Above: the picture just above shows a nice young premium quality Triangle Uaru Cichlid swimming one of our aquariums, when one of us snapped this picture.

Click here to see a beautiful mature Wild Triangle Uaru Cichlid. 

Comments: This is a Premium Pet Fish, and we rarely see Premium Quality fish these in any of the live fish stores that we visit.

Premium Pet Fish are more energetic, hardier, and have brighter colors with a beautiful metallic sheen.

Origin: Uarus are Cichlids, and their ancestors lived in the Amazon and other Rainforests in South America. But now of course they live in aquariums all over the world.

Maximum Size: In aquariums Uarus can grow to be about 12" long and rarely even larger.

Behaviors: Uarus are usually not aggressive fish, but from time to time the can be territorial especially when breeding and protecting their babies.

Compatibility: Some recommended tank mates include Discus varieties, Angelfish, a few Corydoras Catfish, some small Tetras like Neons and Cardinals, and perhaps a small Plecostomus Catfish.

Click here to read more about compatible groups of pet fish.

Temperature: Uarus live best from about 80 to 84-degrees F. with 82 being perhaps ideal.

Click here to learn about aquarium temperature, aquarium thermometers, and aquarium heaters.

Feeding: Uarus naturally eat about 80% vegetable matter. So it's best to feed them foods with lots of vegetable matter.

We recommend flakes, pellets, and tabs with a high algae content like Algae Tabs.

Click here to learn more about and shop online for premium fish foods.

Water Conditions: These fish prefer a pH of about 6 to 7 with low hardness.

Most water in us U.S. has a higher pH and is harder but these fish can adapt, and so as usual it's best not to try to change the pH or the hardness.

But it may be beneficial to dilute their water with RO water. Click here for a lot more information about aquarium water conditions.

Aquarium Size: Uarus will eventually need to live in an aquarium with at least 120-gallons of water, but of course bigger is better.

Decor: Uarus do not need gravel, and a layer of gravel more than 1/4" thick will usually fill with bits of uneaten food that will contaminate the water.

Click here for more about aquarium gravel.

Live plants are beautiful and improve the water quality, and also Uarus seem to love live plants and are healthier in planted aquariums.

Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel Filters are highly recommended. Most 60-gallon aquariums have room along the back for two Penguin 350B Filters, and this is sort of a minimal Uaru set up.

Better is a 80, 100, 120, 150, or 200-gallon aquarium with as many Penguin 350B Filters as will fit across the back. Click here to learn more about aquarium filters.

The addition of Lava Rocks will keep nitrates in the ideal range. Click here to learn more about using Lava Rocks in aquariums.

Life Span: Uarus can live for several years. Keep the water conditions excellent and feed them premium foods, and they may live for many years.

Gender: It's difficult to tell males from females. Even when the female fill with eggs, it's difficult to tell the males from the females.

Breeding: Uarus females will lay eggs on a flat surface that they previously cleaned off.

The male will fertilize them, and then both the male and female guard and tend to their eggs.

When the eggs hatch, the baby Uarus feed off the mucus on their parent's sides.

The water will need to be warmer, soft and slightly acidic for best breeding parameters.

Click here for a lot more about breeding various tropical fish in aquariums.

Popularity: These fish are rare in the aquarium hobby.

Names: The scientific name for this Uaru is Uaru amphiacanthoides.

Variations: There is a second species of Uaru with scientific name Uaru fernandezyepezi, and there are at least two more species in the Uaru genus that have not yet been named.

We hope you've enjoyed reading these comments.