Severum Cichlid, also called Heros Severus, is a beautiful and tough fish. But, many aquarists are unaware of it. Many new aquarists consider this fish beautiful but ordinary. But, the Heros Cichlid stands out in many ways.
They have a beautiful appearance and are big. They live longer than most fish. They are easy to care for and treat. You can put them in a tank with many kinds of fish. They are the dreamy, hardy fish we all want.
This guide covers all the needed info. It includes diet, setup, care, and more. You need it to mate with this striking fish in your aquarium. So, let us get started straight.
Banded cichlid Overview:
| Common Name: | Severum cichlid, Banded cichlid, Hero cichlid |
| Scientific Name: | Heros severus |
| Origin: | Orinoco and upper Rio Negro basins, South America |
| Temperature: | 75 F° to 84 F° |
| Size: | It grows to about 6 – 10 inches. |
| Minimum Tank Size: | Minimum tank size of 55 gallons for a single pair. |
| Food & Diet: | Algae, Plants, Fruits, small insects, small fish, pellets, flakes, freeze-dried worms, and even vegetables like cucumbers and zucchini. |
| Lifespan: | 7 to 10 years |
| Water pH: | 6.0 to 7.5 |
| Tank Mates: | Bushynose Pleco, Kissing Gourami, Angelfish, Flag Cichlid, Red Tail Black Shark, Convict Cichlid, Corydoras Catfish, Silver Dollars, Pearl Cichlid, Tiger Barb, Blue Acara. |
| Breeding: | Egg-layers |
| Disease: | Gill Flukes, Ich, Camallanus Worms, White Spot Disease, Hole in the Head Disease, Swim Bladder, Cotton Wool, Tuberculosis, Malawi Bloat, Dropsy, and Popeye. |
It’s scientific name is Heros Severus. As they are similar in appearance and traits to Hero’s fasciitis, they are put in the same category.
Technically, golden/gold-green/yellow-gold/banded serum is Heros Severum, while red-spotted, red shoulder, blue, and turquoise Severum are Heros fasciitis. Heros liberifer, Heros spurious, Heros notatus, Heros severus, and Heros fasciitis belong to the same family tree of Heros.
Lifespan, Size, Appearance, Care, Breeding & More
Appearance:
It is a yellow gold with a subtle orange accent. As the age grows, the orange accents become more intense and start looking orange.
Green severum cichlid and gold severum cichlids are also common appearances. Apart from these common types, red, green, black, and red spot cichlids can be found in different environments.
Lifespan
The average lifespan of a Cichlid is 5 years to 10 years. The life of a cichlid depends on the environment, home aquarium, water conditions, and water temperatures. It is solely dependent on the care and treatment a fish is getting.
Average Size
A Severus Cichlid is not a prominent fish species of the cichlid family. Its average size ranges from 7 inches to 10 inches in length. Well kept and cared for, Severus CIchlids also grow up to 12 inches.
Care Guide
Sevrum Cichlids are easy to care for as compared to other fish species. If anyone is looking for low maintenance cichlid for their home aquarium, Serveum Cichlid is the perfect option.
It is a hardy fish, capable of withstanding harsh conditions, and easy to breed. However, it does not mean that you let them live without care. Proper daily maintenance and perfect tank setup are a must.
Tank Size Setup and Water Condition
Usually, a 55-gallon tank size does best for a single-banded cichlid. If you are putting other fish species with them, it is feasible to use a large water tank of around 75 gallons at least. These require a large tank to keep their aggression down and perfect space with perfect lighting to move around the tank.
These fishes are native to the upper Orinoco and upper Rio Negro basins in South America, where murky water exists. So, keep their water, temperature, hardness, and pH levels similar to it. Keep toxic substances like ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels at zero.
- Water Temperature: 75 – 85 degrees Fahrenheit for typical days, 80 – 85 degrees Fahrenheit for the breeding season
- pH level: 0 – 7.5, Below 6.0 for the breeding season
- Water hardness: 4 – 15 dGH
- Lighting: Dim lighting
- Ammonia, nitrate, nitrite levels: 0 PPM
- Filtration and Aeration: regular filtration
Diet
Heros Severum is neither choosy nor picky. They feast on everything you put in your water tank. But to make sure they get the perfect diet and tasty food, change their diet. They should eat algae, plants, fruits, and small fish.
They should also eat pellets, flakes, and freeze-dried worms. They can eat small insects and even vegetables like cucumbers and zucchini. Also, you can feed them earthworms and microworms. You can also feed them high-quality herbivore and carnivore flakes.
SUMMARY
Severum Cichlids are easy to care for. They need a large tank to remain calm. Optimum water parameters and lighting are necessary. Keep the level of toxic substances at zero. These fish require low maintenance and simple food like earthworms, plants, and flakes.
Common Diseases
Like any other fish, Banded cichlids can also prey on diseases. So keep an eye on their movements and check them daily.
Common diseases are:
Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE): It is caused due to poor water quality, diet, stress, and vitamin deficiency. The symptoms include a hole in the head.
To cure it, isolate the fish, maintain water quality, and enrich the diet with vitamin C, phosphorus, and calcium.
Ich: It is the presence of an external protozoan parasite that causes infection. Common symptoms are multiple small white spots on the fish’s body and gills, frequent scrapping of the body against hard objects, and abnormal behavior.
Breeding
To increase the likelihood of breeding, allow freshwater fish to pair off naturally as juvenile fish. After that, separate the fish for almost two weeks and feed the fish with a vitamin-rich diet. Here is the simple procedure:
- Use a separate tank and freshwater fish
- Set the water temperature between 78 and 81 degrees F.
- Keep decor and increase hiding spots, as well as remote spots.
- Feed fish with a vitamin-rich diet.
After two or three weeks, remove dividers if used, and feed a high-quality diet till the first spawn.
Conclusion
I hope you have learned a lot in this well-articulated and well-researched article on Severum Cichlid. Now you know these are the perfect additions to your home aquarium. If we call them poor person’s cichlids, it will not be wrong.
Give a chance to these beautiful, low-maintenance, and easy-to-breed fish species to make your aquarium spectacular. I hope you will not regret it. To know more about cool freshwater fish, have a look at our next blog.