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Not really a species but rather a human origin (infertile) hybrid, this fish adds a touch of color in an African cichlid aquarium and can adapt very easily to the water conditions of such a tank. It is said that it can crossbreed with other species, something not feasible in a tank which houses pairs of fishes. An aggressive but slow species will hold its own despite the presence of Africans. Will lay eggs occasionally (in tanks bigger than 600 Liters) which will be guarded for several days. The infertile eggs will develop fungus and be eaten by catfishes after that. Has a difficulty in eating from the surface, therefore special care should be taken for some sinking pellets or flakes which distribute in the whole tank. Will slowly grow to 20 cm. During the spawning period the female will develop a pink / orange hue something which disappears after the eggs are eaten. The pink coloration will become their permanent coloration if kept at pH values lower than 7.0 (acidic pH).
Minimum tank size : 150 cm / 500 liters. The fish may be kept in smaller tanks but it will never reach full size. Some rocks for spawning and a lot of swimming space. See next page for more photos. Please check the notes that follow.
The top photo was selected as the "Fish of the Week" in April 1999 by the
Master Index of Freshwater Fishes editor.
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