TankBud

Teapa cichlid

Paraneetroplus gibbiceps

Also known as Gibbiceps cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–84°F (24–29°C)
pH
7.0–8.2
Adult size
11 in (28 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
Grijalva headwaters, Mexico
Family
Cichlidae

Overview

The Teapa cichlid is a large, current-loving fish built for a river-style tank rather than a still community. Keep one fish or a single pair, with careful choice of robust tankmates, since it is territorial and does not welcome intruders on its patch. It needs strong flow, high oxygen, boulders and a firm floor, and it spends its time low in the water. Feed a mixed diet with a good share of vegetable matter, since the genus grazes and picks at surfaces in the wild. Give it real volume, around 450 liters or more, and gear the tank for movement.

In the wild

This species holds fast, rocky stretches and rapids in the Grijalva headwaters and nearby rivers of southern Mexico, over a bottom of pebbles, wood and current-swept leaves. Recreate that with strong filtration or a flow pump, rounded stones and boulders, and plenty of oxygen. It suits neutral to hard, warm water, around 24 to 29 C and pH 7.0 to 8.2.

Good to know

Paraneetroplus gibbiceps is a rheophilic, or current-adapted, cichlid that grows to around 28 centimeters. Franz Steindachner described it in 1864. The species name gibbiceps means hump-headed: older fish, especially males, build a raised nuchal hump on the forehead. It is a biparental substrate spawner that lays its eggs on cleaned stone in flowing water.

Did you know

Its name means hump-headed, and with age the forehead swells into a pronounced bulge; the raised brow is a hallmark of a fish shaped by a life spent in fast, rocky water.

Common questions

What size tank does a Teapa cichlid need?

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

What temperature and pH do Teapa cichlid need?

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

How big do Teapa cichlid get?

An adult Teapa cichlid reaches about 11 in (28 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

Keeping Teapa cichlid?

Track water tests, reminders and stocking fit.

Sign in or Track your tanks →

Planning tankmates

See how Teapa cichlid fits a stocking plan. Open the stocking calculator

Add to your site

Show this species on your own site: a shortcode for WordPress, or an HTML embed for anywhere else.

WordPress shortcodeAbout the plugin
HTML embedAbout the embed

Related species