Product Details

Orange Chromide Cichlid – Pseudetroplus maculatus

The Orange Chromide Cichlid is a small, peaceful Asian cichlid with warm orange, yellow or greenish body colour, dark spotting and fascinating social behaviour. Correctly listed as Pseudetroplus maculatus, but still widely sold as Etroplus maculatus, this species is very different from most South American or African dwarf cichlids. It is best kept in a mature hardwater or lightly brackish aquarium with calm tank mates, clean water and a proper group.

Key Identification:

Common Name: Orange Chromide Cichlid
Other Names: Orange Chromide, Spotted Etroplus, Red Chromide, Pearl-spot, Orange Chromid
Scientific Name: Pseudetroplus maculatus
Older / Trade Name: Etroplus maculatus
Fish Type: Asian Cichlid
Water Type: Freshwater / Brackish

Natural Range & Habitat:

Pseudetroplus maculatus is native to southern India and Sri Lanka. It occurs in lagoons, small streams, lower river reaches, estuaries and coastal waters, and is often found among marginal roots, weeds and sheltered vegetation.

In the aquarium, Orange Chromides are best kept in mature hardwater or lightly brackish setups with stable water quality, gentle to moderate flow, plants that tolerate mineral-rich water, smooth stones, wood, roots and open swimming areas. They can be kept in freshwater if the water is hard and alkaline, but they are often at their best in low-end brackish conditions.

Appearance & Adult Size:

Orange Chromides have a rounded, laterally compressed cichlid body with a small mouth and neat fins. Body colour can range from yellow, orange and gold to olive-green or greenish-brown, with dark spots or blotches across the body. Breeding or well-settled fish may show stronger orange colour, and females may show white edging to the tail.

Adults usually reach around 7–9.5 cm, making them a smaller cichlid but still larger and more robust than most nano fish.

Aquarium Suitability:

This species is best suited to mature hardwater aquariums, low-end brackish community tanks, Asian biotope-style displays and peaceful specialist cichlid setups. It is a good choice for customers looking for an unusual cichlid that is generally calmer than many similarly sized species.

Orange Chromides are not suitable for soft acidic blackwater aquariums, tiny nano tanks, aggressive cichlid communities, predator aquariums, immature aquariums or setups where salinity and mineral content fluctuate unpredictably.

Recommended Aquarium Size:

A practical minimum is 120 litres for a small group, with a tank length of at least 90 cm recommended. Larger aquariums of 150 litres or more are preferred for groups, breeding pairs and mixed brackish communities.

Keep in a group of at least 5–6 where possible. They are social fish, and group keeping helps spread territorial behaviour. Pairs may form within the group and become more defensive when breeding.

Water Conditions:

Temperature: 24–28°C
pH: 7.2–8.2
Hardness: Moderately hard to hard
Salinity: Freshwater if hard and alkaline, but low-end brackish conditions are often preferred
Additional Notes: Stable mineral-rich water is important. If kept brackish, use proper marine salt mix rather than aquarium tonic salt, and keep salinity stable. Avoid soft acidic water, sudden salinity swings, poor oxygenation and high nitrate.

Temperament & Tank Mates:

Aquarium Category: Community Fish

Orange Chromides are generally peaceful for cichlids, but they can become territorial when breeding. Suitable tank mates include other peaceful hardwater or low-end brackish fish such as mollies, knight gobies with care, bumblebee gobies in suitable setups, wrestling halfbeaks, peaceful livebearers, smaller rainbowfish in compatible water and other calm fish too large to be bullied or swallowed.

Avoid soft-water tetras, delicate Cory-type catfish, tiny rasboras, shrimp, aggressive cichlids, large predators and fin-nipping species. Do not mix them with fish that need soft acidic water or very different salinity conditions.

Feeding:

Orange Chromides are omnivores. Offer quality cichlid flakes, small pellets, spirulina flakes, algae-based foods and fine granules as the staple diet. Supplement with frozen or live foods such as daphnia, brineshrimp, cyclops, mosquito larvae, bloodworm and small mysis.

Include vegetable and algae-based foods regularly, as the species naturally feeds on algae, zooplankton and small animal foods. A varied diet helps maintain colour, condition and breeding readiness.

Behaviour in the Aquarium:

This species is social, alert and often more peaceful than many cichlids of similar size. Groups may move together through the aquarium, graze from surfaces and interact around plants, roots and décor.

Pairs may become territorial when spawning. Orange Chromides are biparental substrate spawners, and adults may guard eggs and fry. Breeding fish can become more defensive, so provide sight breaks and space if keeping a group.

Care Notes:

Add Orange Chromides only to a mature, fully cycled aquarium. Keep water clean, mineral-rich and stable. If running a brackish setup, maintain salinity consistently and avoid mixing with freshwater species that cannot tolerate salt.

This species is often sold under the older name Etroplus maculatus, so using both names in product search fields will help customers find it. It is best presented as a hardwater or brackish specialist, not as a general tropical community cichlid.

Recommended For:

Intermediate

Availability:

Occasional / Specialist import or captive-bred colour strain when available

Image Disclaimer:

All images are a visual representation of the fish you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Natural variation in size, orange colour, spotting, body tone, fin edging, sex, age and markings can occur between individual fish.