One of my personal favourite Cichlids is the Uaru Amphiacanthoides or "Poor man's Discus", as it is sometimes known.

They are very sensitive fish and more difficult to keep than many others. They are also a lot less commonly seen in the shops.

Unfortunately, a mystery disease wiped out all four of mine at the start of March this year, and I am still trying to replace them.

Uarus (pronounced 'Waroos') have a very low tolerance to poor water conditions and require regular partial water changes to keep them in good health. Before the illness wiped them out, I kept mine firstly with Firemouth cichlids of a comparable size, and then with an Oscar and a pair of Severums. I changed 10% to 15% of the water on a daily basis and kept the Nitrate level down below 5 ppm.

For good advice on how to care for Uaru Amphiacanthoides and their cousins Uaru Fernandezyepezi, I strongly recommend that you become a member of the Uaru Forum

http://www.uaru-forum.com

You will find a lot of very useful advice on this site, and be able to share your experiences and advice with other Uaru keepers.