Above: a nice young Premium Quality Bandit Cichlid swimming in one of our aquariums.

Origin: These Cichlids are found in regions from French Guiana to Columbia in South America.

But there may eventually turn out to be several species.

Maximum Size: In aquariums males can grow to be about 6" long, including their tails, which is a nice size for aquariums: not too big and not too small. Females are a bit smaller than males.

Behaviors: These Cichlids are usually not aggressive fish, but males will quarrel with each other from time to time.

They are more aggressive just before spawning, during spawning, and when protecting their eggs and babies.

Compatibility: Some recommended tank mates include medium sized Cichlids such as Geophagus Eartheaters, community fish such as Rainbowfish, and catfish like Pictus Cats, Plecostomus, and most other fish that are not too aggressive.

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

Temperature: these Bandits live best from about 74 to 82-degrees F., with 78 being perhaps ideal.

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

Feeding: Premium Fish Food Pellets is the best type of food to feed these Bandit Cichlids, and can be fed to them throughout their entire lives.

Probably best to feed the smaller size pellets.

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Water Conditions: Their ancestors lived in water that is usually soft and rather acidic, but apparently at times the pH and hardness increased in these waters.

So this Cichlid can adapt to most types of tap water, and as usual it's best not to change water chemistry, unless you want to breed them, hatch the eggs, and raise the baby fish.

Click here for a lot more information about aquarium water conditions.

This species can easily get "Hole-in-the-Head" Disease.

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Aquarium Size: this Cichlid grows fast and soon needs to live in an aquarium with at least 80-gallons of water, if you have several of them.

Decor: we recommend some live plants and aquarium-safe driftwood.

Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel Filters are highly recommended.

Most 80-gallon aquariums have room along the back for at least two Penguin 350B Filters, and this is sort of the minimum set up for these Cichlids.

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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: Bandits can live for several years and possibly longer, when the water is excellent, and they're feed premium foods.

Gender: It's difficult to tell males from females. Mature males usually have longer more pointy fins.

When they breed you can see their breeding tubes, and the female's tube is much larger than the males.

Breeding: Bandits usually choose a territory often in a back corner of the aquarium, and evict the other fish from that territory.

They'll soon begin cleaning an area like the surface of flat rock then lay eggs, which hatch in about 3-days.

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

Popularity: this Cichlid species is rather rare in the aquarium hobby.

Scientific Name: The scientific name of this fish is Guianacara geayi, or perhaps Guianacara sphenozona.

Variations: this species and other very closely related species occur over a wide region, so there are variations that may be subspecies or other closely related species.

We hope you've enjoyed reading these comments.