All fish / Cichlidae

Salvin's cichlid

Trichromis salvini

Also known as salvini cichlid, yellow belly cichlid, tricolor cichlid, cichlasoma salvini, salvini, salvin cichlid, salvani cichlid, ปลาหมอซัลวินี, サルビニー, 火口鱼, 三色丽鱼

A compact Central American cichlid with a bright yellow body, a dark lateral stripe broken into spots, and red on the belly that intensifies when breeding. Keepers value it for its striking colour, bold character and manageable adult size compared with many other cichlids from the region.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6.5 to 8

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Single specimen or a bonded pair

Diet

Carnivore: quality cichlid pellets, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, krill and insect larvae

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 13 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Atlantic slope of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras

Breeding

An open substrate spawner that lays eggs on a cleaned flat stone, with both parents guarding the eggs and free-swimming fry. It breeds readily in captivity once a compatible pair has formed, though the pair becomes very territorial.

Good to know

Highly territorial, especially when spawning, so avoid small or timid tankmates and give plenty of rockwork to break sight lines. Males can be aggressive towards unready females, so pairing should be watched closely.