Basketmouth cichlid
Caquetaia kraussii
Also known as Krauss's basketmouth, Kraussii cichlid
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 79–86°F
- 26–30°C
- pH
- 7.0–8.2
- Adult size
- 11.8 in
- 30 cm
- Minimum tank
- 79 gal
- 300 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Atrato, Cauca, Magdalena, and Maracaibo basins of Colombia and Venezuela, in plant-choked marshes and swamps.
Overview
A single adult needs a tank of at least 300 liters at 26 to 30 C and pH 7.0 to 8.2. Provide open swimming room with wood and plant cover to ambush from. Feed meaty foods and quality predator pellets, and avoid live feeder fish. It is an aggressive predator that will eat any tankmate it can fit in its mouth.
In the wild
The basketmouth cichlid lives in the Atrato, Cauca, Magdalena, and Maracaibo basins of Colombia and Venezuela. It favors plant-choked marshes and swamps in warmer, harder water. This is an ambush predator with an extreme feeding mechanism. Provide open water for hunting along with dense cover.
Good to know
Caquetaia kraussii was described by Steindachner in 1878 and reaches about 30 cm. It has hugely protrusible basket jaws that shoot forward to engulf prey by suction. A 30 cm adult can swallow fish up to around 10 cm long.
Did you know
Its jaws fold out like a basket to catch prey, one of the most extreme suction-feeding mouths of any cichlid.
Common questions
What size tank does a Basketmouth cichlid need?
A Basketmouth cichlid needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Basketmouth cichlid need?
A Basketmouth cichlid is comfortable at 79–86°F (26–30°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.2.
How big does a Basketmouth cichlid get?
An adult Basketmouth cichlid reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).
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