American Cichlid – Marbled Red Devil Cichlid 12-15cm

For a hobbyist with the desire to keep a large, charismatic fish, the Red Devil Cichlid should be a perfect choice. It is known to spruce up a tank with its strange yet appealing colour, not to mention its enthusiasm in an aquarium.

The Red Devil Cichlid comes from Central America near the Atlantic Ocean towards Nicaragua. It dominates most Nicaraguan lakes like Managua, Xiloa and Nicaragua.

The Red Devil cichlid, also known scientifically as Amphilophus labiatus, obtained its name from its aggressiveness towards other fish species. Not only that, it can literally devour plant life inside the tank owing to its strong set of jaws, and teeth. It has a robust personality with pointed dorsal and anal fins. In the wild, it is dark brown, with some adorning the grey coloration. In captivity, the colours can vary from bright red to almost pure white. The more coloured ones commonly have tails and fins that are black-tipped.

Some Red Devils have thick, orange lips. Others may spot black lips. In the wild, the lips are more pronounced. In captivity, reverse is the case. So far, not much explanation has been done to explain why the lips look smaller when the fish is kept in a tank.

Most of this fish species grow quite big. Their sizes in the wild are bigger compared to that in captivity. In their natural habitat, they can be as huge as 37cm. To reach maturity and attain full size, they require an average of 3 years. Most of them live for approximately 10-12 years. Others can live longer depending on the kind of care they receive in a tank.

The Red Devil Cichlid is a hardy fish that can survive most tank conditions as long as they (tank conditions) are reasonable. However, first time hobbyists may find some difficulty keeping this fish due to the fact that it grows huge with time. If the tank is relatively smaller, it may be very aggressive towards other tank mates. It may also destroy the tanks arrangement like rocks and plants.

Some requirements to put in place for the fish is a minimum of 200L tank for one fish. For a pair, the tank should be at least more than twice that size. Moderate water movements. Strong and efficient filtration. A sump style or canister filter would be a great idea for this fish.

Sufficient oxygen to keep its colour and health in top form. Airstones can be added to the tank to keep the oxygen in required level. Provide rocks and fine sand. The fish enjoys swimming and even hiding at times. Some wood can also be provided. Remember the fish can disrupt the layout of the tank. Ensure they are well bedded.

The Red Devil is omnivorous in nature and likely to consume a number of foods. To keep a proper balance in terms of meals, the following foods are important:

• Cichlid pellets. They ought to be of high quality
• Vegetables
• Frozen shrimp, Frozen Cichlid Foods, bloodworms, earthworms and crickets
• Carotene rich supplements
• Flake foods and pellets
• Some meaty foods can be provided too but don’t over do it.

The Red Devil Cichlid is a heavy feeder. It does best with several servings a day. With a good diet, it can grow to an enormous size.

The males tend to grow bigger than the females. The male also has a pointed papilla while the female’s is blunt. In captivity, males grow a nuchal hump that becomes prominent during breeding. The red devil can successfully bred in captivity.

The Red Devil is an open spawner. It prefers the inclined substrate which should be provided for success. The female lays approximately 600 to 700 eggs. They are transparent, with some looking amber yellow. The females care for these eggs until they hatch in about three days. The temperatures should be maintained at around 26°c for the eggs to hatch. After about one week, the fry are able to swim around the aquarium. During this time, their best feeds should be Artemia nauplii. When they turn three weeks old, they get extra nourishment from their parent’s skin.

The Red Devil is quite aggressive, not easily accepting fish of the same or different species in the tank. They therefore need to be kept in their own tanks unless there is a possibility of keeping it with other aggressive tank-mates in a very large aquarium.

While juveniles, they are more tolerant. As they mature, their tolerance levels change and they are unable to accommodate any other fish sharing the same tank with them. When planning to keep them with other types of fish, a larger tank is a requirement.

• Species – Amphilophus labiatus
• Common Name – Red Devil Cichlid “marbled”
  
• Origin – Central America, dominating most Nicaraguan lakes like Managua, Xiloa and Nicaragua.
• Diet – Omnivores
• PH Range – 6.5 – 7.5
• Temperature – Tropical 22°c – 28°c
• Breed Type – Egg Layer
• Current Size – approximately 5cm (Grows to approximately 30cm)
• Sex – Un-sexed