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View Full Version : Cichlid Profiles - Red Terror Cichlid


robertprice
August 5th, 2013, 02:33 PM
Cichlasoma festae, the Red Terror is one of the world's most beautiful fish. Hailing from Peru and Ecuador, with an invasive colony in Singapore. The female is a sight to behold, being mostly blood red in ground color with 7 black vertical body bars that may extend well onto the dorsal fin, a silver blue ringed ocellus on the tail, There is a short body bar connecting the eyes. The fins are mostly blood red. The males are more peach-gold with blue-white pearls all over the body, red fins and a red head. Both sexes may have scattered white dots. The males reach 20 inches, females 12. The are large river fish, common in the Tumbes River, and like fairly soft water of 76-84 degrees and pH 7-7.8. They are omnivores which eat crustaceans, insects, small fish, fruit, and seeds.

In the aquarium they do very well, but are only suited for the biggest tanks. They like rocks and roots and floating plants, and are cave breeders who lay up to 3000 eggs and are good parents. However, males will kill females who are not in the mood.They eat almost all good sized fish foods and will also eat tank mates up to 6 inches long. See "Images of "Cichlasoma festae," for pictures. They may eventually be moved to the genus Tomocichla, as their true relationships are still rather hotly debated.