Common name - Festivum Cichlid

Scientific name - Mesonauta Festiva,Cichlasoma festivae

Family - Cichlidae.

Origin - South American, widely spread through the Amazon, West Guyana

Max size - 8" female and 6" male.

Care - The Festivum is, despite its size, a very peaceful fish and also very timid. They like to hide out in shelterd areas such as caves, rocks/stones or bog wood. They like to have a temp. between 72-77 degrees F. They also like a pH of 6.5-8.0. A recomended tank size for begniners is 50 gallons but can live in smaller tanks while they are young.(no smaller then 25 gals.)

Feeding - Most foods will be excepted by these fish. i.e flakes,frozen or live.

Sexing - The males are green with out bars and females are red orange with heavy dark barring.

Breeding -Festivum Cichlids are open breeders and the female will drop from 600-1,000 eggs on rocks and roots. The female who will circulate water over the eggs by fanning them with her fins, carefully guarding them in pits.

Here's my Festivum. It's a very curious fish, and tends to follow my Angelfish around. But I like them a lot.

DJ Fresh

Here is my festivum.... just because I'm a bigger fish dork than I thought...

He's our biggest fish -- and my favorite....