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Sarabia cichlid

Paraneetroplus bulleri

Also known as Bulleri cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–84°F (24–29°C)
pH
7.0–8.2
Adult size
11.8 in (30 cm)
Minimum tank
119 gal (450 L)
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
Tankmates with caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Rare
Origin
Coatzacoalcos basin, Mexico
Family
Cichlidae

Overview

The Sarabia cichlid is a river fish before it is anything else: it wants strong current and high oxygen, and only then the rest of its care. It is a large, boisterous grazer, aggressive enough that you should keep it singly or as a pair and pick only robust tankmates that can take the pace, never small or delicate fish. Feed a vegetable-leaning diet of algae and spirulina foods with some prepared pellets, matching its natural grazing. Give it open, current-swept space over rock. A tank of around 450 liters is a fair starting point for a fish this size and this active.

In the wild

Paraneetroplus bulleri lives in moderately to fast-flowing montane rivers of the Coatzacoalcos system in southern Mexico, grazing algae from current-swept stone. Give it well-oxygenated water kept moving by strong filtration, a floor of rock and gravel, and warm, neutral to hard water at pH 7.0-8.2 and 24-29 C.

Good to know

Paraneetroplus bulleri is a cichlid that grows to around 30 centimeters and is the type species of its genus, a small group of streamlined, current-adapted river specialists. Its torpedo shape is built for holding station in flow. It grazes algae and aufwuchs, and is a biparental substrate spawner of medium breeding difficulty.

Did you know

Cichlids have a reputation as fish of still, warm water, but bulleri breaks the mold. It is a whitewater specialist that clings to fast montane rivers and scrapes its food from rock in the current, more like a mountain-stream grazer than a pond fish.

Common questions

What size tank does a Sarabia cichlid need?

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

What temperature and pH do Sarabia cichlid need?

Sarabia cichlid are comfortable at 75–84°F (24–29°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.2.

How big do Sarabia cichlid get?

An adult Sarabia cichlid reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).

Where to buy

Some links may not be the exact species or variety.

…or ask your local fish store.

Appears in

Freshwater fish · Cichlids · Bottom dwellers

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