Golden Firemouth Cichlid

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Coming from the dense Atlantic forests, placid bodies of water, slow streams and lagoons of Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. They love to hole up and rummage among banks of submerged branches and loose and detrital substrates mixed with mud.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Showy member of the Thorichthys genus. Has a profile identical to its cousin T. meeki (Firemouth): corpulent, high, slightly oval silhouette, with a long tapered and pendent snout perfect for digging. Long and pointed fins, adult males touch 15 cm (6 inches).

Social Behavior: Masters of bluff and fake aggression. Extremely territorial in posing, but poor in real lethality. Faced with rivals, they stage prolonged duels: they inflate their gill membranes to look huge and show bright colors and charge each other frontally with wide open mouths for long minutes without inflicting real wounds, wearing out the opponent. Outside the territory they are harmless sand sifters.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Enchanting. Unlike the meeki, the body color takes on golden and iridescent gold-green hues. The scales reflect a dazzling neon light blue, extended to the wonderful fins and cheeks. The belly remains yellow or becomes weakly red. On the side and on the gill covers they have two huge black ocellated spots. Males with very extensive filaments on the final fins.

Tank Setup: Demands an aquarium (min. 120 cm / 48 inches) designed to allow its uninterrupted digging. Bottom strictly of medium fine sand or rounded inert quartz, not sharp gravel. Form an intricate lattice of woods and large stones firmly planted to the bottom glass. Tender plants uprooted on principle, rely on Anubias and Ferns tied securely to the furnishings.

Feeding and Diet: Benthic ravenous omnivore. Literally siphons the ground expelling fine particles. Adapts excellently to large sinking cichlid pellets. Important to offer plant components (Spirulina) and meat (mysis, bloodworms) frequently to keep the golden tone of the coat high.

Water Quality: Central American cichlid, therefore demands alkaline and hard water. Absolutely intolerant to amber demineralized water. pH range 7.0-8.0; high hardnesses (GH 8-20). Constant tropical temperature of 24-28°C (75-82°F). They tolerate organic pollution worse than their very robust cousins (Convict Cichlid).

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Excellent choice for robust medium-sized tanks (Central-South America). Excellent with schools of fast livebearers (Swordtails, Mollies) that swim high or with placid catfish (Pimelodus, loricariids). Must be paired exclusively with docile cichlids. Highly inadvisable with large aggressive predatory 'guapote' that would tear its mere defensive theatrical attitude to shreds.

Aquarium Reproduction: Fascinating spectacle and very easy reproduction in a cavity dug among roots. Unique peculiarity of Thorichthys: the eggs laid in rocky crevices ARE NOT ADHESIVE (or weakly so), mobile piles are formed fanned in turn with diabolical ardor by the parents. Clouds of ravenous fry are heroically defended with bites and gill inflations in an unapproachable radius for the rest of the tank.

Risks and Diseases: Lethal exposure to waters that are too sweet/soft or acidic (which trigger rapid dropsy, holes in the head or lethargic ulcerative diseases at the base of the fins). Harmful ingestions in sharp gravel.