LAKE MALAWI CICHLIDS.
Order Perciformes ( Perciformes )
Family Cichlidae ( Cichlidae )
Subfamily ( Pseudocrenilabrinae )
Genus Pseudotropheus.
Medium-sized mbuna, endemic to Lake Malawi. The melanin pattern varies. Territorial fish in nature, having chosen a shelter, they rarely move far from it. All fishes of these species are quite pugnacious, and therefore, already at the time of purchase, they should be selected so that there is some harmony in the aquarium community. In the aquarium, they mimic a rocky landscape with stones reaching the water surface, with an algae-covered upper part, crevices, and caves.
Structures and constructions made of stones with many passages and caves give the fish confidence — this is exactly what they are used to in their native biotopes. The most important thing is the division of space! Visual natural boundaries must be created in the aquarium. It is important that the fish can stay out of sight to avoid constant fighting. And if your aquarium resembles a quarry, this will be the best solution. But at the same time, it would be good to fully use the height of the tank and place the stones so that they reach the upper edge. This is the only condition under which the fish will stay in the upper water layers.
Several females should account for one male, and the number of shelters must exceed the number of fish. Aeration, filtration, and regular water changes are mandatory. Typical herbivorous cichlids whose diet is based on algal fouling and small organisms living in this fouling. Females carry eggs in their mouths. dH 8-25°; pH 7.2-8.5; T 22-27°C, salinity 1-5% if necessary.
In 1976, W. Burgess assigned a number of species to the genus Melanochromis. Immediate relatives of P. zebra, including P. aurora, P. lombardoi, P. livingstonii, P. hajomaylandi, and P. greshakei, were included in the newly created subgenus Maylandia, while P. tropheops was placed among the representatives of Tropheops.
— Pseudotropheus sp. “Acei” — Yellow Tail Acei. (Eng. — Yellow Tail Acei, White Tail Acei). Western coast of Malawi. 12-15 cm, females are smaller. Several geographical variants with a blue body and yellow fins, at least two geographical variants with a beige body and yellow fins, a geographical variant with a blue-black body and white tail, and a geographical variant with a blue-black body and yellow tail. Characterized by rich, contrasting coloration and undemanding nature.
Depending on the area of the lake where the population lives, unpaired fins can be whitish or yellowish. In males, the spiny part of the dorsal fin is pale blue. Females have a yellow dorsal fin. Both males and females have egg spots on their anal fins. Adults and juveniles are also very similar, although older individuals are usually darker. Color morphs: — P. acei “Yellow Fin” — Caudal fin is yellow; — P. acei “White Fin” — Has a significantly darker blue color and a faint stripe behind the head. Caudal fin is white;
Does exceptionally well in an aquarium with fine gravel as substrate and an abundance of rockwork. An aquarium with rocks reaching the upper water level. They occupy the upper water layer. It is advisable to supplement the tank decor with various driftwood to bring the habitat closer to that typical of the natural biotope of these fish. Males are generally much more aggressive than females.
Compatible with equal-sized or larger neighbors. Fits well into the community of other endemics of the African Lake Malawi. Males are territorial and aggressive during the spawning period. A single male and 3-4 females should form a group.
In the wild, they feed mainly on algae. They are hungry all the time and ready to eat constantly. They feed on cichlid pellets and flakes, spirulina flakes, and occasionally frozen live food. They reach sexual maturity at 10-12 months. A high flat stone is needed for spawning, sometimes they dig a pit under a rock. Fry are sand-colored.
— Pseudotropheus demasoni [Konings, 1994] — Demasoni Cichlid. (Eng. — Demasoni Cichlid, Midnight Demasoni). Lake Malawi, rocky areas. Males 8-9 cm, females 6 cm. Males and females have the same body coloration. They feature a bright blue color with 5-6 dark blue, almost black stripes, starting from a very dark stripe behind the gill cover and ending with a muted dark stripe at the base of the caudal fin, with light blue stripes between them.
