I have a little colony of Golden-eye Cichlids in a 10 gallon (40L) aquarium. These fish are known as a good beginners fish. They stay small, they are hardy, and they are relatively easy to spawn.
A male is on the right side of this picture.
I wish I could give a better review of these fish. I do LIKE them, I just don’t LOVE them.
The problem with my fish is that they are so secretive. They dart to the back of the tank and hide behind the sponge filter. If I stand completely still they will come out to feed.
I tried using dither fish. The term “dither fish” means that you put in another species of fish, preferably an active fish, that makes the shy fish realize that everything is OK, and they don’t need to hide.
I had 4 Neon tetras. I thought they might make a good dither fish. When the first one disappeared I wasn’t concerned but he was just an appetizer. The next three were gone in a day or so.
I also tried a little group of guppies and that ended the same way. I need bigger dither fish.
Golden-eye cichlids are moderately attractive. They don’t have any flashy colors, though I have heard that they get more colorful when spawning . Mine have not spawned, even though I have provided rocks, clay pots, and a fake tree root. They still prefer to hide all the way in back behind the sponge filter.
If you like cichlids but don’t have much room the Golden-eye may be for you.
Here’s some black algae growing in the cichlid tank. I bought some plants at our fish club and now I have this. At first, I liked it. It’s furry and attaches to wood and rocks. But then it keeps growing and spreading. My Bristle-nose Plecos don’t touch it. It seems that I will have Black Brush Algae for a long time.
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