It is a carnivorous fish and in wild, it apparently feeds on benthic invertebrates. In captive condition, it accepts a wide variety of live and frozen foods such as Artemia, Daphnia and chironomid larvae. It also takes flakes, pellets, tablets and finely chopped meat. Feed should be supplied 2-3 times a day.
The double full red cockatoo cichlid is an egg layer fish that prefers to spawn in caves. The female lays up to 100 eggs and the female guards the eggs while the male guards the territory. In the aquarium they prefer upturned flowerpots, fake coconut caves, bogwood and broad leafed plants for cover and as spawning sites. The eggs hatch after three to four days. The fry becomes free swimming within seven to ten days. At this time they should be fed with newly hatched brine shrimp. After a week or two, the fry should be fed with naupli. They are a fast growing species and the fry reaches sexual maturity in about five months.
Generally the male is larger in size than the female. The male reaches up to 10 cm in length while the female can grow up to 5 cm in length. The first several rays of the dorsal fin in male are extended and overall brightly colored. The male’s belly and pelvic fins are golden brown in color while the female`s belly is dull yellow in color with the front of the pelvic fins are solid black.
The cockatoo cichlid is sometimes known as the big mouth cichlid due to its large mouth. They are readily available in many online pet shops and can range in price from moderate to moderately expensive. The cockatoo cichlid has many color variations such as the full red, double red and triple red, super red and orange. To buy your favorite colored cichlid, look below online vendor that I would recommend from.