Cichlids

Fish Care Description

(freshwater)

The White spotted Cichlid gets its name from its dark gray to black body and white spots running in vertical rows, when the fish becomes adult the spots fade and change to larger patches and bands across their body.

The head of the White spotted Cichlid also turns a lovely deep blue color taking on the appearance of a totally different fish. They live in the fresh waters of Northwest and Central Africa where they can grow up to 5 inch.

Housing

The tank temperature should be kept at (7.4-8.0) the water should be well oxygenated with a ph of (6.5-7.5) the tank should be planted with hardy plants like the Java Fern or the Anubias these plants will securely attach themselves to rocks and wood. They like a sandy substrate with built up rock caves to hide in and bright lighting to encourage algae growth.

Because of the very aggressive nature of the white spotted Cichlid, they should only be kept with fish of a similar size or larger with a similar nature. They are carnivorous hunters and will eat smaller fish. Ideally they should be purchased in groups of 8-10 as these fish like to school.

Feeding

These white spotted Cichlids should be fed a variety of foods like Cichlid Flakes and pellets, Krill and frozen foods. Spirulina flakes and spinach but never feed these fish on meaty foods as they can upset their digestion.