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Freshwater   Fishes

Green terror
(Andionacara rivulatus)

Green terror
Verified by the experts

A big thank you to Imex Cichlidé!

Alternative species (click on the thumbnail to see the card)

  • None

Names

Scientific name
Andionacara Rivulatus
Aequidens rivulatus

Common name
Green terror

Origin

what are its countries of origin?

Origin: South America (Ecuador, Peru)
Biotope: American

Dimorphism

what are the physical differences between males and females?

Males are significantly larger than females and develop a mature hump. They are also more colorful and often have extensions to the dorsal and anal fins

Group

Group

Cichlidae

Volume

what is the minimum volume for this species?

600 L / 132 imp gal / 158 US gal

Parameters

what are the water parameters for the maintenance of this fish?

T°: 24 à 26°C or 75 to 79°F
pH: 6 to 7.5
Hardness: /

Difficulty

Difficulty

Hard

Size

what is the maximum size of this fish?

Female 20cm (8") - Male 30cm (12")

Longevity

what is the average Longevity of this fish?

10 years

Living zone

in which area of the aquarium does this fish live?

Everywhere

Individuals

sociability of the species

2 (couple)

Food

How to feed the Green terror?

Food

How to feed the Green terror?

This species is omnivorous (eats everything). Dehydrated type of food (such as granules) suits it well, as well as fresh or frozen foods. To prevent nutritional deficiencies (vitamins, trace elements, minerals...), it is recommended to diversify the diet. Of course, for its wellbeing and to limit the pollution of the water, the excess of food is to be avoided. The fish will keep a beautiful shape.

Behavior

What kind of behavior does the Green terror have?

Behavior

What kind of behavior does the Green terror have?

Territorial and «aggressive» if the litter is not appropriate. To maintain a relationship with other robust species of the same family and similar sizes in a volume greater than 500 liters or 110 Imp Gal or 132 US Gal.

Cohabitation

Who can live with the Green terror?

Cohabitation

Who can live with the Green terror?

It is necessary to choose equally aggressive fish to consider a balanced cohabitation. Indeed, if the fish have no means of response, they will be dominated and will become fragile: stress, illness, they stop feeding and other syndromes...

However, the aggressiveness of the Green Terror is not as visible. In fact, it depends on the specimens. To make sure everything goes well, it will take a minimum of 600 liters or 132 Imp Gal or 158 US Gal to maintain a couple in a community aquarium.

Breeding

How to breed the Green terror?

Breeding

How to breed the Green terror?

Breeding is very simple.

For sexing it is not complicated: sexual dimorphism is very present, the male is bigger, its colors are more vivid and it has a nice bump on the head.

The couple usually lays on a flat stone (with exception) and stands guard together.

For the maintenance of fry, 2 possibilities:
1- Put them in a separate tank
2- Let them evolve with their parents

For the evolution with the parents:
The parents will be side by side, the fry evolve hiding secretly in the aquarium (so it will take a lot of hiding places). They move in single file behind the parents, who will be ready to attack the first fish that would like to touch their babies.

Its aquarium

Which aquarium for the Green terror?

Its aquarium

Which aquarium for the Green terror?

For a specific aquarium a tank of 200 x 60 cm or 80 x 25 inch (front x width) will be ideal for an adult couple. However for a community tank, it would be necessary to aim for a 250 x 60 cm or 100 x 25 inch tank.

For the soil, opt for a non-cutting substrate sand because this fish likes to dig in the ground. It must be avoided that it gets hurt during this activity.

For the decor, mimic its natural environment composed of stones, roots and sand. The ideal aquarium will also include hiding places made of stone. No plant should be added under penalty of seeing it mixed and crushed in a short time.

To avoid any pollution, change the water of your aquarium regularly: a renewal of 10% of the total volume will be necessary each week. Also plan a filtration of at least 5x the volume of your tank per hour to obtain a good quality water.

Tip: Adding Pothos and external filtering plants will be very useful for keeping nitrates low. Indeed, these plants will consume the nitrates and thus keep a good quality of water. This will allow you to change only 10% of the volume per week (which is already 150 liters or 33 Imp Gal or 40 US Gal for the specific aquarium). Without these plants, the amount of water to renew is much higher (30%), as well as your water bill! So do not hesitate to use them if you want to avoid selling your aquarium to pay for your water bill.

Good To know

Find all additional information!

Good To know

Find all additional information!

The water parameters are very secondary for this type of species, tolerant enough in this area. However, it will be necessary to ensure its good quality and its cleanliness.

In the wild, the bump on the male’s head only grows during the breeding season, but in aquaria many specimens have huge permanent bumps:

  • bump Andinoacara rivulatus
  • other bump Andinoacara rivulatus

Yours photos!

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