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FAQs on Red Devil Cichlids: Behavior Related Articles: Red Devils, Texas Cichlids, Firemouths, Oscars, Neotropical
Cichlids, African Cichlids, Dwarf
South American Cichlids, Cichlid Fishes in
General, Cichlid Systems,
Cichlid Identification,
Cichlid Behavior,
Cichlid Compatibility, Cichlid Selection,
Cichlid Feeding,
Cichlid Disease, Cichlid
Reproduction,
Related FAQs: Red Devils
1, Red Devils 2, &
Red Devils
Identification, Red Devils Compatibility,
Red
Devils Selection, Red Devils Systems,
Red Devils Feeding,
Red Devils
Health, Red Devils Reproduction, & Neotropical Cichlids 1, Cichlids of the World,
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fish breeding, Red Devil beh....
English 7/15/08
my red devil has dug a big pit,and he ckeeps chasing my female
flowerhorn around,until she hides at the top,could you tell me why he is
doing this,thanks tony?
<Amphilophus spp are highly territorial nest builders, and unless you have a
huge aquarium they assume the entire aquarium is their own domain. So in
short, he/she is being territorial (Amphilophus spp. are difficult to sex)
and doesn't want the Flowerhorn in its tank. Simple as that. Cheers, Neale.>
Dark Lips on a Red Devil Cichlid
Just received a wild caught 9" red devil (Amphilophus labiatus). He
seems to have settled in reasonably well, but I noticed today his lips look
sooty in color, like he was foraging in black dirt. Just the front of his lips
are colored. I don't think it is a pigment change. He appears to be about three
years old, and would have probably achieved his final coloration by now.
Any ideas?
<May be "bruised". Have seen these mouth color changes in
"just moved" neotropical cichlids before. Generally will recolorize in
time. If the fish is eating (which is almost a given with this species) I
wouldn't be concerned. Bob Fenner>
Red Devil Query
I have a red devil in a 55 gallon tank, and he is about 25 cm long... I just
noticed recently he likes going to the top of the tank and it seems like he's
grabbing air, although I know that's no true cause that's just the way fish
work, breath thru the water.. I was wondering why would it seem that he is
always going up there and doing that?? is he healthy? he also doesn't eat
anything some times. he's really picky... I was thinking of giving him to the
pet store because I don't know if I can handle him not eating and such.
>>>Hello Mike,
First thing, please use proper grammar and spelling when you post a query here.
Taking time to correct these things just means I have less energy to devote to
your question. All of these questions are posted on the site FAQ, so bad
spelling and grammar must be corrected.
Now...
These fish are large, messy eaters and will place a tremendous strain on the
filtration system. Nitrogen cycle management is paramount with large cichlids
such as these. Failure to do so can cause a myriad of health issues. I need more
info. What is your setup? How is the water circulation? How often do you perform
water changes? Lack of oxygen in the water can cause the behavior you describe.
The fish is literally gasping for air.
Regards
Jim<<<
Dangerous Devil Behavior?
Hi- I have a 6" Red Devil who until recently has acted quite calmly. I've had him for a year and have always been careful to feed him a balanced diet. Recently, he has begun to act strangely. Darting, chasing his tail, and biting at his reflection in the glass, sometimes ramming it full speed. Everybody said to treat him for parasites, which I have done twice. Also I have done a 100% water change twice. This has been going on for about 2 weeks. He does not rub his body on anything and eats normally. It seems like he's just gone crazy! Any help you could lend would be
appreciated-- Mike
<What you describe so well is not atypical developmental behavior for the few species of neotropical cichlids called Red Devils... they can become incredibly "aggressive", so much so that other livestock cannot be kept with them... Not a disease here, no need to treat, but do take care if you intend to move, mix this specimen with other fishes... it should be the last fish added... and kept separated by a transparent partition for a few weeks... Bob Fenner>
Red devil playing dead?
