The Firemouth Cichlid


Scientific Name(s): Thorichthys Meeki

Common Name(s): Firemouth cichlid

Origin: Thorichthys Meeki , known as the Firemouth Cichlid, is a substrate-spawning Cichlid native to areas from South Mexico to Guatemala, specifically from the Yucatan peninsula.

Family: Cichlidae

Species Type: Central American Cichlids

Maximum Size: 5 inches for females 6 inches for males.

Life Span: 10+ years

Natural Habitat: Central American Streams, It's preferred natural habitat is usually rocky areas, rooted areas or over hanging river banks and some cover should be provided to reflect that.

Diet: These fish are Omnivores and will eat: Algae; live; worms, insets, insect larva, crustaceans; pellet; flake; plant matter; vegetables; chopped meat.

Temperature: 74°- 82°F (23-28 degrees Centigrade).

PH: 7.0 to 8.0

Minimum Tank Size: For a single species 20g long, 55g for a pair should be provided.

Tank Region: All over, but mostly a bottom dweller.

Temperament: Aggressive and down right nasty during spawning. Their aggression is under rated in my opinion the more space they have the better. The Meeki will not back down from a fight and a lot of times will win or die trying.

Possible Tank Mates: Firemouth Meeki, Green Severum, Salvini Cichlids, Plecos, Jack Dempseys,compatible catfish species and other larger Cichlids. Larger tank mates are recommended.


Filtration and Setup:
This species requires a high water turn over and good biological filtration. Ideally the volume of the water in the tank should be turned over 10 times per hour (through bacteria harboring media) when using filters such as 'hang on the back's', 'pre-filtered powerheads' or 'air-powered filters. When using more advanced filter's such as 'canisters', 'wet /dry’s' or 'strait sump's' this turn over rate can be reduced to 4-5 times per hour provided the filter holds enough media. This is a digging species and a small to medium sized substrate is preferred for the base of the tank. Plastic plants are also appreciated by this species to provide cover.

Coloration:
This is one of my favorite Cichlids because of color alone. Males and females both have a bright Red underside. The Meeki will also flare out their ocellated blotch on each gill. This will make them look bigger than they are and will a lot of times intimidate other fish from confrontation. Firemouths are one of the most know gill flaring fish in the hobby. The dorsal fin will have blue spackling with a red edging.

Breeding:
In the wild these fish will breed with neighboring pairs in order to form a small colony for protection purposes. During spawning, the male sets up his territory and will court passing females by doing vertical dances with gills open, showing his flanks. In the aquarium the Firemouth will dig out pits and clear a spot on a flat rock or the glass. Females will either ignore the male or follow him back to his pit. A lot of times the first try is unsuccessful and the female may leave and return several times during the male's courting. When a pair forms they will use the pit as they spawning post. The female will begin laying eggs, and the male will follow up by fertilizing them.

The female can lay up to 300 eggs at one time. The female will fan the eggs while the male guards them until they hatch about two days after being laid. The wigglers will feed on their yolk sacs for about 4-7 days and then become free swimmers. The male will be very protective of the fry at this point and will guard the fry, chasing any intruder away. The Meeki make good parents and the fry will stay with their parents with few exceptions. The fry are kept close to the spawning pit and guarded closely. The fry can be fed baby brine shrimp, daphnia, and finely crushed flake, vegetable matter is also a good choice.




Photo credit: Hamza (scratanut)

Photo credit: Hamza (scratanut)