Pelvicachromis taeniatus

Alternative names

 * Nigerian Red Krib,

Sexing

 * Male is the larger of the pair, males have long pointed pelvic fins whereas the females are more rounded

Tank compatibility

 * A territorial small bottom-dwelling Cichlid. Can be shy if kept with very boisterous active fish. Best kept with peaceful yet robust mid-top dwellers such as Cardinal Tetras or Harlequin Rasboras. Can also work with Corydoras and smaller Plecos as long as there are enough caves. Will become more territorial if breeding and therefore a backup plan may need to be in place to remove tank mates!

Diet

 * Should accept most foods including pellets as well as live/frozen food such as bloodworm or daphnia.

Feeding regime

 * Feed once or twice a day.

Environment Specifics

 * This fish requires a good footprint within a tank, at least with plenty of hiding places in bogwood and rocks. Will work in a planted tank. The tank should be well filtered but without a strong current. They do dig when breeding so the substrate is best to be fine gravel or sand.

Behaviour

 * A mildly territorial Cichlid which is best kept in bonded pairs.

Identification

 * There are many regional colour variations of this fish. It is a small elongated Cichlid with long dorsal and anal fins, the dorsal and anal fins have fin extensions on the male.