Great perspective from Wayne Leibel:
http://www.fishchannel.com/freshwat...ies-info/cichlid/red-terror-and-green-cichlid
Ex-C. festae was "Originally imported in the mid-1970s from western Ecuador (trans-Andean Pacific slope)"
the first specimens imported were huge 10- to 14-inch monsters that sold for between $50 and $100 in 1970s dollars!
western Ecuador is a wet conglomerate of rice fields, streams, rivers and shallow lagoons.
They occupy caves in the soft mud riverbank where they remain for most of the day.
The fish can be caught by positioning a large hand net over the opening to the cave and poking the resident with a stick.
They feed primarily at night, and gut analysis reveals a diet of small fish (primarily
Astyanax sp. tetras), insects, snails and plants, with
"C." festae being the more herbivorous
They are continuous spawners, but exhibit a peak in reproductive activity coincident with the rainy season in January through May.
Wild red terrors are found to be reproductively competent and active at sizes as small as 5 inches, although they grow to average lengths of about 9 inches (maximum observed by Les was about 10.5 inches).
In the aquarium they can attain lengths of 16 inches or more — particularly older males.
I have yet to find anything scientific documenting actual festae habitat in Colombia...anyone have anything?
Matt
I was told by a hobbiest at the ACA Colombian festae are hard to find today due to pollution.