Herichthys cyanoguttatum
- Common Names: Texas Cichlid. This species is sometimes confused with Herichthys carpinte “Blue Texas Cichlid”. You can distinguish between the two species by looking at the spots. The carpinte has large spots on the body, and the cyanoguttatum has very small spots on the body.
- Locations Collected From: Is found in Southern Texas (Rio Grand River) and south to Mexico
- Approximate Size: 7 inches
- Food: Mine ate everything offered from brine shrimp to pellet foods.
- Water Conditions: Like a pH between 7.0 – 7.5 with a temperature between 75 – 80 degrees F.
- Breeding Behavior: Egglayer. Mine laid their eggs on a rock in the middle of the tank and chased every other fish into the corners. My pair got a tank of their own. Mine laid about 200 eggs, but spawn sizes can be as large as 500 eggs per spawn. My male was very rough on my female and would chase her constantly until I separated them. I got 4 juveniles (just over 2 inches) and within a few weeks of having them in their new tank, I got a breeding pair.
- Tankmates: I tried to put mine in with Astronotus ocellatus “Oscar” but they chased the Oscars and ended up with a tank of their own. I could not find anything that they didn’t beat up.