Pearl of Tanzania (Labidochromis sp. 'Perlmutt')

Pearl of Tanzania Labidochromis sp. 'Perlmutt'
Name	Pearl of Tanzania
Name Lat.	Labidochromis sp. 'Perlmutt'
Family	Cichlids
Family lat.	Cichlidae
Order	Cichlids
Order lat.	Cichliformes
Origin	Lake Malawi
Habitat	Rocky habitat
Diet	Omnivore, aufwuchs
pH	7.5-8.8
Behavior	Semi-aggressive
Keeping	Harem
Care Level	Moderate
Reproduction	Mouthbrooder
Breeding	Simple
Life Span	6-10 years
Protection	No
Metric Units
Size	8-9 cm
Temperature	24-28 °C
Hardness	10-25 °dH
Aquarium	~ 300 l
US Units
Size	3"-3.5"
Temperature	75-82 °F
Hardness	178-445 ppm
Aquarium	~ 80 gal

Distribution and habitat

The range of the Pearly Malawi Cichlids is exclusively (endemic) to Lake Malawi, where they are found on the northeast coast between Higga Reef and Chuwa Mbamba (Tanzania) and have produced several site variants. They belong to the group of mbuna that lives in the rocky shore zones.

Maintenance

The aquarium setup should have rock structures reaching to the water surface, with many crevices, caves and shelters that serve as hiding places, as well as robust plants and some free sand areas. There should be no detectable ammonia, ammonium or nitrite, and the nitrate level should not exceed 100 mg/l. To ensure the water quality and oxygen content, a filter and heater adapted to the aquarium size is required, as well as lighting for the species-appropriate day-night rhythm of the animals.

Diet

They feed mainly on the microorganisms found in the plant cover (growth) as well as insects and insect larvae. The food supply consists of live, frozen and dry food. For a balanced diet, feed once a day with a high-quality dry food for Malawi cichlids (flakes, granules, pellets) as well as cyclops, daphnia, artemia and mosquito larvae (live or frozen). In addition, they also need some vegetable food, such as algae leaves and commercial green food (kelp, spirulina)

Only feed as much as will be eaten within a few minutes. A regular and varied diet promotes health and increases resistance.

Behaviour and compatibility

They are a mostly peaceful, less territorial mbuna species, both intraspecies and towards other fish. They should be kept in a harem, one male with several females. Keeping multiple harems is only recommended in a larger and richly structured tank. They can be socialized well with other cichlids from Lake Malawi

Basically, only compatible fish species with similar demands on water condition and water temperature should be socialized.

Sex dimorphism

The sexes are hardly distinguishable. The male is slightly larger and usually more intensely colored than the female during the spawning season.

Reproduction and breeding

They are maternal mouth brooders. Immediately after spawning on a rock, the females take the eggs, 5-30 of them, into their throat sac for mouthbrooding. They keep the fry in their throat sac even after hatching. After about 3 weeks, the fry are released and brood care ends. During the entire brood care, the female does not take any food.

Fry must be fed several times a day with special rearing food (Artemia nauplii). In community tanks breeding is hardly possible, because the fry are easy prey.

Important

Different Labidochromis species should not be kept together, as they may interbreed (hybridize)

Red mosquito larvae should not be fed, as they can damage the digestive tract.

The well-being of the fish should be monitored regularly. Temperature should be checked daily, pH, hardness and nitrate levels at least fortnightly. Regular partial water changes are recommended, even if the contaminant level has not yet reached the upper limit. Sudden changes in water quality should be avoided. Newly introduced fish must be accustomed slowly to the water in the aquarium.

Further literature can be found in your pet store.

References

Text: Werner Winter; Image: Franz Lowak

Source: BMELV (1998): Tierschutzgutachten - Haltung von Zierfischen (Süßwasser); ENGELMANN (2005): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Fische, Verlag Harri Deutsch

• Gemäß § 21 Abs. 5 Tierschutzgesetz idgF