Gimme all the info on Nicaraguense cichlids ?

junior2

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jan 28, 2012
35
16
38
bronx
I recently managed to find 2 small macaw cichlids. Online they grow to be absolutely beautiful. But not much online in terms of growth rate. Wondering if anyone has experience raising them.

Any info on them would be appreciated. I am planning on breeding them in hopes of maybe seeing if they have any natural other color morphs that could come from them OR to see if its possible to create one that exhibits mostly one color(similar to how gold morph jags, or electric blue Dempsey's came about). Tangled Up in Cichlids currently has some that I will most likely get to ensure different strains. Plus Tangled Up in Cichlids does come in clutch with wild caught specimens from time to time.

I just find it weird that although online they say their commonly kept even on instagram only a few hundred post appear vs other common cichlids like oscars. Considering Im in NY I would think I would see them more often, but its just not the case.

If anyone can give me other spots I can buy from that you trust, that would be appreciated as well.

Note:: I do not intend to offend anyone in the fish keeping community. But besides much of the hate fish like Electric blue Dempsey or Gold Managuense's get. Both can naturally occur and are absolutely stunning to see as adults. I do not intend to hybridize, Just strain breed. Although I do appreciate some hybrids, I just think people should cull more when they plan to Hybridize, because like not all parrot fish(blood parrots) are the same lol most are butt ugly karate chopped.

I just want to do it right, if it is even possible is all.
 
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duanes

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Isla Taboga Panama via Milwaukee
1611748900713.png
Males are easy to differentiate from females, males have spot in the posterior of the dorsal and anal fins.
Females don't, below
1611749016177.png
They are the only Central American cichlid that lays non-adhesive eggs.
Mine liked to put eggs in upturned PVC caps
1611749211827.png
1611749312207.png
1611749399697.png
Since they come from the Nicaraguan great lakes where water averages temps in the mid 70s, pH above 8,
I kept them at temps in the mid to upper 70s, in relatively hard water GH 250 ppm, my tap water pH was only 7.8 so I used aragonite in the substrate to keep buffers up, and with every other day water changes, kept low nitrate conditions (10ppm or less) .
A pair would spawn regularly once mature, and were great parents.
Since they are predomiently herbivorous in nature, I fed a small sized, pellet high in Spirulina like AlgaeMax, grew hair algae outside, to be harvested and added to their tank .
The young were fed daphnia and Artemia I would also raise outside, in the same containers.
1611750565291.png
 
Last edited:

junior2

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jan 28, 2012
35
16
38
bronx
View attachment 1448925
Males are easy to differentiate from females, males have spot in the posterior of the dorsal and anal fins.
Females don't, below
View attachment 1448926
They are the only Central American cichlid that lays non-adhesive eggs.
Mine liked to put eggs in upturned PVC caps
View attachment 1448928
View attachment 1448929
View attachment 1448932
Since they come from the Nicaraguan great lakes where water averages temps in the mid 70s, pH above 8,
I kept them at temps in the mid to upper 70s, in relatively hard water GH 250 ppm, my tap water pH was only 7.8 so I used aragonite in the substrate to keep buffers up, and with every other day water changes, kept low nitrate conditions (10ppm or less) .
A pair would spawn regularly once mature, and were great parents.
Since they are predomiently herbivorous in nature, I fed a small sized, pellet high in Spirulina like AlgaeMax, grew hair algae outside, to be harvested and added to their tank .
The young were fed daphnia and Artemia I would also raise outside, in the same containers.
View attachment 1448935
WOOW that’s freaking awesome. Even went as far as cultivating algae for them. Great idea. Thanx for the input. Stunning fish you got. ???
 

