Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Recichlidus. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Locked Topic
Cyphotilapia Sp. Giberosa 'tanzanite'; Profile & Pic by Frony05
Topic Started: Oct 26 2006, 12:05 AM (547 Views)
Frony05
Member Avatar

Members
Profile submitted by:
Frony05

Posted Image


Scientific Name: Cyphotilapia sp. giberosa 'Tanzanite'

Common Name: Tanzanite Frontosa

Country of Origin: Lake Tanganyika, Africa

Size: Males 35cm

Females: 25cm

Diet: Brine shrimp, fish, Frozen foods & pellets etc.

Tank Zone: Bottom to mid level.

Sex: Males are much larger with much larger nuchal hump.

Temperament: Can be aggressive to others of the same species.

Breeding: Typical Mouth Brooder.

Tank Setup: Very large tank with very large caves.

Temperature: 25 - 27°C

PH: 8.0 - 8.5

Hardness: Moderately hard to hard.

General Information:
The ‘Tanzanite’ Frontosa is from Lake Tanganyika, Africa. Most reach an average size of 25 cm - 35cm, but some can grow larger in length. Males are much larger and with a much larger nuchal hump on their head. The females of this species tend to be slightly smaller in size with much smaller nuchal hump on their head. This species variant can be partly identyfied by the fact that the bar closest to the head form a mask that crosses the bridge of the nose unlike the 'Burundi' in which this bar goes directly over the haed.
You should have this cichlid in a minimum tank size of 6 foot or bigger. This cichlid does well in community tanks. Caves are very important as well as good aeration. Keep a temperature range from 25°C - 27°C is good. This cichlid is a mellow cichlid, but can get very aggressive towards others of the same species. This is not a demanding cichlid as far as foods go. This cichlid will eat a variety of foods from live worms, Brine shrimp to veggies, frozen worms, flake foods, pellets and cichlid sticks. This variant has a 'Royal Blue' body colouration that can vary between intense to dark depending on the mood of the fish at any given time.

Breeding Info:
Due to the limited exposure to the Australian market, the Tanzanites are only now being documented. Of the 20 fish imported, all but one are now in the care of Frontasia members. These Frontosa have been bred on a limited basis and spawning and fry raising has not been greatly documented.
Tanzanites are shallow pit diggers. The dominant male will excavate a shallow spawning pit at the edge of his cave. The female then is harrassed until she is ready to spawn. At this point any excessive water flow should be limited as the males milt is not extremely strong and high flow may result in the eggs failing to be fertilized adequately.
The female will lay between 1 to 3 eggs following which the male will fertilise them, the female will take then into her mouth and spawn the next batch of eggs.
This process is repeated until the female is dry. She will then seek refuge in a secluded spot in the tank and try to avoid the males continued advances.

Comments:
I have had 3 spawns from one of the females for a success rate of 50% to date. It is believed that the initial spawning failed due to the males immaturity. The second spawning resulted in 27 fry. Another smaller female has spawned once and this resulted in 10 fry.

I have found that to ensure a good strike, the female should be allowed to hold the eggs for a minimum of 3-5 days, at which stage if stripped the eggs will have already started to show signs of development. this method also allows for the female to get rid any infertile eggs, thereby ensuring the stripping is of only possibly viable eggs.

This species has only recently been introduced to our hobby and as such is not readily available in the general aquarium market.
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Enjoy forums? Start your own community for free.
Learn More · Sign-up Now
« Previous Topic · FISH PROFILES · Next Topic »
Locked Topic