On their head, three blue stripes alternate with two dark ones. One of these dark stripes is between the eyes, and the other on the forehead, which intersects with the first vertical stripe behind the gill cover. Chin with a lighter blue coloration. A light blue border runs along the edge of the dorsal and anal fins. Caudal fin with very thin horizontal dark and light blue lines, with a blue border along the edge.
Although there is no difference in coloration between females and males, the latter tend to be brighter, larger, more aggressive, and bolder than females. When purchasing these fish, you should pay attention to the pattern of the stripes: the more contrasting and even they are (at least not intersecting with each other), the more valuable the specimen. It is also interesting that already at one month of age, the fry have the coloration of adults. It resembles P. minutus, only the stripes of the latter are less distinct and do not reach the tail.
This fish is a “dwarf” of the Mbuna group, but do not be fooled by its size. You are unlikely to be able to keep more than one or two fish in an aquarium with a volume of less than 200 liters. They are territorial, quite aggressive towards fish that have blue colors with various shades, and if the living territory is small, the dominant male can beat another to death. You should not house them with striped fish, especially yellow striped ones.
Males conflict and can quickly get rid of any potential rivals. For this reason, a large number of shelters and rocks are required for this species in the aquarium. The ratio of fish in the aquarium is 3-6 females per male; there should not be more than one male. Prefers middle water levels. Unlike other Mbuna representatives, they spend a lot of time in caves and swim around rocks, following the contours of the rocks (like Julidochromis), swimming upside down, sideways, or at strange angles. But not out of shyness, rather out of curiosity.
Sand substrate with a layer of 2-3 cm. Plants, even tough-leaved ones, will be destroyed. Effective filtration, regular water changes. Vegetarians, they must receive foods with a high content of spirulina and other plant components. Pellets should be soaked before feeding. They start breeding at 6 months, spawning on a smooth boulder. The fry are of mixed sizes, and if they are not separated, the larger ones will eat the smaller ones. This fish is not for beginners. pH 8.0-8.9; dH 10-18°; T 22-28°C.
Identification: Pseudotropheus demasoni.
— Pseudotropheus elongatus [Fryer, 1956] — Elongate Mbuna. (Eng. — Elongate Mbuna, Slender Mbuna). Lake Malawi, rocky biotopes. Mbuna group. 12 cm, in the aquarium 7-15 cm. Violet-black with blue transverse stripes. Fry are grey, as they grow, dark stripes with a violet tint appear first, then the spaces gradually turn blue.
Males of the species have a characteristic yellow coloration of certain parts of the fins and body with barely noticeable vertical banding, a blue sheen is noticeable on the head of males. Females are brownish in color, and the vertical stripes on the body are more distinct.
Several different color variations are known. The first has eight blue transverse stripes. The second is blue-violet with 6-12 black stripes. In most cases, the fins are black in color. Color morphs: — P. elongates “Chewere”; — P. elongates “Mpanga” — males have a blue background with 6-8 vertical stripes of intense blue color that fade in the rear part of the body. Unlike other species, the rear part of the dorsal fin is light yellow. Females and dominant males are dark blue with less prominent stripes.
Males are polygamous. Keep one male with several females. They are among the most aggressive fish of the genus Pseudotropheus. Some elongatus aggressively defend their feeding grounds from any intruders, and not only males but also females, while others only resist conspecific males. They should not be kept together with more peaceful species, as they will be subject to constant harassment.
A spacious aquarium with a large number of shelters, hardy plants, but also with enough swimming space is required. Visual natural boundaries must be created in the aquarium. It is important that the fish can stay out of sight to avoid constant fighting. They dig the substrate a lot during spawning. Prefers middle water levels. They feed mainly on algae of rocky fouling. They mature in 9-12 months. Females incubate eggs in their mouths. Juveniles grow quickly and reach 5 cm by 6 months. pH 7.5-8.9; dH 12-25°; T 22-27°C.
Pseudotropheus flavus, heteropictus, saulosi, socolofi, williamsi.
Protomelas “Steveni Taiwan”, Protomelas taeniolatus, Protomelas virgatus. 
