My Cichlasoma Bocourti

[duanes]

I agree with Drew, both bocourti and their sister species pearsei are primarily herbivores. In nature the main parts of their diet are algae, higher aquatic, semi aquatic and terrestrial plants (both fruits and leaves).
Both have developed long digestive tracts that have evolved to extract nutrients from low protein foods, and can develop blockages from too much protein.
I have found my bocourti are one of the few cichlids to eat duckweed, so I feed mainly algae, my aguatic plant trimmings, low protein/high in spirulina pellets (and the duckweed).

 

[weirdfishlover]

This may be what happened to one of my 2 bocourti. Back in Oct I purchased a dozen different varieties of CA (mostly Viejas), all were in about the 3" range, 2 of them were bocourtis. 3 weeks later, I come home from work to find the smaller bocourti all beaten up and breathing heavy. So, I'm observing it and then notice other tank mates were coming after it. I suppose it was singled out because it looked weak and vulnerable. I set up a quick qt tank and placed it in there. I figured it was sick and probably wouldn't make it. Its been 4 wks now and it has recovered nicely and have a 30 gal all to itself. I've been feeding it heavy to bulk it up before it goes back into the 180 with the other CA. But now that I'm reading this, I'm not sure if that's a good idea. The larger bocourti that's been in the 180 has nearly tripled in size and is twice as big as the one in qt. I'm thinking now that the larger bocourti might of been the one that originally did damage to the one in qt. The larger bocourti is not really aggressive in the 180 even with other much smaller tank mates. Wonder if its aggression towards other same species kinda thing?

I guess it would be towards the same species ? and depend on what tank mates it grew up with ?

Not trying to tell you what to feed your fish but they are herbivores. Not carnivores. I feed mine romain lettuce and cabbage and peas. Not high protein pellets and shrimp. Beautiful fish either way so who cares what you feed it.

Drew

Drew, I appreciate the advice as this is the first time I kept such a species

Very nice!!

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Thanks

From all the readings I've seen it states that bocourtis are omnivores. I do agree with you that Carnivore pellets are too high on the protein scale, but I highly disagree that its main diet should be terrestrial base plants. Not trying to start an argument, but its just IMHO

Please advice as I am a newbie with these species

amazing difference in the videos in less than 2 months very nice!

Thanks

I agree with Drew, both bocourti and their sister species pearsei are primarily herbivores. In nature the main parts of their diet are algae, higher aquatic, semi aquatic and terrestrial plants (both fruits and leaves).
Both have developed long digestive tracts that have evolved to extract nutrients from low protein foods, and can develop blockages from too much protein.
I have found my bocourti are one of the few cichlids to eat duckweed, so I feed mainly algae, my aguatic plant trimmings, low protein/high in spirulina pellets (and the duckweed).

Thanks for the advice, I'll try to see what I can find to further groom this fella into adulthood

Sharing a still photo shot

 

[duanes]

Although many fish are not able to handle terrestrial vegetation, you might try some thawed peas, as this species and pearsei (also many Vieja) have evolved to process terrestrial leaves and fruits, I have found peas help to help bring out color, and are especially healthy for bocourti and pearsei.
My young bocourti even eat papyrus and the wood from logs in the tank.
I use papyrus to control nitrates in many of my tanks, but the bocourti mow it down to the roots, and then eat the root ball. When I first added the bocourti to the tank below, the papyrus was giant, not long after I removed stemless roots from almost empty pots.

There are also salt water fish that commonly eat terrestrial leaves, I watched these fish for an hour foraging the overhanging leaves one morning in a canal in Mexico.