Salvini, Salvin's, Yellow Belly, Tri-Color Cichlid Fish

They are very aggressive fish and make good tank mates for the Jack Dempsey and the Red Devil, except when spawning. Like these other aggressive fish, the Salvini Cichlids are territorial, intolerant, and biters. They are predators and will eat smaller fish and invertebrates.

They like a tank bottom of fine sand and plenty of hiding places among rocks and wood. Plants around the inside perimeter with an open area in the center for swimming are also appreciated by the Salvini Cichlid. These fish don't burrow or attack the plants.

Classification:

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Actiniform
* Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
* Order: Perciformes
* Family: Cichlidae

Care and feeding:

Since they are omnivorous the Salvini Cichlid will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food or pellet every day. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen) or blood worms as a treat.

Distribution:

The Salvini Cichlid (Salvin's Cichlid), Yellow-Belly Cichlid, or Tricolor Cichlid are found in lakes and rivers of southern Mexico, in Guatemala, and the Honduras.

Size - Weight:

These fish get up to 6 inches (15 cm).

Social Behaviors:

They are not a good community fish. They are territorial and may dig in the gravel or damage plants. The salvini is a predator type. It is best kept songly or in a species tank or with other aggressive cichlids such as the Jack Dempsey and the Red Devil.

Sexual Differences:

The male has a more pointed dorsal and anal fins and is more intensely colored. The female has a patch in the center of her dorsal fin and a dark spot on the lower edge of her gill cover.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:

These fish will swim in the middle and lower areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:

Hardness: 8-15° dGH
Ph: 6.5 to 8.0
Temp: 72-79° F 22-26° C

Breeding/Reproduction:

The Salvini Cichlid (Salvin's Cichlid), Yellow-Belly Cichlid, or Tricolor Cichlid are egg layers. They form a nuclear family. They are good parents and the fry are guarded by both the male and female. See the description of how these fish breed in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Availability:

The Salvini Cichlid (Salvin's Cichlid), Yellow-Belly Cichlid, or Tricolor Cichlid is readily available.

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