Chocolate Cichlid
Country of Origin: 🇺🇸USABACKGROUND INFORMATION
Chocolate Cichlids, Hypselecara temporalis, have colorations around its body such as red, brown, orange, gold, green and yellow. These fish have a rounded face. This fish originated from the Amazon basin in South America enjoys still and slow-flowing water. They have a black spot on the back middle section and another pale spot at the base of its tail. They are not troublesome, which means they can be kept together with other fish such as Uarus, Jurpari, Severums, Angelfish, and Silver dollars.
Their aquariums should include a lot of hiding places created using rocky caves and some plants. The aquarium should exceed at least 55 gallons in size and have soft gravel at the bottom. When breeding, they dig holes and deposit eggs in them. After that, both the male and female will look after their offspring.
FOODS AND FEEDING
Chocolate Cichlids fall under the omnivores group of animals. They will eat any aquarium food offered, such as brine shrimp, Mysis shrimp, bloodworms, krill, chopped prawns, fresh vegetables, cichlid pellets, flake food, white mosquito larvae, and earthworms. It is essential to check its diet. You don’t want the water polluted because of too much food unless you will be removing nitrogenous compounds regularly. It is important to control what these fish eat within 30 seconds as they can eat fast and a lot. They should be fed twice a day.
TANKMATES
Because of their peaceful nature, it is prudent that Chocolate Cichlids be kept with peaceful fish. Some of their tank mates are Uarus, Jurpari, Severums, Angelfish, Silver dollars, Clown Loaches, Plecos, Leopard Bush fish, Red Tail Shark, Giant Danios, African Red-Eyed Tetra, Rainbow Fish, Synodontis Catfish, Flying Fox fish, and Siamese Algae Eater.
F.A.Q
Are they Aggressive?
They are less aggressive. However, it is recommended that they should be kept by themselves or as a compatible pair. It's worth noting that they tend to be very aggressive towards other fish when they are a pair. This is a result of them trying to protect their territory. But whenever they are in a large aquarium with lots of fish, their aggression won’t pose any problem.
How big do they get?
This type of fish can grow up to 12 inches long in conducive environments with soft and warmer water and a nutritious diet. It is recommended that the aquariums should not have less than 70 gallons of water with temperatures of 25-30 degrees and 5.0-7.0 pH. Their sizes vary between males and females as some males grow bigger while some females outgrow their male counterparts.
How fast do they grow?
Growth rates for this type of fish differ depending on the frequency of changes. These changes include their environments, which are water, feeding habits, stocking rates, and depending on how crowded they are in an aquarium. If they are exposed to a nutritious diet and well-regulated water, this fish will grow very fast in a short time. Thus the deciding factor will be the conditions surrounding their habitat.
DOA Policy
While this is a rare occurrence, it can and will happen from time to time. Fish are live animals and we cannot ensure that every one will arrive alive or remain alive. We do ask that if your fish arrives dead (DOA), submit a picture of the deceased fish that is in the bag within 2 hours of the delivery time of your fish. We will work quickly with you to resolve the problem.
We will offer replacement fish for any losses, but do not offer refunds at this time. We can replace fish but shipping costs is the responsibilityof the buyer. If you put the fish in your tank and it dies or is not acting properly, please contact us, with pictures,within 24 hours. We will again, do everything in our power to resolve the issue and ensure that you have a great experience with these fish.
Shipping Policy
Most Shipments will be UPS Next Day Air unless otherwise noted. Processing fish for your order can take up to 2 business days. This is to ensure your fish and healthy, happy, and ready to be put in your tank when it arrives. We ship fish on Mondays- Wednesday (excluding holidays) to ensure fish arrive before weekends. This allows us to completely prepare the fish for shipping and ensure they are healthy prior to arrive at your door. All fish will be shipped with oxygenated water and specific additives in the water to ensure they maintain their health and stability during shipment. Depending on the species of fish and current weather conditions, the fish may arrive with a heat pack or ice pack to maintain the optimal temperature which further ensures the health and safety of your fish. All costs of shipping (postage, packaging,heat/ice packs, etc.) are included in the Shipping fee. We ship to only the continental United States.
FAQ
"The fish I received do not look like the fish in thepicture. Why is this?"
- We typically take photographs of one or two fish when we initially get them in. Since we have a large quantity of most of the various species of fish, it would be understandably impossible to provide a picture ofevery individual fish with a specific species. For some of our more rare orlarger fish, the picture listed may be the actual fish that you are receiving.If this is the case, it will be designated by ?WYSIWYG?, meaning ?what you see,is what you get?.
"What happens if my fish arrive dead?"
- While this is a rare occurrence, it can and willhappen from time to time. Fish are live animals and we cannot ensure that everyone will arrive alive or remain alive. We do ask that if your fisharrives dead (DOA), submit a picture of the deceased fish that is in the bag.We will work quickly with you to resolve the problem. We will offer replacement fish for any losses, but do not offer refunds at this time. We will reship any replacement fish at the buyer's expense. If you put the fish in your tank and it dies or is not acting properly, please contact us, with pictures, within 24 hours. We will again, do everything in our power to resolvethe issue and ensure that you have a great experience with these fish.
"What if I'm not home when the fish arrive?"
- We will always provide you with a tracking number. While the fish are packaged to survive about 72+ hours within the shipping containers, we do ask that you make arrangements to arrive home to inspect your fish as soon as possible after they are delivered to your home. Itis always suggested to provide an area for the delivery person to place the boxthat is out of direct sunlight or extreme temperatures.
"What do I do with my fish once I've unpacked them?"
- Like you would with any new fish, let the entire bag float in your tank for 15-30 minutes. This allows the temperature withinthe bag to adjust to the same as your tank and will reduce temperature shock onthe fish. After this time, you can add all of the fish and water that is in thebag into your tank. The products used within the water for shipping will notharm any existing fish within your tank and actually makes the transition foryour new fish a bit easier. After this, expect your new fish to take a few daysto become fully adjusted, this includes hiding, floating at the top, sinking tothe bottom, and not eating. After a few days, your new fish should be acting aswimming like they normally would. At this point, enjoy your aquarium!
"I want to return my new fish because x,y,z?"
- Unfortunately, we are unable to accept returns.We do recommend contacting us via email with yourorder number and as much information as possible. We will try to assist you inresolving whatever the issue may be.