Scientific Name: Cichlasoma salvini
Common Name: Salvini Cichlid, Salvin's Cichlid, Yellow-Belly Cichlid, Tricolored Cichlid
Adult Size: 9 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: A carnivore by nature, they will take flake and pellet foods enriched with spirulina and some plant based products. They do best with live and dead meaty foods such as blood worms and brine shrimps. Cichlid specific pellet and flake food is also fine to supplement their diet with, and products with spirulina additives will enhance their colors. They can also be feed partly boiled dark leafy greens such as spinach and kale.
Breeding: Egg layers with both male and females aggressively protecting eggs and fry. These eggs will be laid on clean, smooth, flat surfaces, that are often prepared prior to breeding. Sexual maturity happens once the fish reaches around 5 to 6 inches in length. Remove fry from the main tank in order to properly feed, and avoid any other fish from eating them. The parents may attack or eat them once reintroduced to the tank, so it would be best to add 5 to 6 of them at a time and monitor.
Gender: Males have notably longer fins. Females usually display a spot on the gill cover and on the dorsal fin.
