The scientific name for the Jaguar Cichlid is Parachromis managuensis and its native habitat is in the rivers and lakes of Nicaragua, Central America. Other common names for this fish are Guapote Cichlid, Managua Cichlid, Guapote Tigre, Spotted Guapote and Jaguar Guapote.
In its natural habitat, the Jaguar Cichlid is able to live in poor quality water containing heavy algae or deficient in nutrients and oxygen. It thrives in lakes or streams with muddy or sandy substrate and heavy plant growth.
Traits of the Jaguar Cichlid
The body of the Jaguar Cichlid is golden bronze in color with a scattering of dark black spots. Its fins are light black and will darken when spawning. The female has the same coloring as the male but has a shorter dorsal fin.
As an adult, the Jaguar Cichlid is quite large and a male can reach at least 12 inches in length. The female is a couple of inches shorter.
Due to the high aggression level of the Jaguar Cichlid, it should be kept in an aquarium only with the same species. A breeding pair should not be kept with any other fish in the tank.
Freshwater Aquarium Conditions for the Jaguar Cichlid
The minimum tank size for a Jaguar Cichlid should be at least 155 gallons because this fish can grow to at least one foot long. The aquarium must have a cover because this fish is a great jumper.
The aquarium should contain rocks and driftwood because the Jaguar Cichlid likes to hide and jump out at prey or food. A darker substrate should be used as it tends to help show off the great coloration of this fish.
- Water PH should be 7 to 7.5 and DH reading of around 15
- Water temperature can range from 70 to no higher than 80 degrees Fahrenheit
- Good filtration and bi-weekly water changes are required
Feeding the Jaguar Cichlid
The Jaguar Cichlid will eat flake foods, pellets, freeze dried foods and live foods such as hamburger and beef heart. They also like to eat small feeder fish which are weak and diseased fish sold off by pet stores.
Feeder fish always need to be kept in a separate aquarium and should be quarantined for two weeks before being used as food. Be sure to select feeder fish that are small enough to fit into the mouth of the Jaguar Cichlid because what is not taken in one gulp will not be eaten later on.
Breeding the Jaguar Cichlid
Breeding the Jaguar Cichlid is very easy and only one breeding pair should be kept in a tank. This fish is an egg layer and some flat rocks are needed in the aquarium for depositing the eggs. The female is capable of laying at least 500 eggs. Within 72 hours, the eggs are hatched and the fry will not swim right away and it will take five to seven days before they are free-swimming.
The parents will take care of the fry until they are free-swimming but after that, they will eat the fry because the pair are ready to spawn again. As soon as the fry are able to swim, they should be scooped into another aquarium.
The fry will eat baby brine shrimp or finely ground up flake food. If the fry do not like this food, they will eat the yolk of a hard-boiled egg. The ground-up yoke has to be dissolved in a small bottle of water taken from the aquarium. Be sure to scoop out any uneaten food because it can foul the tank water.
The Jaguar Cichlid is popular in the aquarium trade because if its beautiful colors and ability to breed. The downside is its extreme aggression which makes it unsuitable for a community tank and the cost of providing live food.
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