Cichlasoma Festae

This is the feature fish from my cover photo, Cichlasoma Festae, also known as a Red Terror or True Red Terror. That may sound a little confusing and it is, mostly thanks to pet stores. If you ever see a Red Terror for sale in a store it's more than likely a Mayan Cichlid, or Cichlasoma Urophthalmus, which is an attractive fish, but lacks the striking red coloration of the Festae. They're far more common though in the tropical fish trade.

My Story:

Unfortunately, I learned the hard way about this difference. When small, it's difficult to tell a Festae from a Mayan. They're mostly light gray in color. A few years ago, I was excited to find some Red Terrors at a local fish store. I bought one and when I got home I shared a picture online at monsterfishkeepers.com. It was then I learned I'd been tricked, although honestly, I don't think most fish stores know the difference. In my experience, those that do will specifically label the fish as a Festae or True Red Terror, but even then it's good to know the differences for your own peace of mind.

One of the first things to look at is the spot near the tail fin, which on Festae will be smaller and positioned near the top of the body (the caudal peduncle). On the Urophthalmus this spot will be much larger and will cross the body from top to bottom. Another way to tell, although it's not always as easy to see in small fish, is by looking at the bars/stripes near the front of the fish. On Festae two of the stripes will connect into a y or wishbone shape.

A picture of my Festae before she matured and colored up

Another interesting note about Festae is that the females tend to have more coloration than the males, which is a little unusual among cichlids, especially if you're more familiar with African Haps and Peacocks where the males are colorful and the females gray. That's not to say male Festae don't have nice colors, but typically not the bright red you see in females.

Aggression:

My lone female is aggressive but she has done well in tanks with other large fish of a similar temperament. Her tank mates have included Green Terrors, Jack Dempsey, Green Texas, and more recently Cichlasoma Ornatum. I've also kept larger bushy nose plecos successfully in her tank. She leaves them alone.

I have read that breeding pairs of Festae need a larger tank all to themselves as they will become super aggressive toward other fish while guarding their fry. Given that male Festae can reach up to 16" I don't doubt they can do some serious damage to smaller and similar size fish.

Summary:

Festae are very popular with keepers of big New World cichlids and many people breed them now. If you can't find them at your local fish store, you might consider ordering them online (see links below), or look for a local breeder. I've been very happy with my female. She's one of the more colorful fish I own.