Quick Overview
Care Level: intermediate
Temperament: Calm to Semi-aggressive
Minimum Tank size: 55 gallons for one, 75 gallons or more preferred
Water Parameters: 75-82°F(Aquarium heater required), dH of 2-6, pH 6.0-7.0 (A stable pH, is a safe pH even if it is not the recommended pH)
Food: Omnivore, protein pellets, veggie based cichlid pellets, blood worms, black worms, green peas
Origin: Bred in captivity, original H. Severus are from the Amazon Basin of South America
About
The Golden or Gold Severum is a very popular Cichlid fish in the aquarium trade. The yellow color morph of this beautiful fish is not its native color. In the wild these fish have a more greenish-brown color to blend in with their natural surroundings. Vibrant popping colors in the fish trade are very popular, so many hobbyists strive to breed in new color morphs of many fish. Such as the Red Severum or the Turquoise Severum by careful selective breeding processes.
Tank Requirements
Golden Severums are known for being one of the bigger cichlids and therefore require more to live a long happy life. Caring for one of these guys requires a minimum of 55 gallons for tank size, however if you have or wish to buy a pair you will want a minimum tank size of 75 gallons since these fish can get up to 10inches long on occasions. This size tank not only gives you length and height, but it gives width as well giving the two Severum room to turn around. If you are planning to upgrade tanks a deeper foot print is advised to avoid unneeded stress and aggression from not having plenty room to swim.
Décor is another important topic for these fish. As mentioned above these fish are omnivores, meaning they eat veggie based foods as well. Don't plan to keep many live plants in the tank with these fish unless you buy a hardy plant. They are known to pick and eat away at live plants. But some shading and places to hide are recommend to reduce stress. Using drift wood or stacked rocks can help provide cave like structures for these big fish, since most store bought caves will become to small and may cause them to get stuck inside.
The substrate should be a sand like grain since these fish dig periodically during mating if no flat surfaces are chosen buy the couple to lay their eggs on. A sand substrate will avoid any damage being done to the fish and will also help keep the tank clean since all debris sit on the surface. Making it easier to clean as well with a quick vacuum sweep.
Filtration
The bigger the fish the more dirt comes with them. If you don't have a good filtration system your tank parameters can change fast which can harm and sometimes kill your fish. You can notice cloudy water, algae growth, stinky water, sick fish and many other symptoms due to bad water quality. Even if you do water changes every day, if the filtration isn't big enough or strong enough the beneficial bacteria in your filters wont cut it. It is recommended to have a canister filter or hang on back filter that is rated for one or two sizes bigger then your tank size. Some hobbyists run both systems using the hob(hang on back) as a back up catching anything the canister filter misses. Sponge filters can also be used inside the tank with a canister filter to help polish the water or serve as another biological filter to keep the tank balanced and clean.
Feeding
Gold Severums are omnivores, meaning they need protein and veggies in their diet. Feeding these fish a mixed diet is recommended to in sure they are receiving all the nutrients they need to stay healthy. Protein and Veggie pellets or sticks are a great staple with treats such as black worms, blood worms, mysis shrimp and green peas are good sources of protein and the fish really enjoy it. Try not to over feed since this will cause your tank to become dirty faster and also is not health for the fish. Rather do small feeding once or twice a day. Try not to feed more then what they will eat in 3 minutes, if you have extra food floating or sitting in the tank and no other fish to eat them try to scoop it out. Food that sits in water will start to decay after 30 minutes which can cause algae growth and illness.
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