Introducing my 1st cichlids for 2011 - Caquetaia Umbrifera

The blue freckle monster … my first cichlids for 2011, brought him home on the 18^th Jan to be exact.

This guy is only an inch big as has the company of 2 emperor red hooks.

For now, he is just a cute innocent looking baby, minding his own business. The blue freckle monster, as the name suggest, can grow up to a length of 2 feet.

My current tank setup is a 2 x 1.5ft, may only be able to house him for a good 6 months. Interior decoration consists of a piece of 2x1 ft tile (for easy maintenance and water management), a piece of big driftwood with lots of willow moss tied to it. The little umbie seems to like it a lot, clowning all over it like a clownfish over an anemone.

PH is around 7 and temperature is about 28 degree Celsius.

I used an overhead filter and a LED lamp for viewing pleasure and the moss as well.

Here’s another shot of this boy with the filter pump on the background. Gives a little perspective of how ‘big’ the fellow is right now.

And the tank mates, the forever hungry - emperor red hooks. Always a great addition if you want to get all your fishes to take on a pellet based diet.