Cookies seem to be disabled in your browser, therefore this website will NOT work properly! Please, consider enabling Cookies in order to maximise your user experience while browsing.
Recent discussions at Aqua-Fish+
  1. TheFishWorks at A guide on growing aquarium plants with FAQ, forum and species on
  2. Salviashaman at A guide on caring for Congo tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus) on …display more of the recent discussions
  3. Salviashaman at A guide on setting a South American blackwater stream biotope aquarium on
  4. Figureguy at Chemistry of Aquarium Water with FAQ on
  5. Jackson20 at A guide on feeding aquarium fish frozen foods on
  6. Senator Wisdom at Bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax alburnus) on
  7. CayceR at A page and forum devoted to keeping Blood parrot cichlids on
  8. Ness at A guide on raising African Dwarf Frogs with pictures and forum on
  9. Terry Mitchell at A guide on breeding, feeding and caring for L333 Pleco on
  10. Terry Mitchell at A guide on breeding, feeding and caring for L333 Pleco on
Flier cichlid - Archocentrus centrarchus

Flier cichlid - Archocentrus centrarchus

Scientific name: Archocentrus centrarchus

Common name: Flier cichlid

Family: Cichlidae

Usual size in fish tanks: 16 - 20 cm (6.3 - 7.87 inch)

014

Recommended pH range for the species: 7 - 8.2

Recommended water hardness (dGH): 5 - 15°N (89.29 - 267.86ppm)

0°C 32°F30°C 86°F

Recommended temperature: 22 - 27 °C (71.6 - 80.6°F)

The way how these fish reproduce: Spawning

Where the species comes from: Central America

Temperament to its own species: peaceful

Temperament toward other fish species: aggressive/territorial

Usual place in the tank: Bottom levels

Origin

The Flier Cichlid originates from Central America namely Nicaragua and Costa rica where they inhabit many of the main lakes and river waterways.

Short description

The Flier cichlid is sometimes referred to as the Green fin cichlid but they are the same species. Like many of the cichlid species they do have an aggressive nature and are best kept by experienced keepers who know how to keep this in hand. If given the space in the aquarium they can adopt a milder disposition but they will need to be housed with tank mates who can handle themselves. Adult specimens have been recorded to reach a length of up to 8 inches but the normal is an average size of around 6 inches. Their body colouration has a green tint to it with a green edging to their finnage and they will display black bars as they mature. Archocentrus centrarchus are classed as a hardy species and can tolerate a wider range of water parameters compared to other species of fish but they will still require the same care with regards to tank maintenance etc.

Lifespan

If housed and cared for correctly the average lifespan for the Flier cichlid is 8 years.

General care

The absolute minimum size aquarium for these fish has to be 50 gallons but if you have more than one pair then more space will need to be provided. They are not too fussy about water parameters but they still need to be kept in good clean water for long term health. Like all of the cichlid species, they are high waste producers and as such a suitable filtration system must be used and this will need to be backed up with regular water changes of at least 10% weekly. The recommended temperature range for the flier cichlid should be between 22 - 27 °C (71.6 - 80.6°F) and the pH range should lie between 7.0-8.0. Rocks or wood can be added to provide hiding places and the addition of plants is possible but you may find the odd one unearthed as these fish dig around the substrate.

Feeding

The flier cichlid is classed as an omnivorous species so should be offered a varied diet to suit their needs. They can be fed on cichlid pellets or a quality flake but for added vegetable matter you should also offer them spinach, blanched peas and romaine lettuce. They will also appreciate the odd treat of chopped cucumber or zucchini.

Sexing

Mature males tend to be larger than the females and will develop extended finnage.

Breeding

The flier cichlid is not too difficult to breed if you provide high quality water, it may be best to separate breeding pairs into a separate breeding tank to prevent over aggression in the main aquarium. They are secretive cave spawners so add terracota pots to the breeding tank and lay them on their side to create a cave. 2-3 pots will provide a choice of spawning site and once happy the female will deposit her eggs at the bottom of the pot quickly followed by the male who fertilises them immediately. The parents will tend the nest and the eggs should hatch within a few days. The fry will not require feeding as soon as they hatch, their yolk sacs will provide their initial food source. Once free swimming a few days later the fry can be fed on newly hatched brine shrimp or infusoria until they are large enough to accept the same feeds as the parent fish.

Did you know?

Please, verify whether your login and password are valid. If you don't have an account here, register one free of charge, please. Click here to close this box.

You have been logged out successfully! This box will close automatically!

Something went wrong during processing your message, please try again!

Your message has been sent, thanks a lot!

Page has been saved, refresh it now, please!

The page has been created, you will now be redirected!

URL already exists!

Path to the photo is not unique!

Really delete this page from the database?

The page has been removed successfully, you will be redirected now!

The page couldn't be deleted!!

Unfortunately this page doesn't allow discussion. Please, find any other page that fits your area of interest as over 99% of our pages allow discussion. The reason why no discussion is allowed here is this page is too general. Thanks a lot for understanding! Click here to search, please!

Really delete this comment from the site?

Really delete this image from the site?

Really delete this image from the site?

Selected comment has been removed successfully!

Selected image has been removed successfully!

Either login or email address is required

Account has been recovered, please check your email for further instructions