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Not
really a species but rather a human origin (infertile) hybrid, this
fish adds a touch of color in an African cichlid aquarium and can
adapt very easily to the water conditions of such a tank. It is said
that it can crossbreed with other species, something not feasible in
a tank which houses pairs of fishes. An aggressive but slow species
will hold its own despite the presence of Africans. Will lay eggs
occasionally (in tanks bigger than 600 Liters) which will be guarded
for several days. The infertile eggs will develop fungus and be
eaten by catfishes after that. Has a difficulty in eating from the
surface, therefore special care should be taken for some sinking
pellets or flakes which distribute in the whole tank. Will slowly
grow to 20 cm. During the spawning period the female will develop a
pink / orange hue something which disappears after the eggs are
eaten. The pink coloration will become their permanent coloration if
kept at pH values lower than 7.0 (acidic pH).
Minimum
tank size : 150 cm / 500 liters. The fish may be kept in smaller
tanks but it will never reach full size. Some rocks for spawning and
a lot of swimming space. See next
page for more photos. Please check the notes
that follow.
The top photo was selected as
the "Fish of the Week" in April 1999 by the
Master
Index of Freshwater Fishes editor.
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