GREEN TERROR

GREEN TERROR:

The Green Terror Aequidens rivulatus is a most beautiful fish with an overall green and blue metallic sheen. In addition, they have a magnificent array colors that can be purple, pink, red and/or electric blue. The males are the most colorful of this species and develop a brilliant red edging on their tail fin, but the the females are also quite striking.

This species tends to be confused with its very similar looking relative, theBlue Acara Aequidens pulcher. For a time it was actually known as the A. pulcher, but is now recognized as an independent species. Though they look very similar in many aspects, there are some key differences between these two fish.

In color the Blue Acara is mostly a steel blue-gray, with less of the green sheen seen on the Green Terror. The Green Terror is larger, reaching up to about 10 - 12" (25 - 31 cm) in length in the wild, while the slightly smaller Blue Acara only gets to be about 8 inches (20 cm). A mature Green Terror develops a more pronounced hump on its head while the Blue Acara retains a more sloped forehead. In addition,  the Green Terrors are also significantly aggressive than the Blue Acara (one of the reasons for the name "Terror").

This colorful cichlid is a hardy fish that is moderately easy to care for. It's a rewarding specimen for the more experienced aquarist to keep as long as the water quality is maintained and they are provided a high quality diet. They are a ready feeder and if bred they become excellent parents, though they are known to sometimes be a bit lax with their first clutch of eggs.

As is typical with most large cichlids, the Green Terror is aggressive and requires a large aquarium. When young they can readily be kept in a community tank with other South American cichlids, but as they mature the become very belligerent and should be seperated into their own tank or into a tank with similarly sized and aggressive tank mates. They need at least 30 to 40 gallons of space just for themselves when kept as a single fish. As a pair they will need at least 75 gallons or more so as not be so aggressive, and even larger if kept with other large similarly aggressive tankmates.

The aquarium water should be neutral to slightly acidic, a little on the softer side, and have a moderate amount of current. They are fine with normal lighting and a gravel substrate. Provide lots of rockwork with caves and hiding places but be sure to leave an open area for swimming. Sunken driftwood can be used not only as a decoration but also as a water conditionting agent to help keep pH down in a too neutral aquarium.