Eliot cichlazoma - care and maintenance in the aquarium

Eliot cichlazoma is understood as a fish with a bright patterned color, which is distinguished by a peculiar behavior. Aquarium pets are not considered to be large-sized, they are rather average, they can reach 12 cm in length. The tsikhlazoma of this pedigree category is distinguished by a peaceful disposition, it easily gets along with other neighbors. Fans of aquarium fish with pleasure give birth to cichlases of various species, but today we will consider the subspecies of the eliot.

Description

1. Fish prefer to live in slowly flowing rivers, they are seen in Central America and in the east of Mexico. As a rule, cichlazomas prefer to pack in flocks, live near river banks. Prefer bottom with fine sand, snags and foliage that falls from the trees. They do not like plants, they will prefer more clear water to clear water.
2. As for external data, fish are similar in shape to all inhabitants of this species. Tsikhlazoma is not famous for its large size, but it has an interesting elongated shape. As for the color, there are stripes on a dark brownish-gray background. The abdominal region is bright red, in the tail region a shade of blue. Fish have blue spots throughout the hull.
3. Tsikhlazoma is famous for its large fins, the back and on the back have pointed ends. Fish can live about 10 years, so these pets are brought, as they say, for the long term. They reach 12 cm in length, therefore they belong to medium-sized ones.
4. As for the difficulties with the content, they are absent. Fish get along with their neighbors without any problems. The only thing that during spawning become aggressive and dissolve the fins. But such behavior is characteristic of all fish, in general, peaceful character is characteristic of cichlazomas.
5. Many people ask questions regarding how to distinguish the representatives of the male half from the female. There are no differences in terms of color, males are much larger than females, they have large fins.

Content

1. All cichlazomas prefer a soft bottom, so line it with suitable primer. An ideal option is considered river or sea sand (shallow). You can do it yourself by boiling and drying, or purchase ready-made soil in the store.
2. To maximize the natural environment, put driftwood and plants with large powerful roots in the aquarium. Fish often pull green shrubs, so make sure they sit firmly in the ground. At the bottom, lay almond or oak leaves, previously scalded with boiling water.
3. This is not to say that representatives of the Eliot family are afraid of neighbors. No, they do not hide, but move freely around the aquarium and like to be seen. Therefore, you can put more plants in the foreground so that the fish swim between them and please everyone around.
4. Siphoning the soil weekly is important. Since representatives of this subspecies collect everything from the bottom, it is advisable to line extremely fine sand.
5. Cichlases are quite sensitive to impurities that may be present in water. In particular, we are talking about ammonia, nitrates and other toxins that cause illness and even death. Water must first be upheld or use purchased (filtered).
6. There are certain housing requirements: a couple of fish account for about 150-200 liters. water. Every week you need to pour a quarter of the volume and replace it with a new one. In this case, the temperature regime is maintained at around 24-28 degrees. The acidity of the aquatic environment is also important; indicators should not deviate from the norm (pH = 7.5–8).
7. A cichlazoma gets along with its relatives, which include many peaceful cichlids. We are talking about Severum, Meek, Nicaraguan and spotted acar. If the fish are large, conflicts may occur. Do not contain eliots with small fish.
8. It has already been mentioned that fish are friendly, but when preparing for spawning and during the process itself, they can become evil. Fish protect the fry and the territory, so it is worth keeping them in a separate aquarium without strangers.
9. Food must be purchased, it is important that less bloodworms are present in the diet. Because of it, cichlosis develops a disorder of the esophagus. We advise you to include in the menu coretra, gammarus, tubule, artemia. Also, plant food in the form of spirulina, cucumbers, zucchini, etc., will not be superfluous.

Feeding

1. The considered representatives of the species are omnivorous. The only thing to note is caution with live food. This is especially true for bloodworms. The problem is that cichlomas do not feel full, so they can overeat. Overeating often leads to serious illnesses.
2. Cichlase can be fed with coronet, bloodworm, artemia, daphnia, tubule and gammarus. In addition to live food, fish can be offered artificial. Among these, granules, flakes and tablets should be distinguished. It is allowed to include slices of zucchini, cucumbers and other vegetables in the diet of fish.

Compatibility

1. Separately, it should be mentioned that during spawning, cichlasomas become territorial. For the rest of the time, they show no aggression. Sometimes cichlomas can arrange disputes with other aquarium inhabitants. Fish can argue over who is more beautiful and bigger.
2. Representatives of this species simply fluff the fins and throat. Thus, the fish show how cool and beautiful they are. It is not recommended to keep cichlases in the same aquarium with bulging and larger cichlids (flower horn, astronotus). The case will end badly for those with cichlosis.
3. For the rest, the presented fish themselves are not pugnacious and quite peaceful. It is recommended to keep them with the same cichlomas or peaceful cichlids. They get along well with a bluish-spotted acar, a meek and ceylazoma cichlazoma, a Nicaraguan cichlazoma.
4. Nevertheless, it is not necessary to contain the considered representatives of the species with other small fish such as neon. Otherwise, cichlases will have a great temptation to eat them. Some people recommend keeping cichlases with swordsmen. The latter are distinguished by increased activity and stimulate others to be bolder.

Breeding

1. Such fish are recommended to be kept in small schools. If you buy a female and a male, this does not mean at all that they will have fry. The fact is that the fish themselves choose a pair. It is recommended to acquire about 8-10 young individuals that will grow together. As soon as they grow up, they will choose a pair for themselves.
2. Cichlazomas become sexually mature as soon as they reach a body length of 7-8 cm. In this case, the fish will reproduce without any problems. As soon as the pair is formed, it will pick up the territory for itself. In this area, there must be a smooth and flat stone. In this case, the place should be quite secluded.
3. If there is no such stone in the aquarium, a piece of a flower pot is suitable as an alternative. In this case, the female will be able to lay from 100 to 500 eggs on the plane. After each laying, the male will fertilize eggs. Fry hatch after 3 days.

Eliots are distinguished by their freedom-loving and kind disposition, they are easy to keep in an aquarium environment, even for a beginner. However, it is important to know that with larger fish it is not worth holding a cichlase, otherwise the latter may die. In order for the fish to be healthy, certain aspects of the content should be taken into account.

Video: Eliot cichlazoma aquarium fish