Goodness Gracious, Great Mouths Of Fire
Seth Eugene Meek (1859-1914) was an American ichthyologist at the Field Museum in Chicago. He penned the first book on Mexican Freshwater Fish. His books and discoveries resulted in several species being named in his honor, and one of those is the Firemouth Cichlid (Thorichthys meeki). These gorgeous fish are yet another highly underrated Central American Cichlid and the focus of our feature today.
Firemouth Cichlids have been popular in freshwater aquariums for decades as they are beautiful, easy to keep and breed, and not nearly as aggressive as a lot of other cichlids, which means they often get recommended as a beginner fish. While they are incredible as a first fish, and a very common addition to most local fish stores (LFS), they shouldn't be overlooked. In fact, all of these endearing traits make them a perfect fish for any level aquarist.
They were first described from the Yucatan Peninsula, and since have been found across more of southern Mexico as well as northern Belize and Guatemala. Non-native / introduced / invasive populations of them exist in South Florida Canals, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. There are some variations in coloration over this range, but all of them share the bright orange throat and gills that is the origin of their common name. Some specimens will have this brilliant flame orange all the way down their bellies to their tail fins which sometimes get flecked and striped with neon blue. This coloration intensifies as the fish get older, and becomes especially vibrant in the males when they are in spawning condition. Males will also sport longer fins.
What does an ideal Firemouth display look like? Honestly, there isn't really just one. In part because of their peaceful (for cichlids) nature and in part because they're found in a huge variety of habitats in their native range, you could really aim at a lot of different displays. From clear, stony streams, to murky roadside canals you can find a Firemouth Cichlid in just about any body of water capable of holding fish. To start off, these are fish that can technically get almost seven inches long, but a much more common adult size is five inches. They also like to be kept in groups of five, six or more unless they are paired. This means a fairly sizable aquarium for the group at grow out. We'd suggest a minimum of 55 gallons for a juvenile group or a fully grown pair, and 125 for an adult group. The display should feature plenty of cover and sight breaks so the fish can hide from each other, driftwood and rocks are favorites, though they'd be just fine with a bunch of clay pots and PVC pipes too. Thorichthys meeki is a benthophage, which is a fancy way of saying they'll suck up substrate and filter it for food. They don't have to do this, but it is a natural behavior. The bottom of the tank should offer them something to work on in the way of a small grained, soft sand. You could also opt for leaf litter or conversely rocks that are too big for them to fit in their mouths if you aren't interested in seeing them dig around the place.
These displays could also go in a number of directions in regards to the other fish and decorations, just keep in mind that the Firemouths are going to commandeer the bottom of the tank, and frequently re-arrange everything there. That makes putting them into something with plants tricky; you could opt for plants that get affixed to rocks and driftwood like Java Moss and the like. In a big enough display, you could add other peaceful / location appropriate cichlids like Jack Dempseys or Salvinis among others. We've also seen a variety of displays that feature a selection of Central American / Mexican Swordtails, Mollies and Tetras with Firemouth Cichlids; think smaller, fast fish from the upper portions of the water column, and add a lot of them.
Thorichthys meeki needs a well-rounded diet, and luckily, they are really easy to feed. As a base diet, we start with the Nutramar Freshwater Algae and Color Boost Pellets. These give the fish everything they need for protein and a broad spectrum of nutrients. We also add a mix of meaty foods to their diet, including Gamma Brine Plus Spirulinia, White Mosquito Larvae, Tubifex and smaller specimens might also get Daphnia, Rotifers and/or Copepods. If you opt for a different pellet, make sure that what you're offering gives your Firemouths some algae as this will boost their immune systems and coloration. We feed them twice a day, and that would be a good schedule at home too.
Nearly all the specimens you'll come across in your LFS will be aquacultured, and they are easy to breed in the home aquarium. Honestly, if you have a group of them in a well-maintained aquarium and they're well fed, it would be harder to stop them from breeding than to get them to do it. Very briefly, start with a small group of immature individuals and sooner or later two will pair off. Eggs will get laid on a large flat rock or the aquarium bottom. Our generally reasonable Firemouths become good parents and will vigorously / aggressively defend their nest, though they may not get it quite right the first time around and will eat all the babies. Hey, cannibalism happens. The fry are easily fed things like powdered flake, rotifers, daphnia, microworms or baby brine shrimp. All fish fry are easy targets for other fish, and so if you're interested in raising a substantial number of them to adulthood, you'll need to rear them in their own tank away from predators.
Firemouth Cichlids have one of the coolest names out there, and their great looks, hardiness and interesting behaviors make them a perfect choice for any level aquarist. As cichlids go, they're one of the more peaceful ones out there allowing them to be mixed with other fish in a way that most cichlids can't. If you're interested, and you should be, ask your LFS about getting you half a dozen of them from Aquatropic today!