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Flag Cichlid (Festivum)

Mesonauta festivus

The Flag Cichlid (*Mesonauta festivus*), historically known as Festivum, is an elegant South American cichlid with a unique appearance and behavior. It is instantly recognizable by the strong black diagonal band that crosses its yellow/olive-green body, starting from the mouth, cutting through the eye, up to reaching the terminal part of the pointed dorsal fin, making it look like a raised flag. Unlike most large cichlids that station on the bottom, the Festivum is strictly a surface fish, patrolling the high fronds and looking upwards waiting for insects, making it an ideal companion to exploit the upper part of large Amazonian tanks.

Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Sud America (Bacino del Rio delle Amazzoni e affluenti in Brasile, Perù, Bolivia)
Tank use
Used in 0 tanks
Temperature

25 °C - 30 °C

pH

5.5 - 7

Water type

Freshwater

Tank level

Zona superiore. Stazionano all'ombra delle foglie galleggianti per l'80% del loro tempo.

Adult size

15 cm

Description

The Angelfish's Brother:

In nature (especially in the flooded lakes of the Amazon), Festivums and Angelfish (*Pterophyllum*) form huge inter-specific mixed schools. They have the same habitat, the same ambush behavior and feel protected by each other. Putting a small group of Angelfish and a small group of Festivums in a 300-liter (75-gallon) tank is considered the most natural and successful aesthetic and behavioral combination in fishkeeping.

Care and observations

The Guardians of the Water Surface:

Unlike Geophagus (which stay low) or Severums (which stay in the middle), the Flag Cichlid is the perfect occupant of the top part of the aquarium (surface zone). It is a rarity for cichlids of this size (15-20 cm / 6-8 inches). For them to live well, the aquarium must not be empty at the top: you must absolutely insert large floating plants (e.g., Pistia, Limnobium) under which they will hide in ambush all day.

The Terror of Hands:

They are notoriously shy fish. Any sudden movement above the tank or the sudden insertion of hands for maintenance will cause absolute panic in the school: Festivums will jump out of the water violently hitting the lid or will try to throw themselves to the bottom, injuring themselves. Always slow movements and tank strictly sealed with glass lids.

Slow-Eye Hunters:

Given their position in the tank, if you administer very fast sinking pellets they will eat nothing. They exclusively require floating food (giant flakes or floating cichlid pellets). A large school of Festivums will also clean up any infesting "Duckweed" in the aquarium, eating it.

Fish profile

Temperament
Estremamente pacifico, timido e facilmente stressabile. Totalmente inoffensivo verso pesci di fondo e di mezz'acqua, ma potrebbe predare neon minuscoli scambiandoli per insetti superficiali.
Diet
Insettivoro / Folivoro (Onnivoro in vasca). Mangiano quasi esclusivamente in superficie. Necessitano di pellet galleggianti o a lento affondamento, insetti liofilizzati (grilli, tubifex) e materia vegetale galleggiante (spesso mangiano lenticchia d'acqua, duckweed).
Tank level
Zona superiore. Stazionano all'ombra delle foglie galleggianti per l'80% del loro tempo.
Minimum group
4
Adult size
15 cm
Minimum tank
200 L
GH
2 dGH - 10 dGH
KH
n/a
TDS
n/a
Conductivity
n/a
Sex ratio
Gruppi (si formano poi coppie stabili). I maschi diventano leggermente più grandi (15-20 cm) e sviluppano pinne dorsali e anali più appuntite, ma il dimorfismo è minimo.
Feeding frequency
1-2 volte al giorno, solo con cibi che restano in sospensione o galleggiano.
Bioload
Medio (relativamente al fatto che sono ciclidi moderatamente grandi).
Flow
Corrente da Nulla a Debole. Fortemente disturbati dal getto potente di un filtro.
Jump risk
Covered tank required
Reproduction
Raro caso di riproduttore su substrato aperto/fluttuante. Puliscono maniacalmente la grande foglia di una pianta vicina alla superficie (o un tubo del filtro), vi depongono fino a 200 uova e le difendono ferocemente, aggredendo e mordendo qualsiasi pesce tenti di salire in superficie per respirare.
Compatibility
Mantenimento perfetto insieme agli Scalari (Pterophyllum scalare) di cui condividono le acque d'origine, con Severum (Heros), Geophagus, Loricaridi e robusti branchi di Tetra di profondità (Cardinali, Rummy-nose). Incompatibile con grossi Ciclidi aggressivi o con pesci di superficie frenetici (Danio, pesci accetta).

Image gallery

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