Origin: South America

Temp: 72-86°F (22-30°C)

Swimming Zone: Middle

pH: 6-7.5  dGH: 5

Feeding: (Carnivore) Easy to feed, accepts most aquarium foods

Breeding: Egglayer, attaches eggs to plant leaves, or a suitable substitute; gaurds eggs and fry

Temperament: Normally peaceful, but gets aggressive when spawning and gaurding fry

Adult Size: 6 in. (15 cm)

Comments: Numerous morphs exist. The fish are greedy - do not overfeed. Likes a habitat with tall plants such as Vallisneria and log roots to swim around. Supplements diet with some vegetable matter (lettuce, spinach etc.). The fish fairs better at higher temperatures.