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Red Devil Cichlid

Family: Cichlidae

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Amphilophus (Cichlasoma) labiatus Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Harriett Porter

   The Red Devil is a beautiful fish, but because it is extremely aggressive, it is usually kept singly as a show specimen!

   The Red Devil is a very large fish, reaching up to 15" (38 cm). It has a great deal of variability in its structure and coloration. Some are bright red while others are white or yellow. Some have a black-tipped tail and fins. The lips can be black too, or they can be thick rubbery orange lips. No matter what the color, this is an extremely personable fish. It is very "owner conscious" and will follow you when you walk in front of the aquarium. It will also respond to interactions like cleaning the aquarium and feeding

   One of the South American cichlids found only in Nicaragua, the Red Devil is known for its aggressive behavior. Although they can be kept in aquariums around 50 gallons, bigger aquariums can reduce their aggressiveness. They have been known to live with other fish, but will usually not tolerate the same, or other species of fish in the same aquarium.

   The Red Devil is very similar to Midas Cichlid Amphilophus citrinellum, and some sites still list them as the same fish. These two fish differ very little in the appearance however they are found in different places. While the Red Devil is only found in the Nicaraguan lakes, the Midas Cichlid can range from Costa Rica to Nicaragua.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:
   The Red Devil was described by Günther in 1864. They are found in South America in the Nicaraguan lakes; Nicaragua, Managua, and Xiloa. Inhabiting open waters, rarely entering rivers, they feed on small fish, snails, insect larvae, worms, and other bottom-dwelling organisms

Status:
   This species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.

Description:
   The body of the Red Devil is robust and stocky. It has a great deal of variability in its structure and coloration. Some are bright red while others are white or yellow. Some have a black-tipped tail and fins. The lips can be black too, or they can be thick rubbery orange lips. They can live up to 12 years.

Photo Courtesy: Nick

Size - Weight:
   Red Devils get up to 15 inches (38 cm). This is a rather large fish!

Care and feeding:
   Since they are omnivorous the Red Devil Cichlid will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food or pellet everyday. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen), blood worms, or other live foods as a treat. Older books have listed them as carnivores because they will eat or attack most other fish.
   South American cichlids tend to be less aggressive than their african cousins, but space is very important. Larger South American Cichlids need a lot of room. A minimum 55 gallon aquarium is suggested for a single fish, 125 gallons for a pair, and 200 gallons if keeping several large cichlids. They need moderate water movement along with strong efficient filtration. Provide a bottom of fine sand and plenty of hiding places among rocks and wood. They are avid diggers and plants don't fare so well as they will be eaten or shredded. Make sure rocks are well bedded on the actual glass bottom of the tank to prevent toppling. Leave an open area in the center for swimming.
   The Red Devil is a rewarding specimen for the aquarist as it is moderately easy to keep as long as the aquarium is large enough and and the water quality is maintained. They are subject to infections as well as other diseases that ail all freshwater fish, especially if water is stale and of poor quality and oxygenation. Ich is easily treated with an elevated temperature of 86° F for a few days. To help prevent the notorious 'Hole-in-the-Head' disease (HLLE - Head and Lateral Line Disease) that large cichlids are prone to, do water changes of 20 to 25% a week, depending on bio load. Hard water can also contribute to Hole-in-the-Head disease, so using driftwood can help pull the pH down if you have very hard water. Intestinal disease can be treated with metronidazol.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
Although they are undemanding as far as water conditions, the following parameters are suggested:
   Hardness: fairly soft.
   Ph: 6.5 to 7.0
   Temp: 75-79° F 24-26° C

Social Behaviors:
   Red Devils are known for their aggressiveness, thus the name Red Devil. They are very territorial and are occasionally very rude toward conspecifics (same species) as well as heterospecifics (other species). For this reason they are often kept by themselves. They are known to be diggers and will often rearrange the gravel and aquarium decor. Make sure any aquarium rocks or decorations are placed on the bottom of the aquarium or undergravel filter if you have one. Also, plants may be uprooted.

