Thorichthys helleri
| Common Names: | Heller's Cichlid |
| Synonyms: | Astronotus helleri Cichlasoma champotone Cichlasoma champotonis Cichlasoma helleri Herichthys helleri Heros helleri |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Category: | Cichlids |
| Distribution: | America - Central; Mexico and possibly surrounding countries. |
| Main Ecosystem: | River; Found primarily in rivers and streams |
| Temperament: | Territorial; Territorial |
| Diet: | Ominvore; Feed a wide variety of foods including but not limited to cichlid pellets, vegetable pellets, spirulina, shrimp pellets, along with occasional treats of frozen, thawed or live shrimp, blackworms and blood worms. In the wild, the diet of most Thorichthys primarily consists of livebearer fry. |
| Care: | They will be territorial towards other cichlids, especially when breeding. As with most Thorichthys, the helleri is best kept in larger groups as juveniles and any type of livebearer is a welcome addition. The livebearers will make the Thorichthys feel more comfortable in the tank resulting in more activity and better colors from these cichlids. |
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| Potential Size: | Male: 17.8cm (7") Female: 17.8cm (7") |
| Water Region: | Middle, Bottom; Middle-Bottom |
| Activity: | Diurnal; Diurnal |
| Gender: | Males will be more colorful, grow larger, and once mature will have long extensions on the dorsal fin and tail. Males will grow to about twice the size of females, which is a much larger differential than many other Thorichthys. |
| Breeding: | Most Thorichthys take a little over a year to fully mature. Once mature, pairs will form and select a spawning location which will usually be in a cave. The pair will clean off a flattened surface for the female to lay the eggs. The female will then guard the eggs/fry while the male will patrol the general area to protect the area from larger predators. |
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| Comments: | This is a very gorgeous, but hard to find species. Most Thorichthys will hybridize, so care should be taken to prevent this if keeping more than one Thorichthys species in the same tank. The helleri is also one of the larger Thorichthys species. |
| Main Colours: | Pink, Orange, Blue |
| Markings: | Striped And Spotted |
| Mouth: | Normal |
| Tail: | Flat |
| Search: | Show similar species Find compatible species |
| Image Credit: | ;jason_r_s |
| Submitted By: | Jason_R_S |
| Contributors: | gnr4ever8794 |
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