Red-Spotted Severum Breeding Guide
Breeding Heros efasciatus: a biparental substrate spawner that lays eggs on a cleaned flat surface and guards eggs and fry together.
Overview
The red-spotted severum (Heros efasciatus) is a cichlid native to the Amazon basin. Unlike the mouthbrooding Heros severus, H. efasciatus is an open substrate spawner: it deposits eggs on a flat surface that both parents then guard. Maintenance parameters are a temperature of 22-29 °C (72-84 °F) and pH 5.5-7.0.
Conditioning
Acquiring young fish as a group and allowing a pair to form naturally is the recommended route to a settled breeding pair. Condition them on a varied omnivorous diet before spawning.
Breeding Setup
- Soft, slightly acidic water within the maintenance range (pH 5.5-7.0)
- Temperature toward the upper part of 22-29 °C
- A flat stone, slate or similar flat surface as a spawning site
- A quiet location to limit disturbance
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Spawning occurs on a cleaned flat stone or similar area, which is then guarded by both parents until the eggs hatch. The species has comparatively low fecundity in the wild.
Egg & Fry Care
Both parents tend the eggs and the resulting fry. The fry are fairly large and can be fed on brine shrimp and powdered foods once free-swimming.
Common Challenges
Sourcing a compatible pair from a group takes time, and severums can be easily disturbed; a quiet, stable tank reduces the chance that nervous parents abandon or eat a spawn.