Hello, I have a Red Devil that is about 6-8 inches long, it lives in a 135gallon tank with a
Dempsey, blue African and a pike. They all get along just fine since they grew up together from young fry. My
question is why does my fish seem to play dead, I keep thinking that when I wake up in the morning he will be dead (or she). Next morning
he/she is just swimming happily around, but it will just lay on the floor on its side or even upside down and it will swim upside down to
get behind his rock in the corner. Is this something that you have heard of before or could he be sick?
<Not likely sick... but a cichlid! That is, these are intelligent, playful fish...>
All the other fish in the take act normal. I gave you the info on the size and other fish because
maybe they are not meant to be together. I hope you can answer my question, I just need to know if
I should go get new filters or anything else that may help him if he is sick. Thanks
- Ammy
<Likely you already change out water, vacuum the gravel often... and offer a variety of foods... Your fish are doing fine, and they are a compatible, though rough and tumble grouping. Bob Fenner>
How Old Can Red Devil Cichlids Get?
Hello,
I have had a Male Red Devil Cichlid for almost 17 years. If I'd have known he
would live this long I would've saved for his college tuition! I got him when he
was about the size of a dime, and now he's almost a foot long and still growing.
He's in a 40 gallon tank by himself, though he makes friends with just about
anyone (human, dog, cat etc.) who takes the time to meet him. Loads of
personality! His name is Fred. My question is how old can Red Devil Cichlids
live to be? The only sign I can see that he might be slowing down is this: We've
always had a game where I try to drop his food pellets directly into his waiting
mouth (if I wait too long, he'll leap out of the water like Shamu and grab it
for himself!). Whenever I miss and the pellet lands in the water, he'll scramble
after it. He always used to get it on the first lunge, but over the last year or
so it seems to take him more tries before he gets the pellet. It seems that
maybe his eyesight is going. I've heard that Cichlids are known for their keen
eyesight, so that might account for his missing the pellets on the first few
tries. Besides that, Fred has never had any health problems and is a truly
beautiful fish in perfect shape. Nobody has been able to tell me how old Red
Devil Cichlids can get. What is the oldest you've heard of?
< The problem with longevity records with tropical fish is that nobody wants
to keep their fish that long. Many cichlid keepers breed their fish and then
move on to the next one. Your track record with your red devil is truly
remarkable and you are to be highly commended for keeping you pet alive and well
for so long. As a general rule of thumb I personally use a " year per
inch" standard. But many fish such as your have far exceeded that. I don't
know of anyone who has kept track of their red devil for any length of time. I
am sure your fish is getting up there.-Chuck>
Thank you!
Chris Haller
INSECURE RED DEVIL
Hi Bob I have recently been given a red devil and I think he is terrific - recently however he seems to be staying for most of the day in his rock cave that he put together himself ! he used to come out and play and landscape a lot. I can't see anything wrong with him but he takes off and hides when ever I approach so I'm finding it hard to check him out. I feed him appropriate food regularly. I am wondering if he is a bit lethargic or sick for some reason or just being an eccentric red devil. Do you have any advice?
Thanks in advance - John, Melbourne Australia
< He may feel more comfortable in his little retreat. If he is eating and looks normal then it is probably a case where he feels more secure in the cave and does not feel a need to come out. I would dismantle his cave and force him to face the light because eventually he will probably become imprinted to his cave and stay in there permanently. This makes for a poor aquarium fish. Get him out and keep him active. Move things around in the tank as well as add a few rocks or take some out.-Chuck>
Red Devil Acting Strange
I have a 6" red devil who, aside from killing any other fish I tried to put with him, has acted quite calm for the year I've had him. Recently he has
been darting unexpectedly, chasing his tail, and biting at his reflection in the glass. He eats normally ( a balanced diet). He does not rub his body on
anything, has no signs of parasites ( I treated him twice for them anyway, just to be sure) and I have done a 100% change of water twice. He is acting
as if he has just gone crazy. Is there a certain time of year when they exhibit strange behavior (like a mammal) or could there be another
explanation? Thanks for your help! - Mike
< Cichlids from Central America are intelligent creatures and often interact with their exterior surroundings. What you are
describing is normal for a fish that has been kept alone for awhile. This turns out is part of their charm and why so many people really like their cichlids for many years. To slow him down you can turn down the water temp to the mid 70's. If you really want to see him go ballistic set a mirror next to him. Don't leave it there too long or he might hurt himself. This is not a disease, just a result of being raised alone.-Chuck>
Devil Getting His Horns
My cichlid (red devil) has a large bump over his left eye, it is about
the size of a nickel, and is bulging out. It also is turning colors as if it
might be bruised, what is this and how can I treat it?
