Wesseli cichlid
Chortiheros wesseli
Also known as Theraps wesseli, Honduran torrent cichlid
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–84°F
- 24–29°C
- pH
- 7.0–8.0
- Adult size
- 3.9 in
- 10 cm
- Minimum tank
- 66 gal
- 250 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Substrate spawner · Medium
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Papaloteca drainage, Honduras
Overview
The Wesseli cichlid is a slim, current-loving, territorial stream fish. It is best for keepers with some experience.
Caring for the Wesseli cichlid
Give a Wesseli cichlid at least 66 gal (250 L), since it wants strong flow and space to swim. Provide brisk, well-oxygenated current from a strong filter or circulation pump. Use a sand substrate with rounded rocks and cobbles, plus some driftwood. It works the lower half of the tank among rocks and stays near cover.
Keep the water warm and neutral to slightly hard, at 75 to 84°F (24 to 29°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.0. Clean, moving, oxygen-rich water is the key to keeping it well. It is an omnivore, so feed quality pellets, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp, and some vegetable matter.
It is territorial and can be aggressive, especially when breeding, so keep a single fish or a bonded pair rather than a group. Choose sturdy, similar-sized tank mates that hold their own, and give everyone room and broken sightlines.
It is a substrate spawner, and a pair cleans and guards a site among boulders in fast water. The pair tends the eggs and fry, and breeding is of medium difficulty.
Good to know
Chortiheros wesseli is a slender rheophile in the family Cichlidae, marked by a bold black stripe from snout to tail. It was first described in 1996 as Theraps wesseli, then placed in its own genus, Chortiheros.
In the wild
The Wesseli cichlid lives only in a few fast, clear rivers on the Caribbean slope of northern Honduras. It holds position among boulders in rapids and riffles.
Common questions
What size tank does a Wesseli cichlid need?
A Wesseli cichlid needs at least 66 gal (250 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Wesseli cichlid need?
A Wesseli cichlid is comfortable at 75–84°F (24–29°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.
What does a Wesseli cichlid eat?
A Wesseli cichlid is an omnivore. Feed it quality pellets, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp, and some vegetable matter.
How big does a Wesseli cichlid get?
An adult Wesseli cichlid reaches about 3.9 in (10 cm).
How does a Wesseli cichlid breed?
A Wesseli cichlid is a substrate spawner. A pair cleans and guards a site among boulders in fast water, then tends the eggs and fry. Breeding is of medium difficulty.
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