Spangled cichlid
Acaronia vultuosa
Also known as Big eye cichlid
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–82°F
- 24–28°C
- pH
- 5.5–7.2
- Adult size
- 5.9 in
- 15 cm
- Minimum tank
- 79 gal
- 300 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Orinoco basin
Overview
The spangled cichlid is a large-eyed ambush predator with an extendable mouth, best kept alone or as a single pair. It hangs in the middle water among plants and wood, waiting to inhale passing prey, and it is aggressive enough that tankmates need choosing with care: keep it only with fish too big to be swallowed. Feed meaty foods such as prawn, mussel, earthworms and large pellets, and expect it to hunt any small fish you add. Give it a tank of at least 300 liters, well planted and stocked with wood, over soft to neutral water where it can lurk and wait.
In the wild
Acaronia vultuosa comes from the Orinoco basin, where it lurks among plants in shallow, weedy lagoons and slow backwaters. It prefers warm, soft to neutral water: a temperature range of 24–28 C and a pH of 5.5–7.2. Fill the tank with dense planting, driftwood and leaf litter over a soft floor, with still to gently moving water, giving an ambush hunter the cover it uses to stay hidden until prey drifts close.
Good to know
Acaronia vultuosa belongs to the cichlid family and reaches about 15 centimeters. It was described by Kullander in 1989. Like its relatives it is an ambush predator with a strongly protrusible mouth that shoots forward to suck in prey, the trait behind the basketmouth nickname the genus carries. It is a substrate spawner that guards its eggs and fry, and breeding is of moderate difficulty.
Did you know
The species name vultuosa comes from the Latin for a grimacing, expressive face, a nod to the dark bars that run through the eyes and across the cheeks, leaving this big-eyed fish with a permanently stern, scowling look.
Common questions
What size tank does a Spangled cichlid need?
A Spangled cichlid needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Spangled cichlid need?
A Spangled cichlid is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.2.
How big does a Spangled cichlid get?
An adult Spangled cichlid reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).
Related species
7.9 in (20 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Bigeye basketmouth
Acaronia nassa
7.9 in (20 cm) · 79 gal (300 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)25 gal (95 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Convict cichlid
Amatitlania nigrofasciata
5.9 in (15 cm) · 25 gal (95 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)66 gal (250 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Eastern happy
Astatotilapia calliptera
5.9 in (15 cm) · 66 gal (250 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)30 gal (115 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Jewel cichlid
Hemichromis bimaculatus
5.9 in (15 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)26 gal (100 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Salvin's cichlid
Trichromis salvini
5.9 in (15 cm) · 26 gal (100 L)
- 5.9 in (15 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Zebra nyererei
Pundamilia pundamilia
5.9 in (15 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)