Chocolate blue lamprologist, or marble princess, is known to cichlid lovers since one thousand nine hundred and eighty-three, when this fish was first described by the German ichthyologist Wolfgang Steik. Thanks to his efforts, this fish arrived in Berlin and is cultivated there by German aquarists.
The fish came to Moscow from Berlin in one thousand nine hundred and eighty-eight. However, until now it is known only to a narrow circle of skillful cichlidniki. With what this is due to it is difficult to say. Perhaps the reason lies in the strong sensitivity of the fish to water pollution. When it is kept in the aquarium requires extreme care. In the wild, Lamprologus buescheri inhabits the southern part of Lake Tanganyika. There it lives among tiered stone slabs and rdestos. Our Lamprologus buescheri can be called a shallow-water fish as it practically does not dive below ten meters.
Brief description of the chocolate blue lamprologist
The usual size for this species is eight to ten centimeters. Sometimes under especially favorable living conditions they can reach twelve centimeters. The coloration of the fish is dominated, as its name suggests, by delicately chocolate colors. On the scales there are sapphire sparkles. The coloration is very beautiful and original. Males, as is common in most species, have a slimmer body structure, more colorful attire, especially during spawning, and a more predatory appearance. In adults, fangs can be seen protruding from the mouth.
Coexistence, like most cichlids lamprologus is not distinguished. Hence, it follows that it is desirable to keep this fish is not in the general, and in a species aquarium. In this case, a pair of adult fish need an aquarium of at least fifty liters. If you want to keep a flock of these fish, you will have to increase the volume of the aquarium. It is also necessary to observe the correct ratio of males and females in the pack. On one male should be two or three females. Otherwise, fights are inevitable.
Keeping of chocolate blue lamprolog
Aquarium is desirable to decorate tiered decoration with a lot of secluded corners. Also highly desirable thickets of some fast-growing plants such as vallisneria, elodea. Water should be clean with a high oxygen content. This in turn requires equipping the aquarium compressor and filter. Lighting is not critical for the fish themselves. Therefore, it should be selected according to your taste and the needs of the plants with which you decorate the aquarium with lamprologists. The temperature regime should be maintained at twenty-four to twenty-seven degrees Celsius. During spawning, the temperature should be raised by two to three degrees. Chocolate blue lamprologist prefer hard and very hard water. The acidity of the water is necessary about eight.
Feeding Lamprologus buescheri is not very difficult. These fish are relatively easy to adapt to new food. However, do not overfeed them or keep them on one type of food for a long time. However, this applies to all species of fish. Overfeeding moths can end with bloating of the stomach, lifting scales. Feeding poorly washed trubichnik fraught with lethal outcome. So the fish requires constant attention expressed in the cost of effort and time. Therefore, before you start lamprologist critically assess your strength. Will you have enough time to provide proper care for this species.
Lamprologus breeding
For breeding сhocolate blue lamprologist prefer hard and very hard water. The acidity of the water is necessary about eight. is better to arrange a separate spawning aquarium. Its size should correspond to the number of fish that you are going to drop off for spawning. Usually it is one male and two to three females. Sometimes practiced gregarious method. But then the spawning tank should have an even larger volume.
The spawning aquarium can be equipped in much the same way as a permanent holding tank. It is only necessary to slightly raise the water temperature.
The male may spawn with one female or with several in turn. That the eggs have already been laid can often be guessed only indirectly by the frequent solitude of the male in his favorite cave, where he blows the clutch with his fins. Eggs are relatively small and cream-colored.
The eggs mature slowly for about fifty to seventy hours. When the fry hatch females should be removed from the spawning ground. Starter food – Artemia nauplii.
As the fry grow, they should be sorted into rearing tanks according to size. If this is not done, cannibalism may occur among young fish. For the same reason, fry larger than one centimeter should not be left next to adult fish.
As sexual maturation – about eight months of life fish become very aggressive showing all the characteristic features of predators. Adult fish retain the ability to spawn for up to five years.
Despite the bully character of the fish has an attractive appearance. Therefore, has the right to live in our aquariums. At least in the fish farms of avid cichlidnikov.