Acara Rivulata or Green Terror
As the name Green Terror might suggest, this is not a peaceful member for a
community tank. The A. Rivulata is a medium sized rather aggressive
Cichlid, from South
America. Males can grow to about 8” and females to about 6” in length.
This member of the Acara Cichlid family is only suited for larger tanks (60+
gallons). As decoration and as cover for the fish you should decorate your tank
with rocks and wood.
The Green Terror is a powerful fish and will start digging and eating away the
roots of your plants almost in a minute. So, if you want to use plants, pot very
strong species of the plants before you put them under the gravel. Make sure to
use gravel with rounded edges as a bottom layer so that the fish doesn’t hurt
itself as it digs.
It’s best to keep these Cichlids in pairs. Once fully grown, they can be very
harmful to other inhabitants of the tank. For that reason, they are usually kept
in a specialty tank, either alone or with some other strong Cichlids. It is very
important that the tank is spacious and has enough hiding places for these fish.
These guys are territory forming and are very aggressive to intruders.
Water Conditions
Keep the Green Terror (A. Rivulata) at a water temperature between 68-77F.
The best pH is somewhere in the 6.5–6.8 range and the water hardness from 5–8 dH.
Good water conditions are important for the A. Rivulata, especially if you want
to enjoy their full range of colors or breed them.
The females are smaller than the males and are more darkly colored. The male
develops a large hump on the forehead as his age progresses. This is normal and
certainly not a sign of illness.
Feeding
The Green Terror is known for its appetite. As basic food, you can use
special cichlid flakes or sticks, but these fish do require live food as well.
When you increase the normal water temperature a few degrees and other
circumstances are good, a pair will normally start breeding. Eggs are deposited
on rocks or wood and are heavily defended. The parents care for their hatchlings
for a fairly long time.
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