Golden Severum Cichlid

Description

Golden Severum Cichlid

The Gold Severum  is a very popular mid-sized cichlid that has been kept and bred in the aquarium hobby for generations. It is a gold and orange variation of the wild form Green Severum, also known as the Banded Cichlid. This relatively mild-mannered cichlid is widespread throughout South America, where it inhabits mostly calm, deep waters and slow-moving waterways. As a juvenile, the Gold Severum is uniformly gold, but as it matures, it typically develops generous bright orange spotting across most of its body and fins.

The Gold Severum will thrive in an aquarium with a sandy substrate and plenty of refuge such as clay pots, driftwood, and rock formations. It does consume some plant matter, but it typically does not bother most ornamental plants. This cichlid is generally compatible with other peaceful and semi-aggressive fish too large to be considered prey. Territoriality is typically at its peak during spawning. Due to the eventual adult size of the Gold Severum, it should not be kept with most ornamental invertebrates. If spawning is desired, tankmates of other species should be kept to a minimum or avoided altogether. It should also be noted that the Gold Severum is typically more peaceful with tankmates when it is grown up with them from juvenile age rather than introduced as an adult.