Ellioti Cichlid

The Ellioti Cichlid is a colourful, relatively peaceable Central American cichlid with a bluish body, rows of iridescent spangles and a rich red-orange throat and belly that intensifies during courtship. It inhabits warm, slow-flowing rivers and clear streams over sand and leaf litter in the Atlantic drainages of Mexico. Sift-feeders by nature, they browse sand for invertebrates and take a broad omnivorous diet, so offer sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and some vegetable matter. Outside spawning they are calm and combine well with tetras, livebearers and peaceful catfish, but a bonded pair becomes territorial and boldly defends fry. Provide 200 litres or more, fine sand, driftwood and rockwork forming caves, neutral to slightly hard water at pH 7.0-8.0, and stable temperatures of 24-28 C with good filtration.