Port Cichlid
Cichlasoma portalegrense
Cichlidae
About
The port cichlid is a hardy, undemanding medium cichlid from the Laguna dos Patos and Tramandai drainages of subtropical Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. Its cool-tolerant origins make it forgiving of a wide range of temperatures and water chemistry. Generally peaceful for a cichlid, it forms pairs, sifts and digs the substrate, and shows engaging parental behaviour, turning aggressive mainly when guarding a spawn.
Care
Keep a pair in a soft-sand tank of 150 L or more with rocks and driftwood for cover and strong filtration. Tolerates cooler, wide-ranging conditions but will dig, so anchor or avoid delicate plants; watch aggression toward much smaller tankmates when breeding.
Diet
Carnivore-leaning omnivore that sifts sand; feed sinking pellets and frozen or live foods with some vegetable matter. Undemanding and readily accepts prepared diets.
Tankmate compatibility
Possible with care (111)
Avoid (10)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.