Publication2 med aquascape Publication1cs complete | Page 219

Mature specimens grow large, so big display tanks
are recommended.
Sexing the fish is fairly straight forward as the fe-
male will start to develop a dark colouration
along the dorsal fin. Males will develop a thicker
body and steeper cranial profile.
Amphilophus trimaculatus are noted to be early
developers and can start spawning at a size of just
12 cm / 5”. Females will develop a dark barred
complexion when spawning.
Temperament wise can be a bit of a mixed bag.
Certainly spawning pairs will be very aggressive,
but many hobbyist report single specimens as
placid. I’ve personally found them to be a semi
aggressive cichlid that will do better in an aquari-
um with medium sized species or a dedicated
tank to a single pair. Avoid keeping small cichlids
or dither fish as they are likely to become lunch!
When accommodating A. trimaculatus, we should
be thinking about very large tanks, certainly no
smaller than 200 x 60 x 60cm just for a single ful-
ly grown pair. Smaller breeding tanks can be
used, providing we are taking precautions like us-
ing a divider.
Decorate the tank naturally using large rocks and
pieces of driftwood. A. trimaculatus are noted to
inhabit areas where there are submerged roots,
branches and overhanging marginal vegetation.
Plants shouldn’t be used in A. trimaculatus tank,
as they are known to dig and re-arrange the
décor. You could possibly try and add floating
plants, as I have used them in many cichlid tanks
with reasonable success.
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