Firemouth Cichlid

<p>These fish are bluish gray  with black tints, their underside is bright red and their fins are brown with blue tints. These fish can reach up to 6.5 inches in the wild, however, in captivity they only reach 5 inches. To keep these fish in captivity, water pH should be between 6.5 and 7.5 and water temperature should range from 70°F to 78°F. The tank should have a sandy substrate, rocks, driftwood roots, caves and other hiding places. Firemouth Cichlids are peaceful fish that only turn aggressive when spawning, as such, they can be kept in community aquariums with larger species. They should be kept in pairs in an at least 30 gallon tank.</p>

<p>This species is omnivorous. In the wild they feed on small benthic invertebrates and organic detritus. In captivity they can be fed with flakes or pellets which should be supplemented with vegetable matter and live foods.</p>

<p>Males are larger, have pointed dorsal fins and are more colorful than females.</p>

<p>These fish form a monogamous nuclear family, as such, to breed them in captivity, it is best to have a group of about 6 and let them pair off naturally. Once a pair is formed, the rest of the group should be removed. The tank should have a pH of 7.0 and temperature should range between 75°F and 78°F. The female lays her eggs in a flat rock and the male fertilizes them, they will both guard the eggs and after they hatch they will also guard the fry for a while.</p>

<p>These fish are native to Central America. They inhabit slow-moving waters with sandy or muddy bottoms.</p>

<p>The water in which these fish are packaged is different from the water in the tank, since these fish are extremely sensitive to water conditions the acclimation process is very important. This process should never be rushed. Aquarium lights should be off for at least the first 4 hours of the fish in the new tank and it should not be fed in the first 24h. There are two acclimation methods: Floating Method and the Drip Method.</p> <p>Floating method -  the aquarium lights should be off and lights in the room should be dim, the bag in which the fish is should be placed in the surface of the water to float for about 15 minutes, this allows the water in the bag to adjust to the water in the tank. The bag should then be cut under the knot and the top edge of the bag should be rolled down one inch, then ¼ cup of the aquarium water should be added to the bag, this step should be repeated every 4 minutes until the bag is full, then half the water of the bag should be discarded and the bag should be put to float again and ¼ cup of the aquarium water should be added to the bag every 4 minutes until the bag is full. Afterwards, the Discus can be moved into the aquarium.</p> <p>Drip method – the aquarium lights should be off and lights in the room should be dim, the bag in which the fish is should be placed in the surface of the water to float for about 15 minutes, this allows the water in the bag to adjust to the water in the tank. The bag contents should be poured into a 1 gallon bucket that has never been cleaned with any chemicals, the fish should be enterally submerged. A siphon, using airline tubing, should be set up and a drip line should run from the main aquarium to the bucket. Several loose knots should be tied in the airline tubing to regulate flow. Sucking the end of the airline tube that goes to the bucket will begin a siphon, the flow should be regulated to 2 to 4 drips per second. Once the water in the buckets doubles, half should be discarded and the process should be repeated until it doubles again. Afterwards, the fish can be moved to the aquarium.</p>

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