Amarillo Cichlid (Amphilophus amarillo) Care Guide
Amphilophus amarillo is a yellow, snail-eating cichlid endemic to crater Lake Xiloá in Nicaragua, part of the Midas cichlid species complex.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Amphilophus amarillo was described by Stauffer and McKaye and belongs to the Midas cichlid species complex of Nicaraguan crater lakes. Its name reflects its yellow body, marked by dark transverse bars; outside the breeding season the yellow fades and the bars become less distinct. Males can develop a fatty forehead bump.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Amphilophus
- Scientific name: Amphilophus amarillo
- Describers: Stauffer & McKaye
- Member of the Midas cichlid species complex
Habitat
The species is endemic to Lake Xiloá in Nicaragua. In the wild it occurs seasonally in loose groups within this single crater-lake system.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 300 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 7.5-8.5
- GH: 10-20 °dGH
- Lifespan: 8-12 years
Diet
In nature it is primarily a snail eater. In the aquarium it accepts a wide range of foods, including frozen and live items such as mosquito larvae, krill, mysis and brine shrimp, alongside flake food and spirulina-based preparations.
Compatibility
Outside breeding it is relatively peaceful toward other fish in an adequately sized tank, but becomes very aggressive and strongly territorial when spawning. Keeping it as a pair in a spacious aquarium is recommended.
Breeding
It is a substrate spawner that deposits eggs in a depression or among rocks. Eggs hatch in about three days and the fry are free-swimming after roughly one week; both parents tend the brood and return strays to the nest.
Amphilophus amarillo Breeding Guide
Overview
Amphilophus amarillo is a cichlid endemic to Lake Xiloa in Nicaragua and a member of the Midas cichlid complex. It is a substrate-spawning, biparental cichlid that forms relatively stable pairs and breeds sympatrically on rocky outcroppings, with both parents caring for the fry.
Sexing
Males are a little larger than females and have longer fin extensions. Females show more yellow than males, which tend to be darker. Fish can breed at around 5-6 inches; males reach up to about 14 inches while females stay a couple of inches smaller.
Conditioning
A compatible pair is best obtained by raising a group together and allowing a pair to form. Conditioning on a varied diet in stable water, consistent with its Lake Xiloa origins, prepares adults for spawning.
Breeding Setup
- Rockwork providing flat surfaces and a cave for the female to use as a brood chamber.
- Stable, well-maintained water appropriate to its hard-water crater-lake habitat.
- A large, well-structured tank so the male can patrol around the cave.
- Sand substrate, in keeping with the species' natural environment.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Before spawning the colours of both fish intensify: the male loses much of his yellow and gains black, while the female becomes a more intense yellow. During brood care the female spends most of her time inside the cave while the male hangs close outside, keeping other fish away.
Egg & Fry Care
Clutches range from about 300 to 2,000 fiercely guarded eggs. The eggs hatch in about five days and the fry are free-swimming by about day nine. Fry are large enough to take newly hatched brine shrimp, grow rapidly, and contact-feed on the parents' slime coats. Parental care is described as exceptional.
Common Challenges
Pair aggression and the need for a large, hard-water system are the main challenges. The recorded breeding type is substrate-spawner, matching the biparental, cave-and-rock spawning with extended fry care described by the sources used here.