Neptun
Cichlid concord is remarkable in many ways. Both its body shape and way of life and peculiarities of spawning make this species a very interesting object for observation. Concorde has the Latin name Nimbochromis linni, but previously it was called Haplochromis linni and Cyrtosaga linni. Now these names should be considered synonyms, although obsolete.
Nimbochromis linni has been exported to Europe since the year one thousand nine hundred and seventy-four from Burundia. At that time, this species was considered a variety of the leopard haplochrome. This seems to have been facilitated by the fact that their fry was indistinguishable in appearance. However, in 1957 W. Burges and H. Axelrod classified the Concorde as a separate species and the rest of the scientific community tacitly agreed with them. Cichlid concord differs from Haplochrome by coloration, body shape and peculiarities of its behavior. The species was first introduced into the USSR in 1948.
The cichlid conchord is endemic to Malawi. It has an elongated snout and retractable mouth. Males are larger than females and have a bluish green coloration with golden edging and spotty mottling of the unpaired fins. The abdomen during spawning may darken to anthracite. Females and fry are brown-piggy with brown spots. The average size of fish from ten to fifteen centimeters. In rare cases, concords may grow to thirty centimeters in length.
Keeping cichlid concord
A rectangular aquarium of one hundred liters per pair is preferable for keeping a Concorde. Decorate the aquarium to your liking. Concords can also pull plants and tear up the ground. After all, cichlids after all. But because of their innate laziness, they are outrageous rarely.
The water should be hard, its acidity about seven. The temperature ranges from eighteen degrees to twenty-five. It should be borne in mind that eighteen degrees is the lower limit to which you can adapt the fish. This is done gradually when you want to achieve a more vivid coloration of females. Their brown spots then become red. But it is better below twenty-two degrees’ Celsius temperature does not drop at least sharply. And strengthening the color contrasts can be achieved by enriching the food with vitamins and carotenoids.
Feeding Concorde is not much different from other cichlids. But there are some peculiarities. Concorde is omnivorous. Sixty percent of its diet consists of food of animal origin. About forty percent of the food he eats should be vegetable.
It is also not desirable if not to say impossible to give the concords tubeworm. Even after several washes the tubeworm in an aquarium with concords can cause bacterial damage and death of fish.
Breeding Concord
Cichlid concord breeding also has some peculiarities. The first attempts of spawning are observed in the first year of life. But full-fledged offspring can be obtained from breeders who have reached the age of one and a half or two years. In this case it is important how the female was kept in the first place. She should not be skinny or obese. In general, as they say in plenty of time or in the juice :-). During one spawning to get twenty-five to forty fry is considered quite a decent result of your efforts.
Both pair and harem breeding methods can be used. When the pair is ready to spawn, they will approach each other and begin to whirl in a peculiar dance. It is very important not to disturb them at this moment. Any sudden sound, push or flash of light will disrupt the rhythm of the “dancers” and part of the eggs will not be fertilized. After hatching the eggs, the mother incubates them in her mouth. On about the seventh day, the fry emerges from the eggs. Their starting food is cyclops, Artemia nauplii, rotifers.
From the earliest days of the fry need careful care. The slightest underfeeding or overcooling and bacterial damage to the fins is assured. Often this lesion is not reversible. Only when the fry reaches a size of about two centimeters in length the aquarist can relatively easy to breathe. It is believed that by this time the immune system of fry enough to protect them from most bacterial infections.
Such a difficult fish to keep. But the more difficult it is, the more interesting it is for a real amateur. Or do you have a different opinion?
