Laetacara curviceps
Encyclopedia
Laetacara curviceps, or the flag acara, is a dwarf cichlid
that lives in slow-moving rivers and streams as well as ponds and lakes in the vicinity of the Amazon Basin
. Flag acaras are commonly kept in aquariums though they were more popular in the past; nowadays other dwarf cichlids like apistos
and rams
have become favorites.
s. They enjoy slightly soft and acidic water, but are generally tolerant of a range of conditions. Flag acaras are ideal for communities with other peaceful Amazon fish, such as tetra
s and apistos.
on a flat surface, but may spawn
directly on gravel.
After a few days the eggs will hatch and become wigglers. This is when the fish have hatched out of their eggs, but are still attached to the spawning surface, and feeding off of their yolk sac
s, which are attached to their stomachs. After five to seven days of being wigglers, the fish have almost completely consumed their yolk sacs and become free swimming. They are very small, but can normally eat newborn brine shrimp as a first food. They can also be fed liquid fry food, which is available at most fish or pet stores.
The parents take equal guard shifts protecting the eggs, wigglers, and fry. As devoted as the parents are, they sometimes seem to get confused and eat their own eggs. If fearful for their brood's safety, the parents pick up the fry in their mouth and move them across the tank. They take turns moving the fry, one standing guard over the already moved young. The fry are protected by their parents until they are moderately large and can fend for themselves.
Dwarf cichlid
Dwarf cichlid is a term used by fishkeeping hobbyists to describe an arbitrary assemblage of small-sized fish from the family Cichlidae. Although the grouping is widely used in the aquarium industry and hobby, the grouping has no taxonomic or ecological basis and is poorly defined...
that lives in slow-moving rivers and streams as well as ponds and lakes in the vicinity of the Amazon Basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
. Flag acaras are commonly kept in aquariums though they were more popular in the past; nowadays other dwarf cichlids like apistos
Apistogramma
Apistogramma is a genus of approximately a hundred species of fish from the family Cichlidae found in tropical areas of the Amazon basin and Venezuela. Apistogramma literally means "irregular lateral line" referring to a common trait of the species under this taxon...
and rams
Ram cichlid
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi is a species of freshwater fish endemic to the Orinoco River basin, in the savannahs of Venezuela and Colombia in South America...
have become favorites.
In the aquarium
The species is very peaceful compared to most other cichlids, and will not uproot plantPlant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s. They enjoy slightly soft and acidic water, but are generally tolerant of a range of conditions. Flag acaras are ideal for communities with other peaceful Amazon fish, such as tetra
Tetra
thumb|right|250px|Pristella tetra — [[Pristella maxillaris]].thumb|right|250px|Golden Pristella tetra, a [[morph |morph]] of [[Pristella maxillaris]].thumb|right|250px|[[Silvertip tetra]] — Hasemania nana....
s and apistos.
Breeding
Flag acaras will pair up at a very young age, as small as one and a half inches. The fish will flare at each other when pairing up and will later swim together and breed. They usually stay with their mate for the rest of their lives. It does not take much to trigger the breeding of these fish. Simple good treatment is more than often enough, although warm and clean water and lots of live food will help. They will almost always lay their eggsEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
on a flat surface, but may spawn
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
directly on gravel.
After a few days the eggs will hatch and become wigglers. This is when the fish have hatched out of their eggs, but are still attached to the spawning surface, and feeding off of their yolk sac
Yolk sac
The yolk sac is a membranous sac attached to an embryo, providing early nourishment in the form of yolk in bony fishes, sharks, reptiles, birds, and primitive mammals...
s, which are attached to their stomachs. After five to seven days of being wigglers, the fish have almost completely consumed their yolk sacs and become free swimming. They are very small, but can normally eat newborn brine shrimp as a first food. They can also be fed liquid fry food, which is available at most fish or pet stores.
The parents take equal guard shifts protecting the eggs, wigglers, and fry. As devoted as the parents are, they sometimes seem to get confused and eat their own eggs. If fearful for their brood's safety, the parents pick up the fry in their mouth and move them across the tank. They take turns moving the fry, one standing guard over the already moved young. The fry are protected by their parents until they are moderately large and can fend for themselves.