Cyprinidae: Barbus dorsalis

Wednesday, 11 July 2012

Barbus dorsalis

As a juvenile, the Managua Cichlid can be housed in a 50 gallon minimum aquarium. The adult requires an aquarium no smaller then 70 gallons. It requires plenty of open swimming room, as well as places to hide. The bottom of the tank should be coarse gravel, without plants, as the Managua Cichlid is a burrower and will tear up plants.

Although this cichlid is a predator, it can be housed with other large cichlids, but sometimes, will not tolerate other cichlids that are similar in color. Any fish that will fit into its mouth should not be kept in the same aquarium with the Managua Cichlid.

The male is generally larger and has pointed dorsal and anal fins, as well as being more brightly colored. Breeding in an aquarium is often difficult, but Managua Cichlids are excellent parents and form nuclear families. The female can spawn up to 5,000 yellow eggs