LAKE TANGANYIKA CICHLIDS.
Order Perciformes ( Perciformes )
Family Cichlidae ( Cichlidae )
Subfamily ( Pseudocrenilabrinae )
Continued…
Genus Cyprichromis.
Unites fishes previously described as representatives of the genera Paratilapia, and then Limnochromis. Inhabit coastal biotopes of Lake Tanganyika. Peaceful, schooling fish. In nature, these cichlids gather in thousands of schools, which sometimes consist of individuals of different species. Hierarchical relations common among African lake cichlids are not typical for them. In all species, males are much brighter than females. In many aquariums, they can perfectly complement a community of bottom-dwelling and rock-dwelling cichlids.
Aquarium from 200 liters, at least 1 meter long. In such volumes, it is possible to keep a sufficient number of specimens to organize a balanced school of fish. The configuration of the tank itself does not matter, only the depth should be paid attention to. The aquarium for their maintenance practically does not require any landscape decorations. A bare-bottom aquarium equipped with a filtration and aeration system fully satisfies these conditions. The presence of decorative elements can be due only to the aesthetic tastes of the hobbyist. Aquariums should be tightly covered with glass lids, because fish are very fast and jump into the smallest gaps not only along the glass, but also in the center of the aquarium.
Due to their schooling lifestyle, you need to buy a minimum of 5-7 specimens, and preferably 10-15 fish. The factor of school size and the sex ratio within it is of substantial importance. For a 200-liter aquarium, a school of ten fish is optimal. It is preferable to have a larger proportion of males and fewer females in the school. Males pay considerable attention to indicating their social status, which is accompanied by the demonstration of secondary sexual characteristics. Thus, females remain out of the zone of intrusive male attention. A situation organized in this way is essential for mouthbrooding females. The highest quality stock of breeding fish can be formed from individuals aged one and a half years and older.
Cyprichromis is a very non-conflict fish, neither among themselves nor towards representatives of other species. During the spawning season, males fight among themselves (especially C. microlepidotus), but usually do not inflict damage on each other. Yellow- and blue-tailed males meet together and can often court the same female. However, territorial aggression is almost always focused on “single-color” opponents. That is, yellow-tailed males chase mainly other yellow-tailed males, while “blue” males chase mainly other “blue” opponents. If the group is small, the intra-school situation becomes uncomfortable. Spawning becomes unstable, males fade. If only two males remain in the aquarium, one will begin to oppress the other. The dominant male does not exert direct physical impact on his opponent, nevertheless the latter moves to the corner of the aquarium. The subdominant male begins to eat worse and leaves his shelter only sporadically. Cyprichromis are completely indifferent to growing juveniles. Cyprichromis juveniles surrounded by older fish feed more actively and gain positive experience of participating in society.
Cyprichromis do not touch aquarium plants. First of all, due to the highest dynamism in aquarium practice, the most important indicator is pH. In nature, the pH parameter is 8.5-9.0. By setting a lower pH level in a tank with fish, you initiate a situation of constant stress. The level of nitrogenous substances in the aquatic environment is very important, they should tend to zero, fish are very sensitive to them. A biological filtration system is required. The expediency of using an activated carbon stage in the filtration system is undoubted. Attention must be paid to the presence of suspended matter in the aquarium. Short-term water clouding does not visibly affect the fish, but as a long-term factor, it depresses them. Fish cannot tolerate chlorine at all, so water must be aged before water changes. They need regular water changes.
In their natural biotope, Cyprichromis are planktivores. All fish of the genus feed on zooplankton, drawing in food with quick “gulps”. The mouth of these fish is specially adapted for this kind of action and stretches into a “tube” when catching food objects. All kinds of live foods of suitable size are readily accepted. The diet of adult fish includes corethra, bloodworms, plankton, frozen and compound feeds. When forming a feeding strategy, it is advisable to lean towards plankton – daphnia, cyclops, artemia, streptocephalus. Fish actively take frozen foods; a significant disadvantage of frozen foods is that Cyprichromis show very restrained interest in food that lies motionless on the bottom. Therefore, frozen foods should be given in small portions, thereby ensuring their more complete consumption. Tubifex – a carrier of pathogenic microflora – should be avoided. Regular feeding and good food quality are of great importance for these species; stale food is fatal to them. If the fish begin to shake their heads from side to side and dart about, trying to spit out the swallowed food, you must immediately remove its remains from the aquarium and stop feeding them with it.
