
In their natural habitat in South America, the main sources of food for these predators are insects, larvae, and worms.
#YELLOW COCKATOO CICHLID FULL#
DietĬockatoo Cichlids are full carnivores that require a variety of protein nutrition choices. Anything coming from outside can bring disease into your aquarium, and disease spreads quickly. It is vital to treat and quarantine any new plants, decorations, fish, or invertebrates before adding them to an established tank. With proper tank maintenance, high-quality water and food, and no sudden changes in the aquarium, diseases should not be a problem. There are also non-copper versions available. If you need to use copper medication, you should move your Cockatoo Cichlids to a separate tank to treat them. Most of these have copper, which is toxic to shrimp, snails, and even some fish. Most fish diseases can be treated with over-the-counter medications.
#YELLOW COCKATOO CICHLID SKIN#
Skin flukes can also lead to open wounds that become infected. Some common diseases to watch out for in Cockatoo Cichlids are ich, a parasitic infection skin flukes worms and bacterial infections. Stress of both kinds reduces the quality of life and weakens immunity, increasing the chance of disease. Irregularities in the water environment cause physical stress, and feeling crowded and threatened creates emotional stress. Cockatoo Cichlids are susceptible to the same parasitic, bacterial, and viral infections that all freshwater fish are prone to.Ĭertainly checking water parameters regularly, avoiding temperature fluctuations, and performing regular water changes will decrease the chance that your Cockatoo Cichlids will fall ill. If you are able to keep a larger tank, you can try more than one male, making sure they have enough caves and plants to keep their distance.Įven if you maintain optimal conditions in your community aquarium, and even if you manage to keep your Cockatoo Cichlids stress-free, there is always the chance that your fish will be stricken with a disease. If you have a dedicated, single species tank, you should keep 1 male and 5 or 6 females - this is called a harem.

Really, they are looking for food scraps in the substrate. One behavior that might seem odd is that the male Cockatoo Cichlids eat sand–at least, they appear to eat sand. When fish are less stressed, they are able to calm down. Providing a large enough tank and the plants and caves suggested, Cockatoo Cichlids will be able to avoid constant run-ins that bring them stress and cause them to feel territorial. Additionally, they are cave breeders, so if you’re planning on breeding them, the caves will serve a double purpose.īecause the type of aggression they display is a result of feeling threatened, you have the opportunity to defuse their behaviors in significant ways.

Other than that, Cockatoo Cichlids are pretty mellow and unassuming, and they get along with other species, so they are good community tank choices.Ĭockatoo Cichlids are shy and need hiding places, so you’ll need to provide them with plants and caves.
