Odo cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

The Odo cichlid is an aggressive predator from Hispaniola that needs a species tank or a carefully chosen pair. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Caring for the Odo cichlid

Give an Odo cichlid at least 132 gal (500 L), with heavy cover and an open floor. It spends most of its time near the bottom. Keep the water hard, at 75 to 84°F (24 to 29°C) and a pH of 7.2 to 8.5. It tolerates a little salt.

Feed prepared and frozen meaty foods, and do not feed it live fish. It is aggressive, so keep it singly or as a bonded pair. Choose any tank mates with care: nothing small enough to be eaten and nothing mild enough to be bullied. It is a substrate spawner, and breeding it is a moderate challenge.

Good to know

The Odo cichlid, Nandopsis haitiensis, is a member of the family Cichlidae, pearl-flecked over a near-black body. The Greater Antilles hold only a handful of native cichlids, and this is one of them. That makes it biogeographically unusual, and it is scarce in the hobby as well.

In the wild

The Odo cichlid lives in rivers and in the brackish-edged lakes of Hispaniola. The water there runs warm and hard.

Common questions

Related species

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