They mature in 10-12 months. Stable results in breeding Cyprichromis are obtained when keeping a school of 15-30 fish in the aquarium. A spawned Cyprichromis female, although she stays in the school quite cautiously, remains a fairly active participant. The female does not look for shelters or special orientation within the school. In this case, the fish should still be kept in a shaded aquarium and without water changes, but food can be given. Fish continue to be fed, preferably not live food (moving live food is an additional irritant for the incubating female). The water change regime becomes more sparing (in smaller doses), the lighting intensity decreases. The best solution is to move the female to a separate container. dH 10-20°; pH 7.8-8.8; T 24-26°C.
— Cyprichromis microlepidotus [Poll, 1956] — Honey or small-scaled cyprichromis. Synonym: Limnochromis microlepidotus. Lake Tanganyika. 10-12 cm, females are smaller. Body is elongated, spindle-shaped. Has tiny scales on the longitudinal line of the body and because of them can be easily differentiated from other members of this genus. All other varieties have 39-41 scales on the longitudinal line of the body, compared to the tiny 63-71 scales in Cyprichromis microlepidotus. The caudal fin is crescent-shaped, the dorsal and anal fins are neatly rounded. The straight mouth can project far forward. In nature, they live in large schools. Within the same population, males with yellow or blue tail coloration may occur.
In the male, the body and the base of the tail are honey-orange with bluish-purple glints. Dorsal and anal fins are turquoise-blue. In males, the honey-orange body coloration also extends to the tail. Males usually have more attractive colored fins. Especially if they have blue-black or yellow colors. Females are smaller than males, gray-beige to greenish-gray. The scales of female microlepidotus shine and fluoresce.
Has many geographical color variants that differ greatly from one another, almost each of which has several color varieties. Males of a single geographical variant show a wide spectrum of polychromatism, i.e., different coloration of male individuals of the same population. Moreover, this difference concerns not only the caudal fin (yellow or blue), but also other parts of the body and fins. Color morphs: — C. microlepidotus “Kasai” – has dark spots on a yellow background. Yellow pigmentation on the back and snout; — C. microlepidotus “Kabembe” – Spotted yellowish body combined with bluish fins; — C. microlepidotus “Kavala” – has an orange-yellowish body coloration; — C. microlepidotus “Kigoma” – has a very interesting coloration of the dorsal fin: it is either completely yellow, or completely black-blue, or combined – yellow with black-blue inserts of various placement and configuration, while the caudal, anal and ventral fins are colored black-blue; — C. microlepidotus “Kiriza” – has an almost completely black coloration. Individuals with yellow pigment on the caudal fin are sometimes found; — C. microlepidotus “Mabo” – has blue fins, chestnut body without pigmentation; — C. microlepidotus “Magara” – has black fins, yellowish body in the belly part and black pigment spots on the back and dorsal fin.
Fish love space, and an aquarium less than a meter long is not suitable for adults. The bottom area of the aquarium should be at least 150 x 50 cm, so that these graceful open-water cichlids do not feel cramped. In a tall aquarium, stone structures simulating rocks with grottoes and caves should reach the water surface and demarcate territories. You can plant small groves of Vallisneria or Elodea and be sure to provide a large, open swimming space. Substrate made of fine river sand, not too light, stones should be dark.
It is undesirable to keep them in pairs, groups of at least 10-15 fish are necessary. The number of males can be more than a third of the group. The more Cyprichromis in the aquarium, the calmer they stay and the more successfully they can be bred. A school of fish can be kept in a top-covered general aquarium with peaceful fish species; they do not compete with lithophilic cichlids or bottom species.
