Mayan cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

The Mayan cichlid is an aggressive, territorial cichlid for a very large tank of fresh or brackish water. It is easy to keep if you have the room.

Caring for the Mayan cichlid

Give a single adult or a pair a tank of at least 201 gal (760 L), with rockwork, and expect digging. Mayan cichlids accept brackish water, and a little salt in the water suits them.

Keep the water at 75 to 86°F (24 to 30°C), with a pH of 7.0 to 8.5. Feed a varied diet of pellets, frozen foods and some vegetable matter.

Mayan cichlids are aggressive and territorial, so keep one alone or with tough tank mates. They breed in both fresh and brackish water, and breeding them is easy. Breeding fish flush red and orange.

Good to know

Mayaheros urophthalmus was described by Gunther in 1862. It is marked by a large ocellated spot on the tail base and a row of vertical bars.

In the wild

The Mayan cichlid lives in Atlantic drainages from Mexico to Nicaragua. It occupies freshwater marshes, mangrove swamps, and brackish coastal lagoons and estuaries. It is strongly euryhaline and moves between fresh and salty water with ease.

Common questions

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