Wine cichlasoma hawk moth. Cichlasoma emerald, Cichlasoma wine or Cichlasoma Crassus (Cichlasoma temporale). Appearance and gender differences

Family: Cichlids (Cichlidae).

Homeland of cichlazoma smaragdovaAmazon River Basin. The fish lives in calm, shallow rivers and lakes with many natural shelters.

In Cichlazoma emerald body slightly elongated and laterally compressed. The forehead line rises steeply; adults have a high back. The head is large, the eyes are large, the lips are thick. Body color varies depending on the place of origin and the state of the fish. As a rule, it is brownish-green with a reddish or golden sheen, which turns into a dark red color in the lower half of the body, on the chest, head and along the base of the caudal fin. From the eye to a small spot on the upper part of the base of the caudal fin there is dark stripe, which may disappear. In the middle of the body there is a large black spot. Sometimes vague transverse stripes appear on the sides and on the head. The fins of the hawkmoth are wine-red. Dorsal with a dark border, caudal fin with dark transverse stripes. Sexual differences: the male is larger, the fatty bump on his forehead is larger than that of the female, the dorsal and anal fins are elongated. IN natural conditions Cichlazoma smagardii reaches a length of up to 30 cm, in captivity up to 20 cm.

Cichlazoma emerald peace-loving fish. It can show aggression during the period of spawning and caring for offspring. When frightened, it quickly falls into a state of shock (at the same time it becomes red-brown with yellow spots scattered throughout the body): clenching its fins, it lies on its side, resembling leaves that have fallen into the water (this happens regardless depending on the size and age of the fish). Wine cichlasoma gets along well with other cichlids of similar temperament and size, catfish, as well as various types fast-swimming fish (for example, melanotenia), which help relieve stress for the fish.

Contain emerald cichlisoma possible in community aquarium volume from 200 liters with various shelters (snags, mounds of stones) and thickets of plants (hard-leaved plants in pots are best suited). Water parameters: hardness up to 5-20°, pH 6.5-7.5, temperature 25-30°C. Constant filtration and aeration are required, as well as weekly changes of up to 25% of the water volume.

Cichlazoma emerald eats any live food(daphnia, coretra, bloodworms, tubifex, various insects: cockroaches, flies, etc.), vegetable and substitutes. With nutritious and varied food, as well as a calm (stress-free) existence, the hawk moth quickly gets used to a new place and grows well.

Spawning of Emerald cichlazoma can take place in a community aquarium. The stimulus is an increase in water temperature and the gradual addition of up to 40% distilled water. The formed couple chooses a stone or a ceramic pot, begins to dig the soil nearby and protect this place. The female slowly moves along the substrate and lays 8-10 eggs, and the male fertilizes them. Depending on the age of the producers, productivity can range from 200 to 600 eggs. During spawning, which lasts about an hour and a half, the fish should not be disturbed. It is advisable to cover the glass with cloth or paper during this time. Wine cichlids are very caring parents; they actively care for the eggs and growing fry. After the completion of spawning, the female is mainly located above the clutch, and the male guards the adjacent territory. Incubation period lasts 72 hours. The parents transfer the hatched larvae in their mouths to the inner lower part of the pot or to holes dug by the male near the shelters. Subsequently, they constantly guard the fry and walk them around the aquarium. At night, and also if the parents are frightened by something, they drive their offspring into shelters or holes and hover over them. Starter food: “live dust”, Cyclops nauplii and brine shrimp. The color of the fry varies, like that of adult fish, from dark with yellow spots to pinkish-beige with a longitudinal black stripe. The fry are removed from the aquarium when they reach a centimeter length, and also if the parents are ready to spawn again.

Wine cichlazoma reaches sexual maturity at the age of 14-18 monthswith a length of 10 - 15 centimeters.

The homeland of Cichlazoma is the Smaragd basin of the Amazon River.

Description of Tsihlazoma Smaragdva

Tsikhlazoma Smaragdova has a body elongated in length and compressed at the sides. The forehead line rises steeply upward; mature individuals have a high back. The head is large, the eyes are huge, the lips are thick.

Body color varies depending on the place of origin of the fish. As a rule, it is brown-green with a red glow, which turns into red in the lower half of the body, on the chest, head and along the base of the caudal fin.

A black stripe runs from the eye to the spot on the upper part of the base of the caudal fin, which may disappear. In an aquarium, Cichlazoma Smagardovaya grows up to 30 cm.

Breeding Cichlazoma Smaragdova

Spawning of Cichlazoma Smaragdova takes place in a common aquarium. The formed couple chooses a granite or clay pot. The female slowly moves along the substrate and lays 8 - 10 eggs, and the male fertilizes them. Depending on the age of the producers, productivity ranges from 200 to 600 eggs.

