TankBud

Myers' caquetaia

Caquetaia myersi

Also known as Yellow basketmouth, Myersi cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Myers' caquetaia (Caquetaia myersi)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
9.1 in
23 cm
Minimum tank
119 gal
450 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Upper Amazon foothills, Colombia and Ecuador

Overview

Myers' caquetaia is a golden, medium-large ambush predator with an extendable mouth, suited to a big tank. It takes some experience to keep well.

Did you know

When Myers' caquetaia feeds, its jaws slide forward in an instant to form a wide tube. The tube lets it inhale prey from a distance. The basketmouth cichlids have some of the most extreme extendable mouths in the family.

Caring for the Myers' caquetaia

Give a Myers' caquetaia at least 119 gal (450 L), with a sandy floor, plenty of driftwood, and sturdy stones and plants for cover. Leave calm, planted or shaded corners where it can lie in wait for passing fish.

The water should be warm and soft to neutral, at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Feed meaty foods such as prawn, mussel, earthworms and large sinking pellets. It is a big eater that makes a lot of waste, so stay on top of filtration and water changes.

It is best kept alone or as a single pair. It hangs near the bottom among the wood, waiting to ambush prey, and it is aggressive. Its tank mates should be more than half its own length, ideally about the same size, so nothing becomes a meal.

It is a biparental substrate spawner. The pair cleans a surface, lays the eggs there and guards the eggs and fry. Breeding it is of moderate difficulty rather than hard.

Good to know

Myers' caquetaia, Caquetaia myersi, belongs to the cichlid family and wears butter gold with darker tiger bars along the flank. It is a member of the basketmouth group, ambush predators of quiet water.

In the wild

Myers' caquetaia comes from the upper Amazon, in Colombia and Ecuador. It lives in foothill rivers where the Andes meet the lowlands.

Common questions

What size tank does a Myers' caquetaia need?

A Myers' caquetaia needs at least 119 gal (450 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Myers' caquetaia need?

A Myers' caquetaia is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Myers' caquetaia eat?

A Myers' caquetaia eats meaty foods such as prawn, mussel, earthworms and large sinking pellets. It is a big eater, so it makes a lot of waste.

How big does a Myers' caquetaia get?

An adult Myers' caquetaia reaches about 9.1 in (23 cm).

How does a Myers' caquetaia breed?

A Myers' caquetaia pair cleans a surface, lays its eggs there and guards both the eggs and the fry. Breeding is of moderate difficulty rather than hard.

Related species