Arroyo cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a current-loving river cichlid that needs moving, well-oxygenated water to stay healthy; it fades in a still tank. It lives on the bottom and forms pairs rather than groups, so keep a single fish or a bonded pair. It is a territorial, assertive cichlid, so choose tankmates with caution: other robust, fast fish that suit strong flow, and nothing small enough to be pushed around. Feed a mostly vegetable and invertebrate diet, since in nature it grazes the algae and small creatures on river rocks; use quality pellets, frozen foods, and some greens. Set up at least 400 liters with strong pumps, boulders, and a rocky floor.

In the wild

It lives in the rapids and riffles of the Usumacinta and Polochic river systems in southern Mexico and Guatemala, in fast, clear, well-oxygenated water over pebbles, boulders, and current-swept wood. Recreate that flow with strong circulation, a temperature of 24 to 29 C, and a neutral to hard chemistry around pH 7.0 to 8.2. A rocky, pebbly floor with scattered driftwood matches its natural home better than a planted, still layout.

Good to know

A member of the cichlid family, it reaches around 23 cm and is one of the slimmer species in the genus Theraps, a small group of Central American cichlids adapted to life in fast rivers. It grazes aufwuchs, the film of algae and tiny animals on submerged rock. It is a substrate spawner that pairs off, with moderate breeding difficulty.

Did you know

The genus Theraps has been narrowed down to river specialists like this one, fish that live in the current and rarely stray into calm water. Strong, steady flow is not a luxury for the arroyo cichlid, it is a basic requirement.

Common questions

Related species

• Myers' caquetaia

  Caquetaia myersi

  Freshwater

  9.1 in (23 cm)119 gal (450 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)

• 

  Grammodes cichlid

  Chiapaheros grammodes

  Freshwater

  9.4 in (24 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)

• 

  Jegu's pike cichlid

  Crenicichla jegui

  Freshwater

  9.4 in (24 cm)119 gal (450 L)77–84°F (25–29°C)

• 

  Ringtail pike cichlid

  Crenicichla saxatilis

  Freshwater

  9.4 in (24 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Barton's cichlid

  Herichthys bartoni

  Freshwater

  8.7 in (22 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)
• Halfbanded pike cichlid

  Crenicichla geayi

  Freshwater

  8.7 in (22 cm)106 gal (400 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)