Quick Overview
Care Level: intermediate
Temperament: Calm to Semi-aggressive
Size: 8 - 10in
Minimum Tank size: 55 Gallon for one, 75 gallon + 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)
Food: Omnivore, protein pellets, veggie based cichlid pellets, blood worms, black worms, green peas
Origin: Bred in captivity, The original H. Severus are from the Amazon Basin of South America
Juvenile Red Spotted Severum
About
Red Spotted Severums are very similar to the Golden Severum in size and tank requirements. As juveniles you may notice more of the yellow or golden color on your Severum but as they grow they will turn more into the photo seen at the top of this page. The eye popping red coloration of this fish was selectively bred from Gold Severums. These attractive fish are not true mouth brooders, rather they find a flat rock or clear out an area on the substrate and lay their eggs guarding them until hatched. This captive bred line seems to grow larger then its cousins as well with some breeders getting sizes of 10-12in on occasion.
Tank Requirements
Since this fish is bred from Golden Severums their tank requirements and care are almost the same. If you plan on having just one of these beautiful cichlids a minimum tank size of 55 gallons is required. But this also depends on what other fish you plan to house with these elegant fish. So if you 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 though many average around 8 inches. This size tank not only gives you length and height, but it gives width as well giving the two Severum room to turn around. As you can see the more you want the bigger you will have to go. When upgrading tanks a deeper foot print is advised to give them plenty of room to turn around.
Décor is very important to go over with any type of fish you buy. As mentioned above these fish are omnivores, meaning they eat veggie based foods as well. So don't plan on putting any Severum into a planted tank as they will munch away at them, unless you buy a hardy plant or fast growing plants such as Hornwort. But some shading and places to hide are recommend to reduce stress, using drift wood, stacked rocks and fake plants can help provide cave like structures for these big fish. Most stores do not carry premade caves for this size of fish, so buying something small may cause them to get stuck inside. Some Severum owners do not use any caves leaving the whole take open for swimming and have a few fake plants around the tank. This can work as well if they are raised up into this environment to reduce stress levels from not being able to effectively hide. A sand substrate should be used because these fish dig periodically and sometimes during mating if no flat surfaces are chosen by the pair breeding. Using sand will also avoid any damage to the fish during feeding time as they scoop up food off the ground.
Filtration
You will need a good filtration system since these big fish can be pretty dirty with the larger amount of waste they produce. With a weak system your tank parameters can change fast which can harm and sometimes kill your fish. Signs you need a better filtration system are cloudy water, algae growth, stinky water, sick fish and many other symptoms due to bad water quality (some of these symptoms can be due to other reason then filtration). 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. Many hobbyists run both systems using hang on back filters and a canister filters to keep up. Some people also use Sponge filters inside the tank with a canister filter to help polish the water or serve as another biological filter to help keep the tank balanced and clean.
Canister Filter intake and outtake
Feeding
As stated with the other types of Severums, Red Spotted 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 nutrients 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 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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