Key Hole Cichlids in the Freshwater Aquarium
A Non-Aggressive Fish for a Community Tank
Jun 18, 2009
The native habitat for Key Hole Cichlids is in the Rio Orinoco basin of Guyana and French Guiana in South America. Their scientific name is Cleitliracara Maronii and they belong to the Cichlidae family.
Key Hole Cichlid Traits
The body of the Key Hole Cichlid is round and tan in color. Its most distinguishable marking is a black spot on its upper body accompanied by a short stripe which resembles a key hole. They are a smaller cichlid and may grow to a length of five inches.
The Key Hole Cichlid is not aggressive and is known to be timid. If this fish is frightened, its body coloring will turn blotchy and it will try to camouflage itself by leaning against rocks or plant roots or logs.
It is difficult to distinguish male and female Key Hole Cichlids, though the male has a more pointed dorsal fin.
Aquarium Conditions for Key Hole Cichlids
Key Hole Cichlids are very peaceful and should not be put in a tank with aggressive fish. The aquarium should have plants, rockery and driftwood in order to provide places for resting. There should also be open spaces for swimming.
- Minimum aquarium size = 33-gallon tank
- PH = 6 to 8.2
- Water hardness DH = 19 to 21
- Water temperature = 67 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit
Key Hole Cichlids are not picky eaters and will eat flake, pellets, freeze-dried foods, and small live foods. As a treat, these fish like to nibble on pieces of lettuce or zucchini.
Breeding Key Hole Cichlids
Key Hole Cichlids are prolific breeders and are easy as to breed as Convict Cichlids. They are egg layers and need rock or driftwood for depositing their eggs.
Buying one male and one female Key Hole Cichlid is not a guarantee that they will spawn. It’s best to buy six to eight young fish and allow them to grow up in the aquarium and choose their own mates.
When a Key Hole Cichlid is ready to breed, it will usually clean off a spot on a rock or a piece of driftwood. It may also nest on a plant leaf or on a corner filter or other aquarium decoration.
The female will lay between 200 to 400 eggs. Both parents will care for the eggs by fanning them with fresh water and they will also pick any dead eggs from the group. The eggs usually hatch within 72 hours. The fry can be fed finely-ground flake food or egg yolk.
As with many other cichlids, the parents may eat the first spawn but not to worry because they will usually spawn again within a week. If the parents decide to raise their fry, they will take care of them for six months.
There is a way to remove the eggs from the parents before they hatch:
- Have a small tank ready and it must contain the same water as the main tank and it must be kept at the same temperature.
- Transfer the eggs to the small tank and place near an air stone in order to force water to move over the eggs. This will help stop fungi from setting in.
- When the fry get larger, they can be transferred out of the small tank into a larger tank for growing out.
There’s a chance the parents may eat subsequent spawns so removing the eggs from the parents may have to be done each time.
Key Hole Cichlids are in demand and can be easily bred, so raising these fish could turn into a lucrative business.
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