Egg Spawn Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Harriett Porter

Sexual Differences:
   The male Red Devil grows larger than the female. The male has a pointed genital papilla, the female's is blunt.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   The Red Devil is an open spawner with a patriarch-matriarch family. Typical open spawners, they prefer to spawn on inclined substrates. The spawn is usually around 600-700 eggs which are a transparent, amber-yellow color. The female takes care of the initial brood. At 25 deg. C the larvae hatch after about 3 days. After another 5-7 days they become free swimming. They can be nourished with Artemia nauplii. At 2-3 weeks old the young will also graze on their parents skin for additional food. See a general description of cichlid breeding habits in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Buy Red Devil From LiveAquaria.com

Availability:
   The Red Devil Cichlid is readily available both online and in fish stores, and is usually not very expensive as a juvenile, ranging from about $5.00 - $7.00 USD. Adults in excellent breeding condition are less common and can range from about $20.00 - $30.00.

Author: David Brough, CFS

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Latest Comments
Got an 8.5" female devil and 9.5"-!0" male flowerhorn. She rules the tank. Only gets along with the 12" pleco and 3" giant danio. Anything else is just a toy.(a tasty one at that) Dave 2009-06-30
I have a Red Devil and he is the coolest fish ever. Although he can be difficult to handle with other fish he is still my favorite fish. The first day my Red Devil came into the tank he quicky became king of the tank. The other fish tried to pick on him and they quickly learned quickly not to mess with him. This fish is awesome and I suggest getting one for yourself dre 2009-05-20
I have 2 Red Devils, 2 Jack Dempseys, 1 Blue Devil, and 1 Oscar. All my fishes get along. My Red Devil Binky owns the tank and he kills other fish that I try to add to the tank. I tried to add a snakehead that was way bigger and my Red Devil killed it in less than 3 hours, and snakeheads get like 4 to 10 feet. The Snakehead was full grown. All my fishes are nice but I know not to bring new fishes into the tank that he's not familiar with. ANTHONY WILCOX 2009-05-10
I've had fish my whole life, but this is new. I just got two 3 inch red devils and two 3 inch texas cichlids. Well the devils don't get along with eah other and the tex don't get along with each other. My smaller devil and larger tex seem to have paired off and vise versa. I think it's kinda cool. A friend had a devil and a convict that paired off and bred so it'll be interesting to see what happens with the 2 devil tex pairs I have. misfitt 2009-05-03
My red devils are smaller than my oscars and way smaller than my silver dollars; however, they are bigger than my jack demps. I see my red devils and jacks sometimes exchanging food or whatever it is, mouth too mouth. I find that entertaining and funny, to me. They are so cool! They are aggressive, yet they have a kind side to them too. Cleveland 2009-03-30
Some of the coolest comments:
I have a great community 100 gallon tank of cichlids. A Leporinus (my leopard fish) a Red Devil, a young Flower Horn, a Green Terror, a Jack Dempsey, a Manguenese and 2 Plecostamus bottom dwellers. I've learned a great deal about tanks over the years since I was a kid. Recently I learned how to keep the Red Devil and aggressive acting fish in check. They can individually be put on "time out" in a plastic bag with air for a couple of minutes and allowed to float on top while you rearrange the rocks and scenery. There will still be a more dominant fish (Red), but when his attitude gets out of hand and BEFORE Red has moved all the rocks in his favor, I do this. Head Nurse Pattye 2009-05-20
The average life span of a red devil is 12 years, and they and will eat everything in the tank. So long as you keep the water clean, 25% changes weekly, they live a long and happy life. Plus they are great companions. Like a dog almost. Great personalities and definately adopt the owner. I have to pet mine when I change the tank water or he gets angry and pops me! Leah 2008-07-17
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
Fantastic site! Lots of useful information, but some species are missing. I was looking for some info on Severums and sharks but didn't find any. How ever, it is no doubt a great site to book mark. Debarghya 2007-01-24

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