Should I buy it?
Green Terror
Andinoacara rivulatus
Also known as: andinoacara rivulatus (trade), Andinoacara rivulatus (trade)
Fishori provides conservative planning guidance, not guarantees.
Based on multiple reputable aquarium care sources with strong agreement. Use the numbers here as planning defaults — your room, water, and routine still shape real-world outcomes.
A large aggressive cichlid with spectacular teal colouring. Requires species-only or carefully managed setups of 300 L or more.
Best for
Species-only or large-cichlid pairs in tanks of 400L or more with heavy rockwork and no fish under 15 cm.
Avoid if
You have a community tank, a setup under 250L, or fish under 15 cm.
Top things that go wrong
- Grows large or needs a very big footprint. Green Terror is often sold at sizes that hide adult length (~30cm on file) and a published minimum near **300L**. Shop tanks are not adult housing.
- Mouth gap vs tiny tank mates. Predation risk toward smaller tank mates. The figure that matters is the adult mouth size against the adult prey length, not the juvenile sizes in the shop.
- Shrimp & snails. Shrimp: not safe. The fish will eat adult shrimp, shrimp fry, or both, depending on the size of the shrimp.
Common mistakeA juvenile green terror as a 'centrepiece community fish'. Adults reach 30 cm and systematically kill community companions.
What most shops don't tell you
- 1.Predation risk scales with gape, night feeding, and crowding. 'they grew up together' is a schedule, not a law.
- 2.Buying for juvenile size in the shop tank. Budget for adult length and turning radius, not the inch-long fish in the bag.
- 3.Adding bite-sized tetras or livebearers "until the predator grows". The first lost fish lands months earlier than the plan said.
- 4.Not for community tanks. Needs a large tank with robust tankmates of similar size and temperament. Will eat small fish.
About this species
Green terrors are 25 to 30 cm South American cichlids that develop green-blue iridescence. Males can read calmer than an oscar but still hold a territory, with breeding males being the worst flashpoint.
- Oscar300L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Severum250L min · same group, comparable tank size
- African Cichlid200L min · same fish family
- Convict cichlid200L min · same fish family
- Discus200L min · same fish family
- Firemouth Cichlid200L min · same fish family
- Jack Dempsey200L min · same fish family
- Keyhole cichlid200L min · same fish family
- African Cichlidalso intermediate aggressive, similar tank size
- Jack Dempseyalso intermediate aggressive, similar tank size
- Oscaralso intermediate aggressive, similar tank size
- Common Pleco tank mateslists this fish as a safe and recommended mate
- Jack Dempsey tank mateslists this fish as a safe and recommended mate
- Oscar tank mateslists this fish as a safe and recommended mate
Plan grid
Key limits are shown above; this section adds planning detail: pH band, swim level, bioload and activity, and the radar.
Swim zones
Planning trait chart
Six indices for comparing species on paper before you spend.
- Beginner ease26
- Peacefulness0
- Community fit0
- Small-tank fit66
- Hardiness54
- Energy54
Numbers are deterministic planning indices from Fishori fields — not a scientific score of your individual fish.
Common setup sketches
Conservative patterns from Fishori fields — still run the pair checker for every species you add; sketches are not a stocking guarantee.
Avoid “one of everything” baskets — Green Terror belongs in a plan built around territory, line-of-sight breaks, and matched water chemistry.
Tank mate intelligence
Use the "Often compatible" lists as a shortlist, not a stocking plan. Always run the pair tool and check the footprint of your actual tank first. Verify behaviour for Green Terror against your own reading before you buy.
Pair-level compatibility with this fish as anchor.
Read the blocking rule on each pair page before experimenting.
Do-not-stock combinations on conservative hobby rules.
Compare with
Run a real pair check: Green Terror + Oscar
- Try Oscar — open the pair check.
- Try Jack Dempsey — open the pair check.
- Try Common Pleco — open the pair check.
Behaviour, temperament, and what to watch
Prose and lists come from the same record: read temperament first, then glass-level signals so you are not surprised after day three.
Green Terror is aggressive in mixed company. Treats any fish small enough to fit in its mouth as food. Mouth size at adult length matters, not the prey's listed adult size. Holds territory on substrate, in caves, or at the surface film. Break the sight lines with hardscape to keep the resident off the visitor.
