TankBud

Cupid cichlid

Biotodoma cupido

FreshwaterFish

Cupid cichlid (Biotodoma cupido)
Imperial Tropicals · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–86°F
20–30°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
4.7 in
12 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, Brazil

Overview

The cupid cichlid is a peaceful, group-living eartheater for a tank with plenty of open sand. It is best left to experienced keepers.

Did you know

The cupid cichlid is marked by a dark spot high on the flank, below the dorsal fin. A diagonal stripe also runs through its eye.

Caring for the cupid cichlid

Keep cupid cichlids in a group of at least five or six, and let them sort out a loose pecking order. Give the group at least 53 gal (200 L), with open sand, some driftwood, leaf litter, a little shade and a gentle current. That gives a group the space it needs to feel secure and forage.

A soft, fine sandy floor is essential, since the cupid cichlid sifts small food items out of the sand. Soft sand protects its delicate mouth and gills, so it is far better than gravel.

The cupid cichlid is a sensitive fish that needs clean, stable water. Keep the water soft to moderately soft, at 68 to 86°F (20 to 30°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Feed small sinking foods with frozen and live items such as brine shrimp, daphnia and bloodworm. It is peaceful and needs calm tank mates, such as tetras, pencilfish, hatchetfish and other gentle Amazonian species.

Cupid cichlids are bi-parental substrate spawners that lay around a hundred eggs on a cleaned flat rock or firm surface. The female then tends the clutch while the male patrols the territory around it. Breeding is challenging, since the fish are fussy about water quality and pairs do not always raise their first spawns.

Good to know

The cupid cichlid, Biotodoma cupido, belongs to the cichlid family, Cichlidae. It is one of the eartheaters, a group that feeds by taking sand into the mouth and sieving out edible morsels through the gills.

In the wild

The cupid cichlid is found across the Amazon basin through Peru, Bolivia, Guyana and Brazil. It lives over sand and leaf litter in slow river margins, flooded areas and sheltered backwaters. Depending on locality, the water ranges from soft, acidic blackwater to slightly harder clearwater, but it is always warm and gently flowing.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The cupid cichlid is a peaceful, shoaling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a cupid cichlid need?

A cupid cichlid needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a cupid cichlid need?

A cupid cichlid is comfortable at 68–86°F (20–30°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a cupid cichlid eat?

A cupid cichlid eats small sinking foods with frozen and live items such as brine shrimp, daphnia and bloodworm. It also sifts small food items out of the sand.

How big does a cupid cichlid get?

An adult cupid cichlid reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).

Does a cupid cichlid need a group?

Yes. A cupid cichlid is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a cupid cichlid breed?

Cupid cichlids are bi-parental substrate spawners that lay around a hundred eggs on a cleaned flat rock. The female tends the clutch while the male patrols, and breeding them is challenging.

Related species