................................Pike cichlid
Other names:...........none Origin:......................South America Max size:..................10" PH:............-..............6.5-7.0 Temperature:...........74-80 F. Min tank size:..........55 gallons Food:.........................live foods, beef heart, carnivorous pellets |
The Pike cichlid is a preditory fish from South America. The powerfully built, torpedo-shaped body is blue-grey in colour with a speckling of silver-white spots on the top. A dark band runs from the snout horizontally along the body to a light-ringed dark spot in the caudal fin.
This fish should not be trusted with other fish, even of its own size. It is even aggressive towards its own kind. It engulfs unsuspecting prey swiftly, with only the tail of an oversized victim showing as it is eventually downed in large gulps. A voracious feeder, it litterally snaps up anything that seems edible.
This fish needs plenty of hiding places so it's best to have rocks and\or bogwood in the tank. It also requires dense vegitation.
When breeding, the female Pike cichlid spawns in a dug-out pit, and the male assumes rearing the responsibilities. Cover the tank, because this fish is an excelent jumper.
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