Salvin's Cichlid

Salvin's Cichlid, sometimes called the yellow-belly cichlid, is one of Central America's most striking predators, its golden-yellow flanks crossed by two dark stripes and washed with red, blues and black at spawning time. It comes from warm rivers and lagoons on the Atlantic slope, hunting among roots and rocks. This is a pugnacious, highly territorial fish, especially a breeding pair, so house it with similarly robust cichlids in a spacious tank of at least 250 litres with clear sightlines broken by driftwood, rock and sturdy hiding places. It is largely piscivorous and insectivorous in the wild; offer a carnivorous diet of quality pellets, mysis, earthworms and occasional whole frozen foods, avoiding excessive mammalian meat. Keep neutral to slightly alkaline, moderately hard water at pH 7.0-8.0 and 24-28 C with strong filtration and regular water changes.