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No federal permit to keep

Midas cichlid

Amphilophus citrinellus

Fishes › Cichlids (Cichliformes) › Cichlidae (Cichlids)

Amphilophus citrinellus is a large cichlid fish endemic to the San Juan River and adjacent watersheds in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Intermediate

FamilyCichlids

Adult lengthup to 13.8 in

WaterFreshwater

HabitatLives in freshwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 48 in long and 18 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 9.6 in / 24.4 cm).
Water: Freshwater.
Temperature: 73–91°F (range recorded for this species).
Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
Diet: FishBase classes it as a carnivore.

Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.

Care guide

Species care notes

Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 70–79 °F, pH 6–8, 5–25 dGH.
Behaviour: in a pair; not a community fish.
Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).

Short excerpts from the species profile:

Setup: “There are few fish that show less regard for a beautifuly decorated tank than these.”
Diet: “One of the least fussy feeders you are likely to encounter in the hobby, most specimens will attempt to eat anything that looks as though it might be edible.”
Tankmates: “One of them most belligerent cichlids around, you need to know what you're doing when attempting to keep a midas with anything else, and that includes its own kind.”
Breeding: “Provided you can obtain a compatible pair, breeding is fairly straightforward.”

From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167

Group care guide

Central and South American cichlids

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Rivers and lakes of the Americas. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Size ranges widely, from convicts at 5 in to Parachromis over 20 in; plan tank size for the adult fish.
Most tolerate neutral, moderately hard water; strong filtration and rock or wood caves.

Sources 117 119 164

Climate & lighting

Water

75–82°F

Sources 117 119 164

Diet

Omnivorous cichlid pellets plus vegetables for herbivores (Vieja, Uaru) and meaty foods for predators (Parachromis).

Sources 117 119 164

Social life

Territorial; breeding pairs can clear a whole tank.

Sources 117 119 164

Health watch

Aggression and territorial injuries, especially when breeding; hole-in-the-head in poor water.

Sources 117 119 164

Understanding the animal

About this animal

In the aquarium trade A. citrinellus is often sold under the trade name of Midas cichlid. A. citrinellus are omnivorous and their diet consists of plant material, molluscs and smaller fish.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Amphilophus citrinellus” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

In the wild

From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.¹

Where it lives	Lives in freshwater, in lakes. Uses both the bottom and open water. Lives in box-cut canals with rocky vertical sides, crevices used for spawning and protection of the young.
Water it lives in	Freshwater, 73–91 °F (23–33 °C).
Climate	Tropical climate.
Behavior to plan for	Breeding: nesters, biparental parental care.

What this means for care

Keep water within its wild range, 73–91 °F.
Parents guard eggs or young, so expect territorial behavior when breeding.

FishBase species summary: Amphilophus citrinellus

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 90°F (up to 91°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 60°F (down to 58°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	75–79°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	73–79% on average (driest month about 69%)
Rainfall	about 1498 mm a year

Measured at 70 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.

From the sources

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	Amphilophus citrinellus is a large cichlid fish endemic to the San Juan River and adjacent watersheds in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. In the aquarium trade A. citrinellus is often sold under the trade name of Midas cichlid. A. citrinellus are omnivorous and their diet consists of plant material, molluscs and smaller fish. The species is closely related to, but not to be mistaken for, Amphilophus labiatus, which shares the nickname red devil cichlid. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase
Reproduction	Spawn preferentially on the ceiling of natural caves. Deposit eggs on hard substrates, such as rocks or logs; both parents guarding the eggs and the fry for several weeks. 300-1000 eggs. — FishBase
Biology	Adults livesin box-cut canals with rocky vertical sides, crevices used for spawning and protection of the young. They are found in lakes; uncommon in the rivers but will penetrate the lower river valleys where the water is slow flowing or tranquil. Omnivorous, eating mostly aufwuchs, snails and small fishes; also feed on insect larvae, worms and other bottom-dwelling organisms. — FishBase
Conservation	Amphilophus citrinellus has been evaluated as being of least concern for extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The arrow cichlid (Amphilophus zaliosus) was evaluated as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. — Wikipedia (community-edited)

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Adult length

Average of sources11.7in

FishBase 1649.6

Seriously Fish species profiles 16713.8

Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.

Water temperature

Average of sources71.5–85°F

FishBase 16473–91

Seriously Fish species profiles 16770–79

Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.

pH

Reported6–8

Seriously Fish species profiles 1676–8

Water hardness

Reported5–25dGH

Seriously Fish species profiles 1675–25

Veterinary & husbandry research

Aggression and welfare in a common aquarium fish, the Midas cichlid Oldfield RG et al., Journal of applied animal welfare science: JAAWS 2011
The complete mitochondrial genome of the midas cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellus) Xu B et al., Mitochondrial DNA. Part A, DNA mapping, sequencing, and analysis 2016
Gonad development in Midas cichlids and the evolution of sex change in fishes Oldfield RG et al., Evolution & development 2011
Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Glycolysis and Gluconeogenesis Pathway Activation Underlying Growth Enhancement by Duck-Blood Protein Hydrolysate in Flowerhorn Cichlid Fish Manassila P et al., International journal of molecular sciences 2025

Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170

Federal legal snapshot

No federal permit to keep

No federal law singles out this species for private keepers. State and local rules still apply.

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Not covered by the Animal Welfare Act

The Act only covers warm-blooded animals. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates have no federal care standards, even at licensed facilities; state and local rules may still apply.

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Has a Seriously Fish aquarium species profile
FishBase records it in the aquarium trade (Aquarium=commercial; AquariumFishII=based mainly on breeding)
253 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.