blunthead cichlid

Introduction

Morphology

Behaviour & Life cycle

• diet
  herbivorous
• Sociability
  living in small groups
• territorial
  Yes
• Way of living
  diurnal

Reproduction

• Reproduction
  ovipare incubateur buccal
• Polygamy
  Yes

Harmless species

Conservation status of populations (IUCN)

Natural environment characteristics

• Temperature
  23 - 28 °C
• pH (acidity)
  7.8 - 8.8
• gh (hardness)
  15 - 25
• Flow
  Slow and Stagnant

Biotope presentation

Deontology

Respect for wildlife

In order to preserve wildlife, if you acquire this animal, it must not be released into the wild. See also, the Fishipedia charter.

Fishipedia supports the practice of responsible and environmentally friendly aquarium keeping. We encourage maintenance if it is motivated by a desire to understand the biological functioning of living things and if it is done with respect for animal life.

We believe that aquaristics is an opening to the discovery of aquatic environments, especially freshwater, and that this knowledge is necessary to better protect and respect these environments. Logically, we refute the compulsive purchase of animals that would not find a sufficient and / or adapted place in the host aquarium.

Our recommendations

• Min volume
  1000 liters
• Population min
  not specified
• Temperature
  23 - 28 °C
• pH (acidity)
  7.8 - 8.8

Characteristics

• Difficulty breeding
  moderate
• Robustness
  tolerant
• Behaviour
  moderately aggressive
• Availability
  occasional

General reminders

Before acquiring an animal

It is strongly advised to read the complete dedicated file and to get information on the feedbacks of maintenance of the envisaged animal, this to avoid any potential conflict whose end result is generally the death of the individual (or the other inhabitants). It is important not to overload your aquarium to limit pollution. This will make maintenance easier.

Freshwater conditions

In nature, animals are subject to weather conditions and live in waters with variable characteristics. The recommendations offered by our team for aquarium maintenance are a guidance and cannot be assimilated to scientific datas.

General reminder on maintenance datas

Setting up your aquarium

Le démarrage d'un aquarium est une partie primordiale pour l'équilibre et le bien-être des poissons. Lorsque l'on met en eau un aquarium, l'eau passe naturellement par un cycle biologique : le cycle de l'azote. Celui-ci dure environ trois semaines. Tous les 2 jours, nous vous conseillons de tester votre eau jusqu'à ce que le taux de nitrite soit à zéro pendant plusieurs jours d'affilée.

Pour accélérer ce cycle, vous pouvez utiliser un activateur de bactéries comme JBL Denitrol. Cette solution riche en bactéries vivantes et enzymes permet une mise en place rapide du cycle de l'azote. Les poissons peuvent alors être introduits plus rapidement.

Testing water parameters

Il est important de tester l'eau de son aquarium régulièrement pour maintenir un environnement sain pour les poissons et les autres habitants. Les tests d'eau permettent de mesurer les niveaux de différents paramètres tels que le pH, la dureté totale, ainsi que les taux de nitrates, de nitrites et d'ammoniaque.

Pour réaliser ces tests, vous pouvez utiliser des produits d'analyse spécialisés tels que JBL ProScan qui permet de réaliser un diagnostic de l'eau directement via un smartphone. Il existe également des coffrets de tests plus classiques de bandelettes, comme JBL PROAQUATEST.

Water changes

En cas d’usage de l’eau du robinet, vous pouvez utiliser un conditionneur d’eau de type Biotopol de JBL pour éliminer les substances nocives comme le chlore, le cuivre, le plomb et le zinc. Les conditionneurs d'eau garantissent une meilleure santé aux poissons et une meilleure croissance des plantes.

Precautions to be taken with chlorine

Chlorine and chloramine are dangerous for the health of animals. Used to disinfect water, these agents are present in significant quantities in tap water. We recommend using an anti-chlorine agent every time you change the water. In addition to chlorine, treatments and medicines sold for aquarium use sometimes contain dangerous heavy metals in high doses.

Specific needs for the blunthead cichlid

The blunthead cichlid is a species which lives naturally at a temperature between 23 °C and 28 °C. For proper maintenance, the temperature should never exceed the 31°C for long periods. Nitrate levels should remain below 50mg/L. To keep the water clean and unpolluted, plan on changing 20% to 30% of the water volume each month.

Maintenance difficulty

The breeding of this species is accessible on condition of being well informed about its needs in aquarium . Any cohabitants must be chosen with care to avoid the loss of animals.

Occasionally available species

This species is generally available in specialized shops or from aquarium clubs. Specimens that have been bred for a long time are easier to breed, but special water parameters must be respected.

Builder fish

This fish has the particularity to dig its territory in the sand. Therefore, it is likely to uproot plants and modify the decor of the aquarium.

Cohabitation & Environment

Being a living in small groups fish, it is advisable to install at least 0 individuals in an aquarium of 1000 liters minimum (for 150 cm of frontage). Group maintenance is a prerequisite to ensure their well-being. Lonely individuals tend to quickly become stressed and become especially susceptible to disease.

The blunthead cichlid has a strong character. Its maintenance with territorial neighbors in an inadequate volume will generate stress. ndeed, it will not hesitate to fight to protect its territory and to dominate its neighbors. It is important to think carefully about the constitution of the future population to avoid this kind of inconvenience. The aquarium should be arranged so that each species can comfortably define its own territory.

This fish being polygamous, the male must always be maintained with several females. A ratio of three females to one male seems to be a good compromise for the constitution of the group.

To best reproduce the biotope of this species, you can cover the bottom of the tank with sand and put a pile of stones to form caves.

Basic water maintenance

The blunthead cichlid naturally living in basic water, the presence of limestone rocks such as millstone or travertine will improve its environment. It is also advisable to add sand with a contribution of specific salts to stabilize the pH, to be gauged according to the hardness of the water used.

Tips for feeding

The blunthead cichlid is herbivorous.

This species can eat dry food (flakes, pellets), fresh food and frozen food. To avoid deficiencies, it is recommended to vary the types of food.

You should not overfeed your residents to avoid polluting the water. For most species, it is better to feed a few small portions each day rather than one large meal.

Food recommendations from our partner JBL - Products PRONOVO

• Granules
  TANGANYIKA GRANO
  BITS GRANO
  CICHLID GRANO
  BEL GRANO
• Flakes
  TANGANYIKA FLAKES
  BEL FLAKES

Reproduction protocol

• Maintenance difficulty
  moderate
• egg-laying protection
  Yes

Reproduction of this species in an aquarium is considered moderate. Ideally, it takes place at a temperature of around 25 ° C for a pH of 8 .

Hybridization risks

In general, it is advised not to mix several species of the same genus or different varieties of the same species, to avoid the risks of hybridization.

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