SIEBOLDII (Tomacichlia Sieboldi)

General

Tomocichla sieboldii, or Siebold’s Cichlid, was originally placed in the genus Heros by Kner in 1863. Regan later moved it to the genus Paraneetroplus in 1908, but eventually the original nomenclature was revalidated by Kullander in 1983.

Tomocichla sieboldii has a relatively small distribution in fast moving waters on the Pacific slope of Central America in Costa Rica and Panama. The vicinity of Esparta appears to be the western limit, whereas the drainage of the Rio San Pedro in Panama represents the eastern border.

Habitat

The fish inhabits a wide variety of biotopes. They live in flowing as well as in stagnant water bodies and appear to be fairly tolerant regarding hardness and pH.

Care

Tomocichla sieboldii does not present many difficulties. These fish are very generally shy but may exhibit intraspecific aggressuib. It is important to keep them in large tanks with plenty of structures and hiding spaces. Fully mature males can reach up to 10 inches, while females stay a bit smaller, around 8 inches. Water temperature in my tank was around 78°F and pH was around 7.4. 

Feeding

Tomocichla sieboldii are very hearty eaters and will accept any kind of food presented to them. Some reports indicate that Siboldii is mainly herbivorous. I based the diet for my fish on vegetable flakes and pellets and the occasional treat of frozen brine shrimp, mysis shrimp and live black worms. Live black worms are excellent food to condition pairs and trigger spawning.