During the spawning season, males show territoriality, fight among themselves, but usually do not inflict damage on each other. Intraspecific aggression consists mainly of body posture display and driving competitors out of their territory. Intraspecific aggression can be reduced by keeping a large number of adult males together, since conflicts are then distributed. Jumpers prefer to stay in the upper and middle water layers. Very sharp and jump into the smallest gaps not only along the glass, but even in the center of the aquarium. Therefore, the tank must be covered very carefully. The water must be rich in oxygen and free of nitrates.
The best food is cyclops and other crustaceans, various flake foods. Fish move their extendable mouth back and forth quickly, collecting mobile small food. Fish do not touch plants, are very sensitive to poor food and water quality, as well as sharp changes in its composition and temperature. Mature in 10-12 months. Spawning takes place in the water column. Only females incubate eggs in their mouths. Fry leave the female almost as ready small fish about 1.5 cm. T 24-27°C; dH 8-20°; pH 7.2-8.5.
— Cyprichromis pavo [Buscher, 1994]) — Peacock cichlid. Congo. 10 cm. Have a straight oral cavity extending far forward, which helps to easily catch zooplankton, even single crustaceans. One of many varieties in Lake Tanganyika that has a large number of color morphs. Males usually have more attractive colored fins. Interestingly, in S. pavo, it is not the caudal fin that has a different coloration, but the anal fin. Females are colored quite modestly: beige or light brown body coloration and the absence of any pattern on the fins. Representatives of the species Cyprichromis pavo have small scales, which partly relates them to microlepidotus, but with more elongated ventral fins. Ventral fins are spotted, pointed and slightly elongated, extending to the zone of hard rays of the anal fin.
Males of C. pavo are polychromatic, i.e., within the same population they can show different coloration, but, as a rule, the anal fins in this species are either yellow or blue. Color morphs: — C. pavo “Kasai” – has dark spots on a yellow background. Yellow pigmentation on the back and snout. Dorsal fin and lower part of the snout bluish; — C. pavo “Nangu” – the coloration of this C. pavo race differs from the base by a bluish body tint and yellow pigmentation on the chest.
The aquarium should contain areas of open water. The bottom should be of fine or medium river sand. Should not be kept in pairs, groups of at least 6-12 fish are necessary. They usually occupy the empty upper and partially middle layers of the aquarium water space. Sexually mature males defend territory against other males of their variety. Fish move back and forth quickly, collecting mobile small food with their extendable mouth. They do not spawn in open water, but use rock surfaces of the biotope for this purpose. In aquarium maintenance, vertical planes of stones or other decorative elements are more often used for spawning. Quite often, if there is substrate, males dig depressions-troughs in the sand. T 25-27°C; pH 7.8-8.5; dH 10-20°.
— Cyprichromis zonatus [Takahashi, Hori, Nakaya, 2002] — Cyprichromis zonatus. Lake Tanganyika. 12 cm. This variety has a more compact shape rather than being as elongated as other Cyprichromis. They have a very interesting structure of the oral cavity, extending forward, which helps to easily catch zooplankton, even single crustaceans. This species does not differ in catchy appearance, bright colors are absent. Males do not exhibit polychromatism (i.e., color differences among males of the same population), and have a rather limited distribution range.
Characterized by a yellowish coloration and quite distinct, 3-4 wide dark vertical stripes in the upper part of the body, which from time to time contrastingly appear on the body of these fish. The belly and lower part of the body are yellow. Some of the outer rays of the caudal fin have thread-like endings. Males usually have more attractive colored fins. The female is slightly smaller, has a beige to light brown color (without a pattern on the fins). Currently, another geo-variant of this species is known — C. zonatus “Gombe”, inhabiting near the settlement of Gombe. It does not have pronounced color differences and differs only in color shades.
Keep in a small school (8-10 specimens), which perfectly fill the usually empty upper and partially middle layers of the aquarium water space. Relatively peaceful varieties and can be kept with various bottom varieties. Prefers a darkened aquarium and a large swimming area. Spawning of these cichlids takes place in the water column; during preparation for spawning and during its course, males can show aggression towards their own kind and other cichlid species. The female incubates eggs in her mouth.
Cyprichromis leptisoma, jumbo. 
Last changes and additions made on December 11, 2012.
