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Fast
facts on Labeotropheus "genus"
Biotope:
Endemic to Lake Malawi. Two different species are known (with a lot
of local morphs): Labeotropheus fuelleborni (I kept and bred a
quartet from Katale Island in the past) and Labeotropheus Trewavasae
(right now I am keeping a young pair not yet spawned). See pics of
the latter including a female showing an OB (orange blotch) pattern
which is quite common for this genus.
Tank:
My group of Labeotropheus fuelleborni "Katale" has been
kept in a crammed 200 lt (52 gal) tank while my actual Labeotropheus
Trewavasae pair (possibly from Thumbi West, according to pics
available on books and comparisons with my fishes) are kept in a 360
lt (95 gal). Aquascaping is in the typical Malawi
"fashion" which means sand and rocks of various sizes and
colors rising almost to the water surface. In the wild almost no
plantation exists in their habitat but a "modest" group of
"Anubias sp." could help more fry to survive.
Water
chemistry:
Alkaline environment, don't forget it is a Lake Malawi cichlid.
Spawning:
Labeotropheus fuelleborni "Katale" gave me the largest
batch of fry I ever got (23: not bad for a female sizing 10 cm / 4
"); since they were kept in a quartet sometimes I even had two
females carrying at the same time. For reasons unknown to me, my
male always refused to mate with the third female ( you should keep
that in mind when you have a "sure" but hard to spawn pair
…). I am still waiting for the "first time" from my
Labeotropheus Trewavasae.
Food:
Vegetable matter, period! Flakes, pellets, tablets anything
containing "vegetables" will be eagerly taken. They also
like to scratch algae from the substrate and you should make a
provision for this - usually by avoiding very active scavengers in
their tank. I used to add black mosquito larvae and daphnias every
now and then as a "plus"!
Tank
Mates:
Both genera have been kept with M'bunas (some Pseudotropheus
species, and Labidochromis caeruleus). Labeotropheus trewavasae is
also kept with the victorian cichlid Haplochromis nyererei. Among
""non-cichlids" you could add some plecos (of
differente sizes). Finally, a Labeo bicolor had shared the tank(s)
with no troubles on both sides. As a conclusion I would say that a
200 lt tank is the absolute minimum for those fishes. All in all it
is a species to be kept with "hard" fellows, which, in
simple words, means to avoid Utakas.
Oddities:
Once, one of my carrying females (L. fuelleborni) finished carrying
in a plastic bucket (one of those used to change water) because of
lack of space(!) without any problems either for her or for
the fry. It was summer and a tiny internal filter had been the only
addition to this odd "release tank". |
