Cichlid Profiles - Saddle Cichlid

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Aequidens tetramerus, the Saddle Cichlid, is one of the prettier Acaras, found over a large part of South America including the Amazon, Equador, and points north and south. It has the typical oval Acara shape. It has a base color of brown or yellow brown, but the front half of the body, the belly and pectoral fins are suffused with red orange or wine color. There has a very dark midbody blotch, often surrounded by 2 short orange bars, which may stretch up the dorsal fin, and may extend as a triangular patch pointing posteriorly to the blotch on the caudal peduncle, depending on the fish's mood. The eye is red on top and yellow on the bottom, and there is a dark slash mark right below it. The cheeks and chin may be suffused with iridescent green, or may be very red. The young are yellow brown and assume the adult color at about two inches. This fish gets 5-6 inches long. Adult males have very long top and bottom fin streamers.

Saddle cichlids are found in all types of habitats and are not very particular about water conditions. They like pH 4.5- 7, temperature 76-81 and soft water. They are omnivores that like small invertebrate prey. They are found in highly planted, dimly lit areas. In captivity, a pair needs a 30 gallon tank, preferably with subdued light, rocks, sand or fine gravel, and bog or driftwood. They are open water substrate spawners on flat rocks and easy to breed, and are good parents. They are good tank mates for other mildly aggressive cichlids and similar sized fish. See "Images of Aequidens tetramerus" for pictures.