Stress / aggression triggers on file
- Crowding and limited territory
- Similar-looking fish in the same tank
- Spawning, for any breeding pair
Fin nipping: Not a habitual fin-nipper, but individuals can still test fins under stress or in a crowded tank.
Predation: Predation risk toward smaller tank mates. The figure that matters is the adult mouth size against the adult prey length, not the juvenile sizes in the shop.
Territory: Holds territory on substrate, in caves, or at the surface film. Break the line of sight with hardscape, and avoid placing the tank where the fish can see its own reflection.
Planted tanks: good — easy plant ideas
In the glass: typical and warning signs
- Moderate pacing — not hyperactive, not motionless.
- Clamped fins, gasping at the surface, hiding non-stop, or refusing food after the first week.
- Rapid breathing when parameters swing — fix ammonia/nitrite first, then reassess mates.
- Chasing one individual repeatedly, torn fins on tank mates, or food theft every feed.
- Corner guarding, flaring, or body-blocking — territory is normal until it becomes relentless.
- Separate or rehome if injuries appear, one fish is pinned, or feeding becomes a daily chase.
- If water is stable but behaviour worsens, reduce stocking or remove the highest-impact species first.
Fish behaviour can vary between individuals and tank setups. Always observe new fish closely after introduction.
Care parameters: water, food, inverts, grouping
Chemistry and group rules sit here so you are not re-reading the same line from tank mate or temperament blocks. Swim level is in the plan grid above.
Hardness
variable
Diet
carnivore
Small invertebrates, frozen bloodworm or daphnia, and protein-rich prepared foods. Rotate the menu and feed by appetite rather than by clock.
Shrimp & snails
Shrimp: not safe. The fish will eat adult shrimp, shrimp fry, or both, depending on the size of the shrimp.
Kept singly or as a paired setup. Check the species profile before doubling up in one tank.
Breeding behaviour depends on the species. Research before you buy a mixed-sex group of this fish.
- Hold 22 to 26 °C steadily on a real thermometer, not the dial on the heater.
- Aim for pH 6.5 to 8 and a hardness you can re-test in two weeks. A one-time strip in the shop car park is not a water test.
- Footprint: short wide tanks and tall narrow tanks fish differently for the same volume. Match the tank shape to the swim pattern, not just the litre count.
- Tank volume meets or exceeds 300L published minimum for adults.
- Heater can hold 22–26°C without cooking cooler-water tank mates.
- No tank mates small enough to fit the adult mouth gap for this species.
Explore and stocking hubs
Same library as the rest of Fishori: tank-mate index for this species, category peers, guides, and litre-based stocking lists where min tank on file is within the hub volume.
Plan with tools
Pair-level rules and multi-fish stocking use the same conservative engine — add this fish in the tank builder only after mates pass pair checks.
Filtration & heating
A 300L minimum tank needs a filter rated for at least 1200L/hr turnover and a heater to hold 22–26°C reliably.
Plant suggestions
Green Terror does well in planted tanks. Plants compatible with 22–26°C and pH 6.5–8:
Profile status: partially verified · Evidence tier: high · 3 linked source(s). Fishori does not fabricate citations.
Fishori uses conservative planning rules based on these sources.
Confidence is explained in the summary at the top of this page (same tier as here), not repeated below.
How Fishori evaluates compatibility (same logic as pair and tank tools).
- Seriously Fish. Andinoacara rivulatus
Primary: aquarium size, water chemistry, behaviour, and compatibility (URL verified in upgrade script; recheck if site content changes).
- FishBase. Andinoacara rivulatus
Secondary: taxonomy, distribution, and maximum length in nature; cross-check with aquarium import lines and measured tank parameters.
- Wikipedia. Andinoacara rivulatus
Secondary: general species context; verify all husbandry numbers against a dedicated aquarium care sheet and your test kit, not a single table row.
Evidence notes
- The Seriously Fish profile for the binomial in this record was successfully reached as the primary aquarium reference.
- FishBase contributes natural-range size and habitat context. Translate those numbers through your heater, your water report, and your tank footprint before stocking.
- Wikipedia is only cited if the article URL returned OK. Use it for orientation, not as the only care sheet for an import.
- All compatibility text reflects typical hobby experience and the Fishori model. Individual fish, shop stress, and the order tank mates are added in can still defy a single-paragraph label.
- Fishori profiles work from typical aquarium trade sizes and hobby care norms. Specialist site checks and literature review for this species are not yet recorded here, so the ranges on this page are planning numbers rather than guarantees.