TankBud

Inirida severum

Heros sp. 'Inirida'

Also known as Inirida spotted severum, Iniridae super severum

FreshwaterFish

Inirida severum (Heros sp. 'Inirida')
Imperial Tropicals · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.0–7.0
Adult size
11.8 in
30 cm
Minimum tank
119 gal
450 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Rio Inirida, Colombia and Venezuela

Overview

An Inirida severum is a wild fish and wants a tank of at least 120 gallons (450 liters). Give it soft, acidic water and a sand bed it can dig. Run it at 76–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.0. It is mostly peaceful outside spawning and squabbles with its own kind, so keep one or a group of five or more. Anything small enough to swallow is food. Feed pellets with vegetable matter, plus frozen and live foods. Tank mates are other large, calm South Americans such as Geophagus and plecos.

In the wild

The Inirida severum comes from the Rio Inirida, a blackwater river in eastern Colombia that reaches the Orinoco through the Guaviare. Every fish in the trade is wild caught and exported through Colombia. The water there is soft, acidic and stained with tannins, over sand among sunken wood and roots. Copy that with driftwood, a sand bed and dim light, and the colors come up once the fish settles.

Good to know

Nobody has described this fish, so it is sold as Heros sp. 'Inirida' and Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes has no entry for it. Keepers place it near Heros notatus or Heros efasciatus, and some cichlid writers argue it is the fish Heckel described as Heros severus. Adults carry eight bars like the rotkeil, with red spots over blue-green scales on an orange to yellow body and no red neck. A dominant male shows a red anal fin and a yellow-orange patch behind the gill cover. Pattern and color vary a lot between individuals.

Did you know

Imperial Tropicals and Aqua Imports both ask around 100 dollars for one fish, because every one is a wild import. A 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) juvenile arrives plain. The orange body and red spots build as it matures in the right water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Inirida severum is a mostly peaceful, social 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 an Inirida severum need?

An Inirida severum needs at least 119 gal (450 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Inirida severum need?

An Inirida severum is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.0.

How big does an Inirida severum get?

An adult Inirida severum reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).

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