Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Rainbow Cichlid
Herotilapia multispinosa (Günther, 1867)
Also called Archocentrus multispinosus (former name)
From Central America: Atlantic and Pacific drainages of eastern Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, in lakes, swamps and shallow, often murky water over muddy bottoms.123
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Small to medium, oval-bodied cichlid
A compact, rounded cichlid, usually yellowish with warm red and brown tones and a row of dark spots running from the eye to the tail. Most adults stay fairly small. Males tend to have more pointed dorsal and anal fins.31
Personality what they are like
One of the gentler Central American cichlids. Pairs defend their patch when breeding, but outside of that it gets along with many other fish of similar size.12
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Moderately active; spends much of its time grazing and sifting around the bottom and decor.23
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Straightforward to keep: regular partial water changes, good filtration and a varied diet. Flat stones such as slate give pairs a spawning site.1
Home where they are happiest
Minimum base of about 90 x 38 cm (around 100 litres). Temperature 22-28 °C in the aquarium (wild fish tolerate much warmer water), pH 7.0-8.0, hardness up to about 20 dGH.12
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Omnivore. In nature it eats lots of detritus and filamentous algae plus small invertebrates. In the aquarium a quality cichlid pellet with frozen or live foods such as brine shrimp and some vegetable or spirulina flakes works well.123
Company who they like around
Forms monogamous pairs. Can share a tank with tetras, barbs, other peaceful cichlids, small plecos and doradid catfish.12
The story where it all began
Albert Günther named this cichlid in 1867, and in 1903 it was given its own genus, Herotilapia. Its gentle nature and modest size made it a good entry point for hobbyists curious about Central American cichlids.31
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It can flip between bright yellow and dark brown, and join its spots into stripes, within a few seconds, which is unusual for a freshwater fish.3
- 2
Its teeth have three points, a design suited to cropping filamentous algae.3
- 3
Rainbow cichlids make a range of sounds that researchers have described as thumps, growls and whoofs.3
- 4
A population has lived in the warm thermal lake at Hévíz, Hungary, since around 1991.2
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed June 2019)2
- Taxonomy
- Described by Günther in 1867; placed in its own genus Herotilapia in 1903; family Cichlidae3
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Rainbow Cichlid. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Seriously Fish: Herotilapia multispinosa seriouslyfish.comused for range, size, care, water, diet, compatibility, breeding
- FishBase: Herotilapia multispinosa fishbase.seused for distribution, max length, water, biology, IUCN, Hévíz population
- Wikipedia: Herotilapia multispinosa en.wikipedia.orgused for taxonomy, colour change, teeth, sounds, typical size
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.