Thanks, Gail
<This could be natural growth. An adult male Red Devil will grow such a hump
as a sign of maturity. If this is a bruise then just keep his water clean
and it will heal. Don>
Red Devil Changing Color 9/16/05
Hi WWMC!
<Hello there.>
I have a 55 gallon tank, as you may have heard before, and one of its occupants
is a 3" red devil named Skeeters. Originally s/he was a pale orange, but now
s/he is changing around her/his lips and tail which are turning black.
Do you know what this might be? Is my red devil ok or is this something to be
worried about?
<Completely normal for Red Devils to gain and/or lose patches of black, and
sometimes white. Nothing to be concerned about.--Glenn>
Red Devils natural diet? And fat lips? Chuck's Take - 02/11/2007
I have a 7” Red Devil cichlid, his name is Marmalade. He currently is the
only fish in his 55 gallon aquarium.
<And likely to be the only fish tolerated...>
The tank is filtered by two
<Good>
AquaClear 500s, with weekly 25 to 50 percent water changes.
<Also>
Water parameters: pH-8.2, ammonia-0, nitrite-0, nitrate-always under 10ppm, and
temperature 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Marmalade’s tank will be upgrading to a 150
gallon in May. He deserves more tank space to destroy.
<Heeeee!>
I am wondering if anyone can tell me what would make up the majority of their
natural diet.
<Mmm, you can take a look on fishbase.org:
http://fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=4786
here for the most commonly named Red Devil Cichlid (there are a few other
species so-named). See the notes under "Biology"...>
I can find gut analyses for many Amphilophus cichlids citrinellus, xiloaensis,
Amarillo, … but not labiatus.
<http://fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=28238&genusname=Amphilophus&speciesname=labiatus>
I want to raise live foods for treats. I currently raise cherry red shrimp
(Neocaridina denticulata sinensis), snails, and swordtails (Xiphophorus Sp). In
the summer I also raise red worm.
<All accepted greedily>
I also need to know if anyone has suggestions on fattening up Marmalade's lips.
The only info I can find about their fat lips says it is callus buildup from
their feeding practices in the wild. I want to replicate Marmalade’s natural
environment as well as possible. My plan is decorating the 150 with 100+ pounds
of honeycomb limestone. My hope is that he will excavate the rock for his live
treats and fatten up his lips. Any other suggestions?
<Mmm, really just time going by... May "fatten up" or no...>
I guess I need to mention that I don’t know Marmalade is 100% red devil. I
purchased him from a pet store, not an importer. I think he shows mostly
labiatus characteristics. His nuchal hump is relatively small. When viewed from
overhead his jaws come to a point, not rounded like Amphilophus citrinellus.
<Am going to place this note in our resident Cichlid expert's in box as well...
Chuck Rambo will likely have much more input here. Bob Fenner>
<(Chuck's Take). In the wild these guys feed on all kinds of invertebrates like
snails, crustaceans, insects as well as small fishes. These prey items are found
in between the cracks of the rocks in their natural environment. The large lips
on these cichlids are used like a gasket over the openings so they can suck out
the prey out between the cracks. When these fish are brought into the aquarium
they stop doing this technique and the lips soon go back to a normal
size. There are many Lake Malawi cichlids that have the same large lips in the
wild. So far there has been no documentation of any captive cichlids developing
these massive lip structures.-Chuck>
Red Devil Going
Crazy......... 9/5/07
Hello, I have a Female Red Devil that is about three years
old and is about 8" inches long. I recently moved her from a 55
gallon tank with one other fish into a 100 gallon tank with
about ten smaller less aggressive fish. She seems to be doing
fine with the other fish, they stay out of her way and
occasionally she will dart at one but nothing to serious.
