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Thorichthys helleri (male)
Rusty Wessel
Thorichthys meeki, from Subin
River, Guatemala.
Thorichthys socolofi
Thorichthys in the aquarium
The Thorichthys group are ideal to start in Central
American cichlid keeping. They rarely exceed over
12 cm/ 5” in body length and don’t need large
aquariums so can safely be kept in medium sized
tanks of 4 ft/ 121 x 55 x 55 cm; the ideal being
anything from 5 ft /150 cm x 55 x 60 cm. A
“bonded” breeding pair can be kept in smaller
tanks of 3 ft/ 90 x 45 x 55 cm. To keep a nice dis-
play of Thorichthys would be to house them in
large groups of 8 or more fish. Keeping them a
little crowded is recommended as this encourages
natural behaviour and help dilute their aggressive-
ness. Dither fish are also important, as this helps
them to become settled so add groups of large
Poecilia or Xiphophorus hellerii. Decorate the
aquarium with rocks pebbles and driftwood. Add a
sand substrate as Thorichthys are sandsifters and
will appreciate the opportunity to forage through
the soft sand for food. Established plants can also
be added like Nymphaea lotus (African Tiger Lotus
Lily) and clumps of Vallisneria. Plant them in small
pots with a good root system and place pebbles
around the base of the plant. By doing this should
hopefully deter digging?
As I mentioned earlier in the article there are two
groupings of cichlid. Group 1 are considered to be
a little more sensitive regarding water quality and
feeding, especially when dealing with Thorichthys
helleri. Keep them and other fish in the group in
clean well filtered water.
Try to avoid higher temperature ranges especially
over longer periods, as this can be detrimental to
the health and development of juvenile fish. Ex-
posure over longer periods can lead to crooked
fins and eventually death. Group 2 seem to toler-
ate higher temperatures better, however, keep
check and try not to exceed anything over 28c/
82f. Good filtration and plenty of water changes
will benefit with brighter colouration and more
outgoing fish no matter what group you are keep-
ing. Feed lower protein foods, especially sinking
variety. Occasional feeding of higher protein
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