After the end of spawning, the female is located above the clutch. The incubation period lasts 72 hours. The born fish larvae are transferred in the mouth to the inner lower part of the pot. Initial food: “live dust”, cyclops nauplii and brine shrimp.

Cichlazoma Smaragda is a friendly fish that gets along well with other Cichlids of similar character and size, as well as different types fast swimming fish.

You can keep Cichlisoma Smaragdova in a general aquarium with a size of 200 liters or more with different shelters (snags, mounds of pebbles) and thickets of plants.

Water characteristics:

• - hardness 5-20°,
• - pH 6.5-7.5,
• - temperature 25-30°C.

Habitat in nature

Colombia, Peru, rivers and lakes of the Amazon, Ucayali, Amapa and Oyapoca.

Description

In an aquarium up to 25 cm. The fish have a tall, almost oval-shaped, laterally compressed body.

They have interesting property change its color under any influence, for example, when frightened. In such cases, the pigmentation of their body changes and they take on a contrasting red-brown body color on which spots appear yellow color. The color is changeable - it depends not only on the habitat, but also on the state of health and mood. Can be yellow-pink with red fins, bright green with cherry fins and a red stripe across the eye, dark cherry, almost chocolate, with dark red back and fins.

Most often there are fish with a dark brown body, which is decorated with a longitudinal golden stripe. At night, as well as during the day, when the fish are frightened, the general background of the body darkens, and 4-6 amber-colored spots appear on the back. Always has a color green color, although not in all fish and it dominates. A one-year-old male has a longitudinal golden stripe running through his entire tall, black-green body. It happens that adult males develop a fatty growth on the head.

There is a large dark spot in the center of the body and at the base of the tail. Top part the head (up to the dorsal fin) is red, the lower part of the body (up to the anal fin) and throat are also colored. The edging at the bottom of the abdomen and around the gills is pinkish, red or purple. Unpaired fins wine-red in color, with long thread-like ends. The female is smaller, has a more sloping forehead and is less brightly colored. It is no different in color from the male.

Manufacturers starting from three years old, painted slightly differently. The body is green with a bronze tint, the head, lower body and fins are dark crimson. Males are larger, their dorsal and anal fins are elongated. The color of the fry varies, like that of adult fish, from dark with yellow spots to pinkish-beige with a longitudinal black stripe.

For good health, these fish need a large aquarium more than 1 meter long with a volume of 250 liters. A flock of 10-15 fry is placed in it, which subsequently guarantees selection harmonious couple. They are quite peaceful and easily get along with other cichlids of similar temperament and size, large barbs, and catfish, but with age they become more aggressive. Young fish swim in a way characteristic of the entire species - the body hangs vertically in the water and the head is raised up. Young fish are quite peaceful, but with age they become less accommodating. They stay in the lower and middle layers of water.

When frightened, wine cichlazoma easily falls into a state of shock, becoming red-brown, with yellow spots scattered over the body. Having clenched its fins, it lies on its side, resembling leaves that have fallen into the water. This happens regardless of the size and age of the fish. To relieve stress, it is advisable to keep friendly, fast-swimming fish in the aquarium. The aquarium must have shelters (driftwood, stone caves, large flower pots) so that the fish can hide there. The soil may consist of fine gravel or coarse river sand. Plants are hard-leaved, best planted in pots. There should be floating plants on the surface of the water. The lighting is quite bright.

Aeration, powerful filtration and weekly water changes are required. Omnivorous fish happily eat any live or frozen food, as well as food in the form of flakes, granules and tablets. It is advisable to feed them finely chopped spinach, lettuce and green beans. They mature at the age of 14-18 months with a length of 10-15 centimeters. Their color becomes more intense. Males become more powerful and broad-faced.

Reproduction

Breeding fish is not a very difficult task. A pair of wine cichlases separated from the flock takes a liking to some flat stone or one placed on its side flower pot and, constantly digging the soil, zealously protects this place from other fish. Females become especially aggressive during the breeding season. They show anxiety even when someone approaches the aquarium closer than a meter.

During spawning, the presence of other fish in the aquarium is not allowed, because at this time cichlids are very aggressive. Caring parents who actively care for the eggs and growing fry. The couple not only guards the fry, but also walks them around the aquarium. At night, breeders drive their offspring into shelters or holes and hover over them. Juveniles grow slowly. They live up to 10 years. dH 3-15°; pH 6.0-7.5; T 22-30°C.

