Ilyodon furcidens - Back to Ilyodon furcidens Page


    Water Conditions- Not critical, but require effective filtration and regular water changes
    Behavior- A Generally peaceful goodeid, Can be aggressive with smaller tankmates
    Breeding- 5-30 Large young every 2 Months
    Size- One of the larger goodeids, 3-4 inches

   This is not one of the rare goodeids, but is by far one of the most attractive. Brilliant yellow beneath high contrast
    fine complex mottling makes it a fish that draws your eye. Some appreciate it for its interesting similarity in appearance
    to some of the US natives such as the bass, trout or salmon. Topping out at about 4 inches it is one of the larger goodeids,
    requiring at least a 20 gallon tank. The tank in the video is a 50 gallon with a population at the limits of what that tank
    can hold, given that it receives regular water changes. Because of its size and activity level it does require a tank with
    effective filtration and some aeration. As an adult, this fish does poorly in a bucket or tank without aeration of filtration
    for more than just a couple hours. So it is best to ship them when they are younger, when they will do well in transit.

    Interestingly, this is a fish that customers seem to truly enjoy and keep for long periods. There have been those
    who have bought this fish that have said they do well with other species. One friend kept them with larger cichlids
    and they did fine, standing up for themselves when they needed to, but never looking for or causing trouble.
   
    This species, like other goodeids, have been reproducing seasonally, producing fry from mid March to September. The fry
    are just about the largest of any of the goodeids and are eaten by the adults when the adults are fairly large. Females
    generally don’t bother their own fry, but fry are often eaten by other adults, so females need to be moved to a 10 gallon tank
    of their own to drop their fry. The fry can be put immediately into their own filtered, aerated tank and will grow quickly on
    crushed dry food, baby brine shrimp and other live foods. As soon as they are big enough to survive in a tank with adults
    they should be moved to the larger tank.

    These can be difficult to sex until larger, and if you decide to select your breeders for the most interesting markings,
    be careful as the markings on males are more pronounced at a younger age. Choosing for coloration at too young of an 
    age could end up with a mix far heavy with males, though both sexes could be very similar in appearance as adults.

    One goal with this species is to keep them in a pond for a season to see what it does to their size and coloration!


    See other Care Guides Here