Orange fringed cichlid - Andinocara rivulatus

The orange fringed cichlid native to South America is also known as the golden fringed cichlid in aquaristics. The cichlid from Ecuador and Peru (and possibly Colombia) is now listed as Andinoacara rivulatus. Synonyms are Aequidens rivulatus, Chromis rivulata, Acara aequinoctialis and Acara rivulata. In the wild, the orange fringed cichlid lives in flowing zones of large and small rivers and streams, but also in lakes and ponds over sandy to rocky bottoms in dead wood and over fallen leaves.

The colorful, slightly high-backed orange fringed cichlid from South America is a truly attractively marked ornamental fish. Its base color is bright metallic blue and is interrupted by contrasting spots that sometimes merge into stripes. There are metallic blue stripes on the gill cover and head. The dorsal fin and caudal fin are adorned with an orange to golden stripe, and a black spot may be seen on the body. The pectoral fin of the fish is yellowish to bright golden yellow. Adult males develop a humped head in Andinoacara rivulatus over time. Prior to this, the sexes are not readily distinguishable.

With a final size of 20 to 25 cm a pair of the quite large South American cichlid with the distinct urge to burrow in the substrate needs a sufficiently large and well filtered aquarium with an edge length of 150 cm or more. An adult group - with excess females - is kept in aquariums from 500 liters volume upwards. To find a harmonizing pair among the fry, you should start with a group of 4-5 smaller specimens of Andinoacara rivulatus.

Stone structures, roots and caves serve the bottom-oriented cichlids as a demarcation of their territory and offer visual protection and hiding places. The substrate is best made of sand or rounded gravel, because the South American cichlids burrow very strongly. The planting should be rather robust. Perch-resistant perching plants like Anubias are ideal for an aquarium with Andinocara rivulatus.

A socialization of this large and quite aggressive cichlid is usually not recommended - especially during the breeding season it is not good to eat cherries with the orange fringed cichlid. Possibly a socialization with large tetras can work. Smaller fish are simply eaten. Snails tend to be eaten as well as crayfish and shrimp.

The orange fringed cichlid is an open breeder. First, the pair cleans a flat rock very thoroughly, then eggs are laid on it. After three days, the larvae are transferred and placed in a shallow pit, which the parent fish excavates. Brood care and defense of territory are predominantly the responsibility of the female. You can raise the young orange fringed cichlids with Artemia nauplii.

The water values for the soft water loving orange fringed cichlids are ideally at a total hardness of 2-20 °dGH and a pH value of 6.0-7.5. The aquarium temperature should be between 20 and 25 °C. Humic substances in the aquarium water are obligatory.
 
In their habitat, Orange-fringed Cichlids show themselves as omnivorous ornamental fish, i.e. as omnivores. In the aquarium they also like to take frozen food and live food as well as flakes, tablets and granules for omnivorous aquarium fish.

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 predominantly carnivorous ornamental fish. It has the same consistency as small crustaceans and insect larvae that fish eat naturally, and the soft granules protect the fish mouth from micro-injuries that can be caused by hard feed granules.

The NatureHolic Main Feed is a professional staple feed for all aquarium fish. We supply Hauptfeed in the form of soft granules, which, thanks to its grain size of half a millimeter, can be easily absorbed by small to medium-sized fish. The soft consistency resembles the texture of insect larvae in nature and protects the fish mouth from micro-injuries.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting 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.