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The Loach Forum Archives (1)
Re: Electric Blue Cichlids
Posted By: Juli <warnerjr@provide.net> In Response To: Re: New aquarium- New loaches!!! (need ideas) (Fishface_Jr)
Date: Sunday, 18 July 1999, at 5:58 p.m.
I have a couple of these in my 70 gallon with my other African cichlids- The book I have lists them as Sciaenochromis ahli (Electric Blue Haplochromis). Males grow to 7 inches, females to 6. The book states that they are from Lake Malawi and prefer deep water in the wild with a rocky substrate. The males start to change to the metallic blue color at about six months of age (3 in.) and are very hostile to other male species that look like them. The fish are carnivorous by nature, but I feed mine a combination of pellets and fozen food and they do fine. I think I must have females because they are about 3 inches long and nothing is happening! These fish require a hard, alkaline water to do well and driftwood can actully kill them because it softens the water. Electric Blues also like a normal temp. of about 77 degrees, increased to 80-85 for breeding. According to my book, the fish are polygamous maternal mouthbrooders-the male courts several females, who lay the eggs and then pick them up in their mouths, where they are fertilized by the male (most male Malawi cichlids have "egg spots" on their anal fin that the female mistakes for eggs and tries to pick up in her mouth). The eggs are then incubated for about 21 days.
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