Last updated on September 12th, 2022 at 10:26 am
The purple rose queen cichlid is a unique, bright color freshwater fish that requires specialized care and attention. Although they are not the easiest fish to keep, these unique fish will bring bright and vibrant color to your aquarium while adding hours of enjoyment as you watch their behavior.
The purple rose queen cichlid is known in the aquarium world as the purple queen or purple rose cichlid. This species is native to South America but has become popular in the aquarium hobby due to its beautiful coloration and hardiness when cared for properly.
The purple rose queen cichlid makes an excellent beginner fish because it doesn’t require very specific water conditions or unique feeding requirements and grows to about 6 inches in length in captivity.
If you’re interested in adding purple rose queen cichlids to your home aquarium, be sure to read on for everything you need to know about caring for this beautiful fish in your home aquarium!
What is a purple rose queen cichlid?
Purple rose queen cichlids are a species of freshwater fish that is native to Central America. They are closely related to other types of queen cichlids (pregnant female) and are, in fact, very closely related to all species belonging to these groups. Although most queen cichlids belong to one of three distinct families of cichlids, there are numerous exceptions.
The purple rose queen cichlid belongs to its own family, called Haplochromis. This is not unusual for queen cichlids; another member of its family – Haplochromis burtoni or red fin wolf – found exclusively among Malawi fishes. Very little else is known about this unique specie of fish because they have never been studied in depth by scientists.
The purple rose queen cichlid is a hybrid of the Midas (Amphilophus citrinellus) and Red Devil cichlids (Amphilophus labiatus), Redhead Cichlid (Vieja synspilum), or Red Spotted Cichlid (Vieja bifasciatum).
Origin and description
A south American cichlid fish, most commonly referred to as a Purple Rose Queen cichlid is a gorgeous creature that must be taken care of with extreme caution. Usually reaching about four inches in length, it is a hardy fish that can adapt to various temperatures and prefers both fresh and saltwater. They’re also rather slow-moving creatures, so they make great beginner pets for children or even adults who are just starting out.
While they come in many colors such as red, blue, orange, and white; purple is by far their most popular color due to its vibrant nature and easy recognition among aquarium hobbyists.
Species profile
The Purple Rose Queen cichlid is one of a kind. A striking fish, it stands out from all other species in its class. From its unique coloration to its fascinating behavior, here’s everything you need to know about caring for a Purple Rose Queen cichlid.
Scientific name
The scientific name of the purple rose queen cichlid is Amphilophus Lucasi Purpureus
Habitat and description
This species of cichlid is native to South America and can grow up to 14 cm in length. When breeding purple rose queen cichlids, it is important that both parents are ready for spawning. The male will clean out a nest and then entice a female into it by displaying for her.
She will then lay between 200 to 400 eggs which he will fertilize before scooping them all up into his mouth. He will care for these in his mouth until they hatch 2 to 3 days later, at which point he spits them out into an aquarium containing some fry foods. He continues to care for them as they learn how to swim and eat larger food particles, feeding bits back to the fish once or twice per day until they reach about 1 cm long.
Purple rose queen cichlid size and weight
Female purple rose queen cichlids can grow up to 9.3 inches in length, while males only reach about 6.3 inches. And with a weight of about 1.4 ounces for females and 0.96 ounces for males, you can expect these fish to be pretty petite by most standards.
Purple rose queen cichlid tank size
The minimum recommended tank size is 30 gallons. Keep more than one pair in your tank for a successful spawn, but plan on setting up a new tank once they are ready to breed. These fish reach an average length of at least 8 inches, and sometimes closer to 10 inches. Even a 30 gallon tank will quickly get overstocked with all of these fish in it once they start to mature and breed.
Tank set up
The first thing you should consider when setting up a tank for your purple rose queen cichlids is their size. They will require at least a 30-gallon tank, and 75 gallons or more is preferred. A larger tank has more space for hiding places, which cichlids appreciate.
