Elliots cichlid DNZ - Thorichthys maculipinnis (ellioti)

Elliots cichlid DNZ - Thorichthys ellioti ca. 5cm

The Elliots Firemouth Cichlid or Elliots C ichlid originating from Central America was first scientifically described as Thorichthys ellioti, but then synonymized with Thorichthys maculipinnis. Thorichthys maculipinnis is the current scientific name. Chiclasoma ellioti and Heros maculipinnis are also synonyms.

Elliot's cichlid is a territorial, yet very peace-loving cichlid that occurs in the Papaloapán Basin in Mexico to Guatemala. In its habitat, it lives in the middle and lower reaches of rivers in clear water in rather shallow zones over sandy and rocky bottoms, preferring riparian zones with dense riparian vegetation. The beautifully marked Elliots cichlid is a long time known ornamental fish in the aquaristics.

Here you can buy German offspring of this great cichlid from Central America.

The somewhat variable colored aquarium fish are high-backed and have flat sides. The basic color is greenish, bluish or reddish gray, the fish are covered with turquoise shimmering spots. The belly is red, on the flanks the cichlids show dark patterns. The pointed mouth is terminal and shows bluish lip bulges in places. The dorsal fin has a red-orange fringe. On the lower gill cover is an irregularly shaped dark spot with a light fringe. The caudal fin shows a bright turquoise stripe pattern. Bright red pectoral fins are frequently seen. When agitated, this cichlid displays a dark longitudinal band and several dark transverse bands on the sides.

With a possible final size of up to 15 cm, this Central American cichlid grows quite large. For a group of 3-5 fish you need a sufficiently dimensioned, well filtered aquarium from at least 150 cm edge length. For a pair an aquarium with an edge length of about 120 cm is sufficient. Because Thorichthys maculipinnis is not very assertive , you should not keep it with other cichlids, but rather go for peaceful larger schooling fish such as tetras, larger armored catfish, swordtails or also loricariids as by-fish. Elliot's firemouth cichlids can live up to 12 years.

The aquarium for the somewhat more reserved Elliots cichlids should have plenty of root wood, stone structures and appropriately large caves. This will allow the males to mark out their territories, and the aquarium decoration will also provide good privacy and hiding places for the Central American cichlids. The substrate should consist of fine, light sand or rounded gravel. Dense planting in places will help the somewhat shy Central American cichlids feel comfortable.

Because Elliot's Firemouth Cichlid prefers medium-hard to hard water, you can use limestone to set up the Central American tank to keep the pH in the recommended neutral to alkaline range of 7 to 8.5. A good sized filter will keep the water clear despite the cichlid's digging. Water values for these impressive cichlids from Central American habitats include a total hardness of 8-12 °dGH, carbonate hardness between 2 and 8 °dKH, a pH of 7-8.5 and a temperature between 24 and 28 °C.
 
Thorichthys maculipinnis can be bred in the aquarium. However, sex differentiation is difficult because males and females look very similar. The usual approach is to keep a small group where one or more harmonizing pairs can join together. Elliot's cichlid is an open-breeder. The pair jointly guards, cares for and defends the clutch, which can be as large as 300 eggs, until the young are old enough to fend for themselves. After that, they can be fed freshly hatched Artemia nauplii.

In their habitat, Elliot's cichlids eat small crustaceans, insect larvae, worms and so on. The beautiful cichlids from Central America can be easily accustomed in the aquarium to commercially available foods such as flakes, tablets and granules. A food for carnivorous cichlids such as NatureHolic Cichfeed is also ideally suited. Live food and frozen food enhance the menu and should definitely be given in addition.

Our food recommendation: The NatureHolic Cichfeed has a grain size of 1,5 mm and is therefore also suitable for larger fish. The NH Cichfeed is a soft granulate for mainly carnivorous ornamental fish. It has the same consistency as small crustaceans and insect larvae that fish naturally eat, and the soft granules protect the fish mouth from micro-injuries that can result from hard feed granules.

Our plant recommendation: For planting, use NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend when keeping fish the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.