Banded Cichlid (Severum)

Heros severus

The Severum (*Heros severus*) is considered the South American counterpart of the famous Discus, but with much more resilience and personality. It sports a massive, high and strongly laterally compressed disc-shaped body, which in adult males reaches 20-25 cm (8-10 inches) in diameter. Characterized by a prominent lip and intensely red or orange eyes, the Severum has an incredible variety of color forms (Wild Green, Red Spotted, Gold). It is renowned for its acute intelligence, coming to recognize the owner as an Oscar does, and for its generally peaceful temperament towards smaller fish, making it one of the most loved Cichlids for large Amazonian community tanks.

Family: Cichlidae
Origin: Sud America (Bacini del fiume Orinoco e alto bacino dell'Amazzonia)
Tank use: Used in 0 tanks

Temperature

23 °C - 29 °C

5.5 - 7.5

Water type

Freshwater

Tank level

Zona media e inferiore. Nuotano placidamente perlustrando le zone d'ombra create dalle radici.

Adult size

25 cm

Description

Human Interaction:

Like the *Astronotus ocellatus* (Oscar Fish), Severums develop a strong visual bond with the owner. They will watch you from inside the glass, follow your movements in the room hoping for a meal, and many specimens even learn to accept pellets or blanched lettuce directly from the aquarist's hands.

Care and observations

The Garden Destroyers:

Do not buy a Severum if you have a planted aquarium (aquascaping). They are voracious vegetarians. They will shred and swallow Java Moss, Echinodorus, Vallisneria and expensive stem plants in less than two days, leaving you only bare stems. The only compatible decor is made up of huge piled mangrove branches and bogwood, smooth river stones and "inedible" plants (like giant Anubias barteri) anchored very high up, far from the base of the wood.

Size and Peaceful Coexistence:

An adult Severum literally has the dimensions of a dinner plate. They require massive tanks (150 cm / 5 feet or larger). Their mouth, despite being a huge fish, is relatively small. This allows them to live in harmony with medium-sized schooling fish (Tetras, adult Corydoras, Loricariids), making them the ideal "Gentle Giants" of the tank. Be careful, however, during the breeding period: a pair with eggs will arrogantly claim half the aquarium, slamming away all intruders.

Hybrid Color Variants (Gold and Red Spotted):

In addition to the wild one (olive-green with black bars and coppery spots), breeding has produced the "Gold Severum" (totally egg yellow) and the highly sought-after "Red Spotted" (yellow studded with intense ruby red dots). The breeding requirements remain identical in all color variations.

Fish profile

Temperament: Pacifico per un Ciclide di quelle dimensioni, ma diventa fortemente territoriale (e potenzialmente letale) durante la deposizione delle uova verso chiunque si avvicini al nido. Mangeranno i pesci che entrano facilmente nella loro grande bocca, ma ignorano la maggior parte dei tetra di media taglia.
Diet: Onnivoro / Forte tendenza Erbivora. Sono enormi divoratori di materiale vegetale. Se non ricevono spirulina, zucchine, piselli sbollentati e lattuga regolarmente, devasteranno il layout vegetale della vasca e svilupperanno problemi digestivi letali (Bloat). Nutrire anche con grossi pellet galleggianti e krill.
Tank level: Zona media e inferiore. Nuotano placidamente perlustrando le zone d'ombra create dalle radici.
Minimum group: 2
Adult size: 25 cm
Minimum tank: 350 L
GH: 2 dGH - 10 dGH
KH: n/a
TDS: n/a
Conductivity: n/a
Sex ratio: Coppie. Si consiglia di acquistare 6 giovani e lasciare che si formi una coppia stabile in modo naturale, rimuovendo poi gli individui spaiati che potrebbero venire uccisi in vasche troppo piccole.
Feeding frequency: 1-2 volte al giorno, abbondando con la frazione vegetale.
Bioload: Molto Alto (pesci voluminosi, massicci produttori di scarti metabolici)
Flow: Corrente da Nulla a Moderata (laghi di lanca, foreste inondate e fiumi a lento scorrimento)
Reproduction: I veri *H. severus* sono biparentali larvofili o incubatori orali ritardati, ma gran parte delle forme commerciali ibridate sono normali riproduttori su substrato. Puliranno ferocemente una roccia piatta o un pezzo di legno, deporranno centinaia di uova e sorveglieranno aggressivamente la nuvola di avannotti tenendo in scacco l'intera vasca per settimane.
Compatibility: I migliori pesci di grossa taglia per comunità pacifiche. Eccellenti compagni per *Geophagus*, grandi Loricaridi (Panaque, Pleco), *Uaru*, pesci dollaro d'argento (Metynnis) e banchi di grossi Tetras (Bleeding Heart, Buenos Aires, Congo). Incompatibili con Ciclidi aggressivi Midas o Flowerhorn.

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.