
 

    The Males Texas Cichlid grow faster and are larger than females.  Males have longer extensions on their dorsal and anal fins.  Males over three-years old have a pronounced "nuchal bump" on their foreheads.  The Females are smaller and chunkier. 

     When the female cichlid grow up to 2-3 inches , They should be ready to start spawning. As with most cichlids, the female will start to clean a suitable spawning site, here she will lay 500-1000 eggs. The male will soon swim to the spawning site to fertilize the eggs and then he will start guarding the nest. The eggs will be about 2mm in diameter and the female will spend all of her time tending them.

    he hatching time for the eggs should be 3-5 days; in the meantime the female will be busy preparing a pit in the substrate ready for her fry. It may be that the eggs or fry may get eaten with the first few batches but with patience the parents will start raising fry with no problems. Aggressive behavior to other fish will be at a high during this stage, the male may even attack the female, leaving other fish in the tank may help to alleviate this.

    When the eggs have hatched, the fry will stay in their pit for a further 5-8 days before they become free swimming. Initially they will feed on vegetable matter but after a further week should accept crushed flake food and newly hatched brine shrimp.
   As with every breeding pair the water quality must be excellent for the fry to survive to the juvenile stage.

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