<Red devils are hardly community fish, so on the scale of
things, you're doing well.>
However, lately she has been acting really strange. She has been
doing this really weird shaking with her body around her "cave"
, sometimes she will dig her nose into the ground and shake I
cant tell if she is trying to rub her body on anything, it
doesn't seem like she is cause sometimes she does it when
nothing is around her.
<Probably trying to dig.>
She also has been extremely active very excited when I come up
to the tank and she will try and bite at herself which she used
to do prior but this is a little more extreme than usual.
<She's trying to attack you. She views you as a threat.>
I thought that maybe she was going to lay eggs or something, but
I don't think that is possible without a male is it?
<Not usually, though sometimes it happens.>
Now the tank I got had previously had other fish in it, is it
possible that it may have had some diseases in it or parasites
and so now she has it?
<Unlikely.>
I am pretty new to all of this so I really don't know what to
think. Can you help me figure out what is wrong?
<Do all the usual things: check pH (should be ~7.5), hardness
(should be reasonably high), nitrite (should be zero). Review
diet (these are omnivorous cichlids and need a mix of meaty and
green foods). But otherwise, assuming there aren't obvious signs
of infection or skin damage, I'd tend to leave things be for
now.>
Thanks, Melissa & Fido (my fish)
<Cheers, Neale>
Re: Red Devil Going Crazy......... –
09/05/07
Thank you for your reply! However, I wanted to add that I noticed that her
color as well has gotten very bright (brighter than usual), and she also has
something sticking out of her belly on the bottom. Also when I was fixing the
plants she was trying to attack my hand and she has never ever done this in the
past. I know there has to be something going on with her, could it possibly be
that she may be a he? She doesn't have a bump on her head like I have read with
most male Red Devils so I just assumed that she was female.
<Hmm... well, red devils destroy plants, so that checks. Not sure what the
"something" from her belly is, but let's assume it's the genital pore, in which
case you likely have a mature male if its long and pointed, a female if its
round and stubby. Only old males develop a really big nuchal hump, and some
males never develop one. There's also the problem of which species we're talking
about here: Amphilophus citrinellus or Amphilophus labiatus; both get called red
devils (as ever, Latin names are best!). Colours can vary with age and mood, so
not real informative. If you're really concerned, send along a picture. But if
she's eating and merely engaging in random acts of violence and destruction,
well, that's par for the genus. Cheers, Neale>
Re: Red Devil
Going Crazy......... 9/7/07
Here is a pic. The thing sticking out from her/his
belly is actually very tiny. And she hasn't been eating
at all since I have put her into the new tank.
<Hmm... can't really see anything on that photo. Can you
do a close-up of her vent? Sexing this species is
extremely difficult, and a good look at the vent will
help, too. Cheers, Neale.> |
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2 pictures
for you
Firemouth Not a Firemouth, Red devil beh. 4/16/08
I have a Firemouth cichlid that I have had for a couple of years
now. A few months ago, he started losing his scale color-it almost
looked like he was
molting. Now, he is completely orange. He has been completely orange now
for about three months. He eats well, I give him cichlid pellets, blood
worms, etc. he started having the problem when I gave him a bunch of
feeder minnows. Water pH is around 7.8, temp is 80 degrees, ammonia
level is zero.
I regularly do water changes once a month, and he is alone in a 25
gallon tank. He is very large, probably 9 inches long. My question is -
what is the
matter with him? How can I get his stripes/coloring back? Why does he
now look like a giant goldfish with teeth? There are no visible
parasites on
him. His fins are in perfect shape. Any ideas? I am attaching a couple
of pictures showing him when it first started happening, and what he
looks like
now. Can you help? Thanks----------Wayne
<Your Firemouth is really a red devil. Once they change from their grey
color to orange they don't go back.-Chuck> |
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