Redhead Cichlid (Vieja melanura)

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Mastodontic inhabitant of the Usumacinta river system, distributed along crater volcanic lakes, muddy-bottomed lagoons and turbid rivers between Guatemala, Mexico and Belize.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Formerly Cichlasoma synspilum. It is a colossus: highly ovalized but immensely massive body (thick and very wide). A mature dominant male serenely touches 35 cm (14 inches) in height and length, with the truncated face embellished (or made ugly) by a monstrous nuchal adipose excrescence (gibbosity or 'kok'). Strong teeth formed for chewing.

Social Behavior: Titanic and warmongering personality. When young it lives in mild small groups but, as an adult (especially if the pair is formed), it does not tolerate competitors, unleashing an absolute territorial ferocity aimed at killing rivals in a closed tank. It is the typical 'tank-buster' that redesigns every stone and furnishing by shattering or biting to death hindering branches or plastics.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Breathtaking: the most psychedelic palette in continental freshwater fish. The anterior part of the body and the face take on incredible splashes and masks of plum color, bright crimson or pure scarlet ('Redhead'). The side fades into huge fluorescent gold, jade or intense light blue scales and pink belly. From the eye to the tail, a thick broken black bar. Colossal and bumpy male; grayer-purplish and smaller females (25 cm / 10 inches).

Tank Setup: Demands military respect and zero delicacy. Only monumental tanks in length (from 200 cm / 80 inches or a thousand liters / 250 Gal and up). Bare 'Monster-fish' tank: thick gravel (sand clogs the filter from how much they move), huge single pebbles too heavy for their mouth and huge blocked smooth trunks. NO plant survives, they consider it an expensive salad (not even the Anubias resists the jaws). Silicone the filters well or they will break the pipes by biting.

Feeding and Diet: A HERBIVOROUS colossus. Here the error is lethal: although they eat shrimp and snails in nature, if in the aquarium you offer a meat diet (fish, bloodworms or animal pellets), they will contract fatal intestinal blocks and hepato-toxic lethargy in weeks. Provide large massive plant-based pellets (Spirulina), weekly shovelfuls of blanched whole fresh lettuce, huge peas and slices of zucchini and apple floating sinking.

Water Quality: Strongly calcareous Mexican water (stably neutral/alkaline pH between 7.0 and 8.0), thick calcareous indices (GH 10-20). Torrid temperatures 24-28°C (75-82°F). Given the monstrous production of very heavy polluting bioload due to the plant diet, a titanic industrial dual-filter system and well drains in the tank for copious changes are vital to avoid a lightning peak of ammonia.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Solitary tank model (for the pair). To dare in community, 1500 Lt (400 Gal) pool aquariums are required, assembling it solely with other monsters of equivalent caliber and hard shell (titanic Pterygoplichthys, pissed off oscars, Jaguar cichlids, large Botia or gigantic silver characins) always on the alert to avoid summer slaughters in reproduction.

Aquarium Reproduction: Both dress in blackish liveries terrorizing the tank for months in a hunt taking no prisoners and depositing on flat slabs up to more than a thousand huge amber adhesive eggs. Very numerous fry similar to insatiable grasshoppers eat-everything, rearable by both and defended to the last bite by the father.

Risks and Diseases: If mistakenly fed with carnivorous/mammalian protein, lethal fulminating purulent Hexamitiasis arises in the head in a few days (one cm deep cranial holes) or dropsy in case the water change decays. They tend to break thin glass of heaters causing themselves burns.