It also has more water volume, which allows for better filtration and an overall healthier environment for your fish. In addition to large tanks being highly recommended, they are absolutely necessary if you plan on housing multiple adult purple rose queens in one tank.
Water parameters inside your tanks are very important for purple rose queen cichlids. The water should be kept between 72 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit, with a pH between 7.0 and 8.0 and a hardness level of roughly 15 to 20 DH (dH).
Purple rose queen cichlid tank mates
The purple rose queen cichlid is like a mbuna cichlid and should not be kept with any fish that can fit in its mouth. They are very aggressive cichlids and are extremely territorial, so they should only be kept with other fish like mbunas. The royal gramma (Gramma loreto) makes an excellent tank mate. Other acceptable choices include jewel cichlids, green chromides, firemouths, convict cichlids, and Kribensis.
Purple rose queen cichlid breeding
Like many other cichlids, purple rose queen fish require specific environmental conditions to reproduce. During mating season, provide your female fish with a nesting site (in their natural habitat, they use leaves or similar structures to spawn and protect their young). Mature females will be noticeably plumper than males.
When breeding is successful, you should see a large number of baby fish (called fry) soon after. Note that newborns are quite small – each only about 1 mm long. You may need to move newly hatched fry into another tank so they can grow more quickly; even at such a young age, these little guys compete for food from their mother.
Are purple rose queen cichlid aggressive or peaceful?
This fish is rated as an aggressive species, however, when choosing a tank mate, it’s better to look at territoriality rather than aggression. You can have multiple purple rose queen cichlids in one tank but make sure that each has its own cave or rock structure that they call home.
Purple rose queen cichlid care
The purple rose queen cichlid is fairly easy to care for, making it a great fish for beginners. These fish should be kept in tanks with an abundance of hiding places and dense vegetation. Since they are not so big, they need very little room, and can even be kept in 20-gallon tanks if there is enough space for a school.
Purple rose queen cichlid diet
Purple rose queen cichlids are omnivores. They need protein and vegetable matter in their diet to stay healthy. A mixture of flakes and pellets is ideal for them, but they also enjoy live foods like brine shrimp, bloodworms, and daphnia. Your fish will eat when it feels hungry, so be careful not to overfeed them.
Water parameters
They live primarily in waters with a pH of 8.0 to 8.4, and an ideal temperature range of 70 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of their large size and growth rate, you’ll need to provide them with plenty of room for themselves as well as other fish.
As juveniles, they can be kept alone in a 20-gallon tank, but once fully grown you’ll want to have at least three per every 100 gallons (and possibly even more). Purple rose queens are bottom feeders which means they need plenty of hiding places on both the bottom and mid-levels so they don’t feel vulnerable when eating or resting.
Purple rose queen cichlid lifespan
The lifespan of a fish is greatly affected by how it is cared for, so try to keep your purple rose queen healthy and in a stable environment for its entire life. Their average lifespan is 12 to 15 years.
Parasites and diseases
One of the most common threats to your purple rose queen cichlids is disease and parasites. Because they’re particularly prone to internal parasites like flukes, you should regularly check your fish for signs of infections. Examine them carefully looking for small white worms attached to their gills or small yellow dots all over their body as a sign of anchor worms. If you notice that your fish are wheezing or have a swollen belly, these can be symptoms of swim bladder disease which requires immediate medical attention.
Predators
A wide variety of fish feed on and hunt purple rose queen cichlids. This includes butterflyfish, trevally, tangs, damselfish, blennies, and angelfish. Fortunately for purple rose queen cichlids, these predators are more commonly found near open water or coral reefs where their numbers are usually limited by competition with each other. However, eagle rays may venture into shallow waters while feeding.
Do they make great pets?
If you’re looking for a pet fish, you can’t go wrong with the purple rose queen cichlid. If treated well, they can make amazing pets for your home aquarium!
