Scientific Name: Herichthys carpintis
Common Name: Carpintis Cichlid
Adult Size: 10 - 12 inches
Life Expectancy: 8 - 10 years
Habitat: Central America
Minimum Tank Size: 75 gallons
Ideal Tank Conditions:
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Temperature Range: 75 - 82°F
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pH Range: 7.0 - 8.0
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Water Hardness: 5 - 15
Temperament: Aggressive and territorial, especially during breeding. Keep them with tankmates of similar size and temperament.
Diet & Nutrition: Omnivore; in the wild, they feed on a variety of small invertebrates, insects, and plant matter. In captivity, provide a balanced diet with high-quality pellets, flakes, and occasional live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, and small invertebrates.
Breeding & Spawning: Challenging since these fish can be so aggressive and don't appreciate the presence of a conspecific—even if they were raised together—in a huge tank. Give this substrate spawning fish some flower pots and slate in the tank as a breeding surface. It will become obvious when a pair forms because of the aggression you will see in the tank. The fish will lay anywhere from 150-1,000 eggs which will hatch in about five days and are free swimming in eight.
Gender: Males are a little bit larger than females, and may develop a hump on their head.
