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Red Terror; *cichlid
Topic Started: Feb 15 2006, 02:52 PM (497 Views)
Morrigan
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Red Terror


Quick Stats

Scientific Name: Heros Festae, Nandopis Festae, Cichlasoma Festae, Amphilophus Festae
Distribution: Central America
Size: Males to 20",(50cm) females to 12" (30cm) in the wild (rarely above 15" (38cm) in an aquarium)
Common Names: Red Terror, Festa's Cichlid
Temperature: 77 to 84 degrees(25-29C)
pH: 6 to 8 (neutral pH is ideal)

General Characteristics

Red Terrors, like their name suggests, are a highly aggressive cichlid commonly found in the rivers of Central America. These beautiful cichlids are popular with aquarium keepers due to their vibrant coloration, but their aggressive nature leads to problems in all but the largest tanks. It is not by accident that they are sometimes classed in the same family as the dovii. As with most aggressive, predatory cichlids, these fish are difficult to keep with others and are generally much better kept on their own. Females retain their juvenile coloration of a silver/red background with wide, black vertical stripes and bright red fins. Males will lose their stripes and develop a light, iridescent green body, with a rosy blush to the throat and belly. These colours, along with bright blue dorsal and anal fins, make these fish one of the most spectacular large cichlids available to aquarium keepers. During spawning the colour of both sexes becomes even more vibrant.

Aquarium Set Up

Although Red Terrors rarely get larger than 15"(38cm) in an aquarium set up, they do need a large environment to do well. As juveniles they can be kept in a 55gal (210litre) aquarium, but once they reach around 10",(25cm) they need a tank of over 75gal(285litre) for a single fish and 100 gallons(380litres) or more for a pair. In their natural environment, they inhabit areas near riverbanks in Central America, so their tank should be set up with this in mind. As they are typical cichlids and enjoy digging, any plants should be well anchored. Plenty of open swimming space is appreciated, with caves provided for shelter and spawning. Anything that is placed in the tank should be well secured. Live plants are ok to use, as these fish will not consider them as food, but be prepared to have them battered around a fair amount. Red Terrors are boisterous fish at the best of times, and doubly so when spawning.
Tank mates must be chosen with care, as a Red Terror will consider anything small enough to fit into his or her mouth as food, and anything that won't fit in its mouth as competition for territory. They can be kept with other aggressive cichlids of a similar size, but given the size of tank required to keep two such predatory fish, its usually better to keep these fish singly or as mated pairs. Even trying to find a compatible pair can be a difficult task, as any sign of weakness from either fish will end in its eventual death at the hands of the more dominant one. It is recommended to start with a large group of juveniles to allow a strong pair bond to form if you want to keep a pair.

Feeding

Red Terrors are a predatory fish, which feed on larger crustaceans, insects and small fish in the wild. They are not exclusive piscavores like some of the other cichlids of a similar size such as the dovii, therefore it is not necessary to feed Terrors large quantities of feeder fish. They do well on a high protein diet including plenty of large insects like crickets and earthworms, snails, shrimp and high quality pellets. Although feeders are not essential, they do satisfy the Terrors hunting instinct and can be fed occasionally, but it is not recommended to feed them more than once a month. Feeders are mainly used to maintain the fish's mental health, rather than their physical well being. Home made, high protein foods such as the beefheart recipe are an ideal staple food for Red Terrors.

Breeding

Red Terrors become sexually mature at around 5 inches and by that stage, should be showing a distinct difference in coloration between males and females. Males also grow considerably larger than females. Breeding takes place in caves, with the female guarding the eggs for the 3 to 4 days it takes them to hatch, and the male patrolling the pairs territory. As with a lot of the large cichlids, the eggs can number up to two thousand. Often the male will assist the fry in hatching by taking them in his mouth and removing the egg casing. Don't panic if you see this happening, it is normal! The female then deposits the fry in pre-dug pits and the pair will continue to guard the fry until they are quite large. Red Terrors become extremely aggressive during spawning and tank mates that have been tolerated up till then may suddenly find themselves in a great deal of danger. It is recommended that you remove any tank mates immediately if you find your Red Terror pair spawning to prevent severe beatings or death.
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