Firemouth Cichlid

The Firemouth is a medium sized Cichlid from Central America growing upto 5 inch . It can be kept in a community of other similar sized fishes. They are unfussy about the type of water they are kept in as long as it is clean and extremes of pH and hardness are avoided. They will eat all good quality flake food and freeze dried food. They need a temperature between 75 to 80f.

If you want to breed these fish they must be given a tank of their own. The breeding tank can be a standard 2ft tank with a gravel floor and a few stones and may be a plant pot laid on its side. A sponge filter must also be included. The pair must be fed on lots of live food and freeze dried food as well as regular partial water changes. (this makes a huge difference).

As with most Cichlids kept in good condition the pair will need little extra incentive to spawn. This is another fish that I have had spawn within a few days of buying them. The eggs are usually laid on a surface or in a cave. The first sign that spawning is iminent is that the pair begin cleaning the site meticulously. Then they will spawn, both parents gaurd the eggs and fry.

The fry will become free swimming about a week after the eggs were laid. To be safe the parent fish should be removed.

The fry should be fed on liquid fry food at first and then on newly hatched brine shrimp and crushed flake. The trick with feeding fry is little and often, tiny amounts 4 or 5 times per day. at two weeks you should begin making small water changesand gradually increase these until 25% of the water is being changed twice per week. If this is neglected the frys growth rate will be poor. Some culling may have to be done because brood sizes can be large (2 to 3 hundred)at 12 weeks the fry should be about 1.5 inches and big enough to sell.

Back to Species Selection