Severum care guide

Plan a tank with severumsSee all tank mates

Severum quick facts

Tank setup

One fish needs at least a 55-gallon (208 L) tank 4 ft (120 cm) long, and a pair or small group needs 75–100 gallons (284–380 L) or more. Use sand, big pieces of driftwood and smooth rocks, and leave open water for swimming. Severums dig and eat plants, so choose tough or artificial ones. Set heavy decor directly on the glass so it can't be undermined.

How many severums in a tank?

The smallest common tank that suits severums is a 55 gallon. Here is roughly how many fit in each size when they are the only fish, based on adult size and waste output. Leave room if you want tank mates.

Numbers are bioload limits only. Males fight, so keep one fish or one pair.

Water parameters

Keep it at 24–28°C (75–82°F), pH 6.0–7.0 and soft to moderately hard water. Farm-bred fish cope with pH up to about 7.5, but sudden swings stress them. Strong filtration and 30% water changes every week keep nitrate low.

Best tank mates for severums

These popular species share severums' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 26 good matches.

• Nerite snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Bristlenose pleco

  12 cm (4.7 in) · 22–26°C (72–79°F)

• Assassin snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Ramshorn snail

  2 cm (0.8 in) · 21–27°C (70–81°F)

• Malaysian trumpet snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 20–27°C (68–81°F)

• Convict cichlid

  12 cm (4.7 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)

• Firemouth cichlid

  13 cm (5.1 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)

• Kribensis

  10 cm (3.9 in) · 24–27°C (75–81°F)

Avoid keeping severums with

• Cherry shrimp: Severum eats small shrimp like cherry shrimp.
• Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: Severum 24–28°C (75–82°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).
• Fancy goldfish: They need different temperatures: Severum 24–28°C (75–82°F), fancy goldfish 18–23°C (64–73°F).
• Guppy: Severum can eat guppies: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Neon tetra: Severum can eat neon tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Panda corydoras: Severum can eat panda corydoras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.

Feeding

An omnivore that needs plenty of plant matter. Feed a quality cichlid pellet plus spirulina or vegetable-based food, and offer blanched peas, spinach or zucchini. Add frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp or chopped prawn a few times a week.

Behavior

Calm for a big cichlid, but males squabble and pairs defend a territory when breeding. It eats fish small enough to swallow, plus dwarf shrimp. Good tankmates are calm fish of similar size: other mild South American cichlids, silver dollars, large plecos, angelfish and big gouramis. A single fish kept alone sometimes turns grumpy, and a pair or group often settles better.

Breeding

Severums are hard to sex, so most keepers raise around six young fish and let a pair form. The pair spawns on a flat stone or wood, and both parents guard the eggs. After hatching, the parents carry the fry in their mouths for a while. Feed the fry baby brine shrimp and powdered food.

Tips from experienced keepers

• Plan for an 8-inch (20 cm) fish. Severums are sold small but grow into large, deep-bodied cichlids.
• Use anubias, java fern or fake plants. Severums tear up and eat most soft plants.
• Feed greens every week. A diet of only meaty food doesn't suit them.
• Many severums in shops are really Heros efasciatus or farm strains. Their care is the same.
• Avoid small tetras, livebearers and shrimp as tankmates. Adult severums will eat them.

Sources

We checked these references when writing this page. Values are for healthy long-term keeping, not survival limits. Last reviewed 2026-10-13. See our editorial policy.

• seriouslyfish.com
• fishbase.se
• aquariumsource.com
• fishkeepingworld.com