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Very aggressive; keep alone or in a big tank with large robust fish.
65 species in our list are a good match.
Very aggressive; keep alone or in a big tank with large robust fish.
Large pellets, prawns and fish pieces.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Males grow much larger; females keep the bright red colour with black bands into adulthood. The colour difference shows from about 10-12.5 cm.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Open substrate spawner · Moderate
Substrate spawner that lays on vertical slate, flat wood or in rocky caves; parents move the wrigglers to pre-dug pits and guard the fry for about 6 weeks. Pairing is risky: grow up about six juveniles and let a pair form, and keep a divider ready.
Grow out 6 juveniles and let a pair form; separate the pair if others are harassed.
A 500 L tank with a sponge or gentle filter, flat slate or rocks as spawning surfaces and a tight lid.
Warm, clean water, frequent water changes and protein-rich food.
Up to about 3000 large eggs; they hatch in about 3-4 days and the fry swim freely 5-6 days later.
Parents move the wrigglers to pits and guard the free-swimming fry; feed newly hatched brine shrimp and crushed flake.
A large, very aggressive cichlid from Pacific rivers of western Ecuador and northern Peru. Females keep the vivid red colour with bold black bands; males grow much bigger and duller. Named after the Italian naturalist Enrico Festa.
George Albert Boulenger described this cichlid in 1899 from fish collected in Ecuador by Enrico Festa. It is one of very few cichlids living west of the Andes in South America, and in 2015 it was placed in its own genus, Mesoheros. Its fiery red-and-black bars and fierce temperament earned it the name red terror.
First described by George A. Boulenger in 1899. Named for Named after Italian naturalist Enrico Festa, who collected in Ecuador.
16 facts checked with sources
Genus Mesoheros McMahan & Chakrabarty 2015. Older names Cichlasoma festae (still used by Seriously Fish), Heros festae, Nandopsis festae. FishBase's common name is 'Guayas cichlid'. Some dealers sell it as 'true red terror' to distinguish it from look-alikes; buy from a source that names Mesoheros festae.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: species of Mesoheros (updated 21 Sep 2026) · FishBase: Mesoheros festae summaryLegacy has no family field.
FishBase: Mesoheros festae summaryBig disagreement. Seriously Fish: males ~50 cm (20 in), females ~30 cm (12 in) (labelled SL but clearly an aquarium total-length estimate). FishBase and Fishkeeper: 25 cm TL (total length), from a checklist of preserved specimens. Larger figure used per the size rule, but 50 cm is an upper male figure; legacy 35 cm sits between the sources and may be a better 'typical' size.
Seriously Fish: Cichlasoma festae (Red terror) · FishBase: Mesoheros festae summary · Maidenhead Aquatics Fishkeeper: Red Terror (Mesoheros festae)All sources start at 25-26 °C; legacy low end 22 °C is too cool.
Seriously Fish: Cichlasoma festae (Red terror) · FishBase: Mesoheros festae summary · Maidenhead Aquatics Fishkeeper: Red Terror (Mesoheros festae)Legacy 6.5-8 lies within the sourced 6.0-8.0.
Seriously Fish: Cichlasoma festae (Red terror) · Maidenhead Aquatics Fishkeeper: Red Terror (Mesoheros festae)Legacy has no hardness; Seriously Fish range recorded.
Seriously Fish: Cichlasoma festae (Red terror) · Maidenhead Aquatics Fishkeeper: Red Terror (Mesoheros festae)210 x 60 x 60 cm = 756,000 cm³ = 756 L. Fishkeeper suggests over 1000 L if tankmates are added. Legacy 500 L is below both.
Seriously Fish: Cichlasoma festae (Red terror) · Maidenhead Aquatics Fishkeeper: Red Terror (Mesoheros festae)No source names a swimming level; FishBase only gives 'benthopelagic'.
FishBase: Mesoheros festae summarySeriously Fish rates it 'Difficult'; pairing is also risky (weaker fish may be killed). Legacy 2 = moderate.
Seriously Fish: Cichlasoma festae (Red terror)Legacy has no range field.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: species of Mesoheros (updated 21 Sep 2026) · FishBase: Mesoheros festae summaryNo source mentions a male nuchal hump; the reliable cue is that females stay red and banded. Males lose much of the red.
Seriously Fish: Cichlasoma festae (Red terror) · Maidenhead Aquatics Fishkeeper: Red Terror (Mesoheros festae)Seriously Fish calls it a cave brooder; Fishkeeper lists open surfaces too, so 'open substrate spawner' is only partly right.
Maidenhead Aquatics Fishkeeper: Red Terror (Mesoheros festae) · Seriously Fish: Cichlasoma festae (Red terror)Legacy 500-1000 is low.
Seriously Fish: Cichlasoma festae (Red terror) · FishBase: Mesoheros festae summary · Maidenhead Aquatics Fishkeeper: Red Terror (Mesoheros festae)The red-and-black pattern is mainly a female (and juvenile) colour, with several vertical black bands rather than one bold stripe.
FishBase: Mesoheros festae summary · Seriously Fish: Cichlasoma festae (Red terror)