According to Law n.º 95/2017 of August 23, the sale and/or advertising of wild/exotic animals through websites/platforms on the internet is not allowed. To find out which animals we have available and the respective conditions of sale, please contact us using the button on the side.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Distribution

Endemic to the Lakes of Nicaragua and Managua in Nicaragua, Central America. These lakes are connected to each other by the Tipitapa River.

Habitat

The capital city of Nicaragua, Managua, lies on the shore of Lake Managua. The lake has suffered from massive levels of pollution as a result of this, with as much as 32 tonnes of raw sewage being dumped into the lake every day. surprisingly many fish still survive. Lake Nicaragua is larger and cleaner, and interestingly is the only freshwater lake in the world to support a population of sharks! The species in question is the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas, a species well known for its forays into freshwater rivers, and one which is genuinely dangerous, with attacks on humans being well-documented. A. labiatus is usually found close to submerged rocky areas, where it swims among the crevices.

Maximum Standard Length

300 – 350 mm.

Aquarium Size

A tank with base measurements of 150 cm x 45 cm or equivalent should be the minimum size considered considered for a single specimen, but you’d need something much larger for a pair or community containing other fish.

Maintenance

There are few fish that show less regard for a beautifully decorated tank than this species. Don’t even consider a planted setup, as large quantities of the substrate will be shifted around on a daily basis. Rocks, driftwood and large flowerpots are all suitable provided they’re too heavy for the fish to move about, although it will undoubtedly try to do so anyway. You could try anchoring plastic plants down with rocks, but don’t expect them to stay that way for long. If there are other fish in the tank, arrange the decor to provide as many visual barriers as possible. Although unlikely to eradicate it completely, this will at least help to dissipate aggressive behaviour.

Similarly, any unprotected pieces of equipment such as heaters, filter inlets/outlets etc. will be attacked unless they are afforded some protection. Fit the strongest heater guard you can find, or conceal the heater and any other equipment behind immovable rocky structures, and use very strong suction cups on any pipework. The filter itself should be huge and efficient to deal with the masses of biological waste produced by this greedy, messy fish. Substantial weekly water changes are also a must, and the water should be high in dissolved oxygenation. Consider the use of a couple of big airstones to achieve the latter. A heavy cover is needed to prevent the fish leaping from the tank in one of its more excitable moments, of which there will be plenty!

Water Conditions

Temperature: 21 – 26 °C

pH: 6.0 – 8.0

Hardness: 90 – 447 ppm

Diet

One of the least fussy feeders you are likely to encounter in the hobby, most specimens will attempt to eat anything that looks as though it might be edible. Feed a good quality cichlid stick as staple, and supplement this with regular feeds of live and frozen foods such as earthworms, prawns (leave the shells on as they contain valuable carotene which helps maintain the orange/yellow colouration of the fish), mussels etc. Vegetable matter, including peas, spinach should also form a good proportion of the diet. High protein foods such as beefheart and other red meats are not a suitable option, as they can have a detrimental effect on the fishes digestive system. Similarly, while it does eat smaller fish in nature, there is little benefit in feeding live fish in the aquarium.

Behaviour and Compatibility

One of the most downreight aggressive cichlids around, you need to know what you’re doing when attempting to keep a red devil with anything else, and that includes its own kind. In very large tanks this aggression becomes less of a problem, but by very large we are talking in excess of 1000 litres, which is simply beyond the reach of most hobbyists. In tanks of this size you can try it with other robust Central American cichlids, large Loricariids and other big catfish. Decent-sized fast swimming fish such as silver sharks, tinfoil barbs and the like are also a possibility. Keep a close eye on proceedings though, as some specimens will not tolerate any tankmates, and will systematically attack anything else in the tank. Keeping more than a single male is not usually an option in any tank, regardless of size.

Sexual Dimorphism

Mature males tend to be larger and more well built than females, and develop longer dorsal and anal fins, and a more spectacular nuchal hump. These humps only develop during the breeding season in nature, but in aquaria many specimens possess enormous, permanent humps.

Reproduction

Provided you can obtain a compatible pair, breeding is fairly straightforward.