Man-made Monsters

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Dec 26, 2016
655
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duanes duanes coming through with some amazing info. I had no idea they needed such a high PH. I had one roughly 12 years ago with other central americans and couldn't figure out why he got pits in his face. My PH was at 7.2. That was probably why. Great info!!
 

duanes

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Jun 7, 2007
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Isla Taboga Panama via Milwaukee
I doubt that pH of 7.2 would cause pits on its own, but.....if nitrate was high in combination with a low pH, maybe.....nitrate levels in most of the Nicaraguan great lakes are 2ppm or less.
 
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junior2

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jan 28, 2012
35
16
38
bronx
View attachment 1448925
Males are easy to differentiate from females, males have spot in the posterior of the dorsal and anal fins.
Females don't, below
View attachment 1448926
They are the only Central American cichlid that lays non-adhesive eggs.
Mine liked to put eggs in upturned PVC caps
View attachment 1448928
View attachment 1448929
View attachment 1448932
Since they come from the Nicaraguan great lakes where water averages temps in the mid 70s, pH above 8,
I kept them at temps in the mid to upper 70s, in relatively hard water GH 250 ppm, my tap water pH was only 7.8 so I used aragonite in the substrate to keep buffers up, and with every other day water changes, kept low nitrate conditions (10ppm or less) .
A pair would spawn regularly once mature, and were great parents.
Since they are predomiently herbivorous in nature, I fed a small sized, pellet high in Spirulina like AlgaeMax, grew hair algae outside, to be harvested and added to their tank .
The young were fed daphnia and Artemia I would also raise outside, in the same containers.
View attachment 1448935
Any idea on growth rate?
 

duanes

MFK Moderators
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MFK Member
Jun 7, 2007
20,937
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Isla Taboga Panama via Milwaukee
Growth rate is very subjective, type diet, tank size and what I consider most important, water changes.
I checked the dates on my photos, the newly free swimming fry hit almost 2" in about 4 months.
But I was doing every other day 30-40% water changes at that point on fry tanks.
I believe any cichlid will grow faster if two water changes are done per week, instead of only one.
And if 4 are done instead of 3 even faster, because each water changes removes nitrate, and growth inhibiting hormones.
 
Last edited:

djsaltynuts

Piranha
MFK Member
Sep 11, 2020
500
316
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I recently managed to find 2 small macaw cichlids. Online they grow to be absolutely beautiful. But not much online in terms of growth rate. Wondering if anyone has experience raising them.

Any info on them would be appreciated. I am planning on breeding them in hopes of maybe seeing if they have any natural other color morphs that could come from them OR to see if its possible to create one that exhibits mostly one color(similar to how gold morph jags, or electric blue Dempsey's came about). Tangled Up in Cichlids currently has some that I will most likely get to ensure different strains. Plus Tangled Up in Cichlids does come in clutch with wild caught specimens from time to time.

I just find it weird that although online they say their commonly kept even on instagram only a few hundred post appear vs other common cichlids like oscars. Considering Im in NY I would think I would see them more often, but its just not the case.

If anyone can give me other spots I can buy from that you trust, that would be appreciated as well.

Note:: I do not intend to offend anyone in the fish keeping community. But besides much of the hate fish like Electric blue Dempsey or Gold Managuense's get. Both can naturally occur and are absolutely stunning to see as adults. I do not intend to hybridize, Just strain breed. Although I do appreciate some hybrids, I just think people should cull more when they plan to Hybridize, because like not all parrot fish(blood parrots) are the same lol most are butt ugly karate chopped.

I just want to do it right, if it is even possible is all.
there are mainly two color varieties seperated geographically. they seem to really enjoy eating alder cones and seed pods as well as various crustaceans(i use carnivorous marine food) and algae wafers. theyre pretty atomic breeders. and they have a pretty big appetite so if you wish to grow them out quickly it can be done. they enjoy tearing things up like plants and almond leaves even moss balls. heres my female colored up as dominant and non dominant.

299B6CCF-29D5-435A-AFA0-457F8ABD4384.jpeg

E64FD3E9-E735-41C1-A117-10942E3332DF.jpeg
 
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