| Scientific name: Labidochromis sp. "perlmutt" |
| Trade name: Pearly Lab |
| Natural habitat: Rocky environments and caves. |
| Food in the lake: Insect larvae that are picked out of cracks in rocks. |
| Food in the aquarium: A mix of quality pellets, flakes, krill, artemia, etc fed sparingly. No mammal meat! |
| Behaviour in my aquarium: The dominant male defends his territory fiercely only against other Labidochromis sp. "perlmutt". Other cichlids are tolerated most of the time. |
| Tankmates: Can be kept with other Mbuna, but is also a good company for mid sized Malawi cichlids like Copadichromis, Aulonocara, Otopharynx, etc... Large predators have to be avoided |
| Maximum size: Can vary quite a bit depending on water quality and food amount. Grows to about 10 cm. |
| Aquarium: At least a tank of >150L with a sufficient amount of rocks and caves. A sand bottom, pH between 7.5 - 8.5, temperature about 25°C |
|
2 concurrent males involved in a territorial fight in my aquarium
|
|
Personal notes:
I got this nice little Mbuna from a good friend that I know from the club. The 7 small juveniles have grown steadily and are a playful group in my 800L tank. These Labidochromis can be agressive towards each other, but they are definitely far less agressive than the more robust Melanochromis and Pseudotropheus. In my opinion these cichlids are a nice addition to every mid sized Malawi setup, and they are a good replacement for the well known Labidochromis caeruleus. Keeping the caeruleus and perlmutt together has to be avoided, as they could hybridise, what's not desirable!
A male in my aquarium.
With all fins flared this cute little guy looks great!
|
