Chocolate Cichlids
- Thread starter ernie9624
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Males develop a strange Nuchal hump, are generally very thick bodied and will have extended dorsal and pelvic fins. Females can still look very similiar however. You'll get a general sense when they're reaching around 6-7".
One of my favourite SA Cichlids. Very personable and their demeanor makes them fantastic tankmates with other non-aggressive tankmates.
Yeah they get very thick and stocky, mine's as fat as an adult oscar, with a big head. He's actually kind of aggressive but it's all show, he really doesn't do damage, just chasing and bluffing.
What is their growth-rate like? LFS just got some in, but they're only around 1.5", how long do they take to get to 4-6"?
Insanely quick to around 6" then it slows down a bit. 1" a month easily, then down to around 1/2" a month or so. Picked mine up in February at 2-3" and now it's 7 1/2" and easily over an inch thick.
in the time i've had it, mine went from 4-6" in 2 months..
also, mixing in bugs (like their natural habitat) with their staple diet will help a great deal as well. i didn't feed mine any moths for the first month or so, but since i have his colors have changed greatly, he seemed to grow quicker, and has become a lot more active. he's great.
also, mixing in bugs (like their natural habitat) with their staple diet will help a great deal as well. i didn't feed mine any moths for the first month or so, but since i have his colors have changed greatly, he seemed to grow quicker, and has become a lot more active. he's great.
sick_lid;2313102; said:
it may have worked fine, but it is unnecessary, as they will be big and well-colored as long as they are fed high quality food (nls, omega one, hikari) and receive good care. no problem with feeding crickets on occasion, but there is more benefit to be gained from prepared food these days