Red Mouthbrooder Cichlid (Heros liberifer)

Red Mouthbrooder Cichlid Heros liberifer
Name	Red Mouthbrooder Cichlid
Name Lat.	Heros liberifer
Family	Cichlids
Family lat.	Cichlidae
Order	Cichlids
Order lat.	Cichliformes
Origin	South America
Habitat	Rivers, streams
Diet	Omnivore
pH	6.5-7.5
Behavior	Semi-aggressive
Keeping	Pair
Care Level	Moderate
Reproduction	Mouthbrooder
Breeding	Moderately difficult
Life Span	5-8 years
Protection	No
Metric Units
Size	20-28 cm
Temperature	24-30 °C
Hardness	5-20 °dH
Aquarium	350 l
US Units
Size	8"-11"
Temperature	75-86 °F
Hardness	89-356 ppm
Aquarium	90 gal

Distribution and habitat

The mouthbrooding eyespot cichlids are native to the upper and middle Rio Orinoco river system in Venezuela. They live in moderately flowing waters with dense riparian vegetation, dead wood, stones and roots.

Maintenance

The aquarium should have robust planting that provides both shelter and swimming space, with roots and stones as hiding places. Soft, slightly acidic water, a dark substrate covered with some foliage (e.g. sea almond leaves) and shaded light (floating plants) is ideal.

No ammonia, ammonium and nitrite should be detectable, the nitrate value should not exceed 100 mg/l. To ensure water quality and oxygen content, a filter and heater adapted to the aquarium size is required, as well as lighting for the species-appropriate day-night rhythm of the animals.

Diet

The food supply consists of live, frozen and dry food. For a balanced diet, feed once a day with a high-quality dry food for cichlids (flakes, granules, pellets) as well as artemia, tubifex, mosquito larvae or mysis (live or frozen). In addition, they need regular vegetable food, such as spinach, crushed peas, algae leaves or dry food with vegetable ingredients (e.g. spirulina)

Only feed as much as will be eaten within a few minutes. A regular and varied diet promotes health and prevents deficiency symptoms

Behaviour and compatibility

These calm and relatively peaceful fish should be kept in pairs. During the spawning season they behave territorially and defend their territory emphatically. Group keeping is only recommended in a larger, richly structured tank. They can be socialized well with other calm and large fish. Fish that are too small are considered food.

Basically, only compatible fish species with similar demands on water quality and water temperature may be socialized.

Sex dimorphism

The sexes are difficult to distinguish. The males have small black dots on the gill covers, the females are slightly smaller. With some experience the sexes can be distinguished by their genital papilla, which is pointed in the male and round in the female.

Reproduction and breeding

They are ovophilous mouth brooders. The female usually spawns on a flat, well-cleaned rock or similar. After the male fertilizes the eggs, the female immediately takes them into her spacious gullet (pharynx) for mouthbrooding. After 5-6 days, the young are released from the mouth. The fry continue to be cared for for some time, escaping back into the mouth in case of danger before brood care ends

Fry must be fed several times a day with special rearing food (Artemia nauplii). In community tanks breeding is hardly possible, because the fry are easy prey.

Important

The well-being of the fish should be checked regularly. The temperature should be checked daily, the pH, hardness and nitrate value at least every 14 days. A regular partial water change is recommended, even if the pollutant load has not yet reached the upper limit. Sudden changes in water quality should be avoided. Newly introduced fish must be accustomed slowly to the water in the aquarium.

Further literature can be found in your pet store.

References

Text: petdata; Image: Franz Lowak

Source: BMELV (1998): Tierschutzgutachten - Haltung von Zierfischen (Süßwasser); ENGELMANN (2005): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Fische, Verlag Harri Deutsch

• Gemäß § 21 Abs. 5 Tierschutzgesetz idgF