Hawkmoth. Cichlazoma wine. Cichlazoma emerald

The homeland of the fish is the river basin. Amazon.

Description

Representative of cichlids. It has a somewhat elongated body and laterally flattened body. The forehead is steep, mature fish high back. The head and eyes are large, the mouth with thick lips. The color of the body varies depending on the health and origin of the fish. Typically, the hawk moth is brownish-green with a golden or reddish sheen that turns dark red on the lower body, chest area, head and base of the caudal fin. It has a small dark spot at the top of the base of the tail. This spot is reached by a dark longitudinal stripe, which originates from the eye. This stripe may disappear. There is a large black spot in the middle of the body. Sometimes fuzzy transverse stripes can be seen on the head and sides. The color of the fish's fins is wine red. The dorsal fin has a dark border, the caudal fin has dark transverse stripes. The male is larger than the female, the wen on his forehead is much larger than that of the female, and the anal and dorsal fins are longer. The length of the fish is up to 20 cm.

Cichlazoma emerald is a peace-loving fish. It can behave aggressively during spawning and caring for offspring. When stressed and frightened, it quickly falls into a state of shock and becomes red-brown with yellow spots scattered throughout the body. The fish's fins shrink, and it lies on its side, reminiscent of a leaf falling into the water. Wine cichlasoma gets along well with cichlids and catfish of the same size and character, as well as with fast-swimming fish species (for example, melanotenia), which help relieve stress in fish. A general aquarium with a volume of 200 liters or more with a variety of shelters (stone embankments, snags), thickets of hard-leaved plants in pots is suitable for keeping wine cichlid. Aeration and constant filtration are required, as well as changing up to ¼ of the water volume once a week. You need to feed the emerald cichlid with live food (bloodworms, daphnia, insect larvae and the insects themselves), as well as plant food and substitutes.

Breeding

Hawkmoth spawning can occur in a community aquarium. To stimulate spawning, you need to replace 40% of the water volume with distilled water and increase the water temperature. The fish begin to dig the soil near the pot or stone and guard the chosen place. The female makes slow movements along the substrate and produces a clutch of 8-10 eggs, while the male fertilizes them. The productivity of a female is 200-600 eggs. The duration of spawning is approximately 1.5 hours, and during this time the future parents should not be disturbed. It is best to cover the aquarium with paper or cloth. Wine cichlizomas are very caring parents, they carefully look after the eggs and fry. At the end of spawning, the female remains near the eggs, and the male is engaged in protecting the territory. Egg incubation is 72 hours. After hatching, the parents transfer the fry to holes dug in advance, or deep into the pot. Then they constantly look after the fry, walk them or drive them into shelters. The fry should be fed with live dust, Artemia and Cyclops nauplii. The coloring of the fry is different, as is the case with the adults. Upon reaching a length of 1 cm, the fry should be separated from their parents.

Sexual maturity in wine cichlazoma occurs at 14-18 months.

Cichlasoma temporale

Wine cichlids are peaceful cichlids that live naturally in rivers and lakes South America. In nature, these fish grow up to 30 cm in length, in an aquarium - up to 20 cm.

To keep a flock (and you need to buy them in flocks, so that later the cichlids can form pairs for spawning) of these fish, an aquarium with a volume of 150 liters or more is suitable. It should have a lot of all kinds of shelters, snags, and hard-leaved plants planted in pots are also desirable.
The optimal water temperature for wine cichlases is 25-30℃, hardness up to 5-20°, pH 6.5-7.5. Filtration and aeration of water is required, as well as changing it by 30% of the volume weekly.

male and female wine cichlazoma

Sexual differences in cichlases: the male is larger than the female, his forehead is steep, with a fatty growth, the dorsal and anal fins are elongated. There are no differences in the coloring of males and females.

Another name for these fish is Crassus cichlasoma, emerald cichlasoma. Comparable cichlids with a similar temperament will be suitable neighbors for wine cichlids. They get along well with various catfish.

When stressed or simply frightened, Emerald cichlases change color: the general background of the body becomes darker and several yellowish spots appear. They can generally fall into a state of shock, which is expressed in this species as follows: the fish lie on the bottom, on their sides, clenching their fins. To reduce stress, you can add some peaceful, fast-swimming fish to their aquarium or plant them densely.

Feeding wine cichlid

You can feed wine cichlids with any live food, frozen food, granulated food for cichlids, or flakes. Be sure to include herbal supplements or spirulina-based food in your diet.
Crassus cichlazomas become sexually mature by one and a half years. At good conditions These cichlids live in an aquarium for up to 10 years.

Cichlazoma wine (hawk moth) - video