The Blackbanded Cichlazoma is a medium sized, dynamic fish. It is suitable for both experienced aquarists and beginners. Of the advantages, its activity, bright contrasting color, vitality and ease of breeding are especially distinguished. Thanks to the pickiness in feeding and care, the fish continues to occupy a leading position among lovers of aquarium animals.
Description
For the first time black-striped cichlasoma was described in 1867. She is a member of the perch-like order, the cichlid family.
Her body is comparatively tall and oblong, it is laterally flattened. In their natural habitat, males reach a length of fifteen centimeters. In the aquarium, these fish grow up to ten centimeters.
Body color blue-gray. Black transverse stripes are drawn along its entire length. Usually there are about nine of them. The stripes extend to the dorsal and anal fins. Therefore, it is oftencalled striped. The fins are long and wide.
Pisces become sexually mature at seven to ten months. At the same time, they form married couples from a young age. They are monogamous in their relationship.
Pisces are tied to a certain territory. In general, they are peaceful, but during the spawning period they are aggressive.
Habitat
Blackbanded cichlazoma is found in the wild in the following countries:
- Guatemala;
- Honduras;
- Panama;
- Costa Rica.
Minke whales inhabit lakes such as Amatitlan and Atitlan.
How to tell a male from a female
The black-striped cichlazoma is quite easily distinguished by gender. The male grows one and a half to two times the size of the female. The male's fins are wider, their ends are elongated, he has a cone-shaped convex forehead, large eyes. At the spawning stage, the back of the female's abdomen becomes bright orange.
Ideally, these cichlids should be purchased in small flocks of up to eight individuals. Since they are monogamous, it is better to take a pair right away. Then they can be bred on their own.
Despite the high vitality, the fish still need to create optimal conditions for a comfortable life. Start by choosing a tank.
Aquarium
Keeping black-banded cichlazoma will not bring much trouble, provided that they live their own species in a separate tank. The fact is that due to their small size they can be kept infifty liter aquarium. But at the time of spawning, which occurs all year round, these animals are very aggressive. They guard their nest and surrounding area.
If an aquarist wants to keep minke whales with other fish, a rather large tank is required.
There should be plenty of cover and zones on the bottom. The territory should be divided by artificial rocks, grottoes, thickets of plants. Then the aquatic inhabitants will be able to hide, have their own comfort zone.
Ground
Granite chips or small pebbles are suitable as a bottom cover. Tsikhlazoma likes to rebuild the ground flooring at its discretion. That is why sand should not be used. The fish will muddy the water with it, constantly breaking the bottom. Large stones will not work either. Animals will not be able to move them to create a comfort zone. Watching cichlazoma create their home is very exciting.
Large stones should be used to divide the bottom, create artificial grottoes. In creating the lower part of the aquarium, you should show more imagination. However, do not be upset if the fish does not appreciate the work done and begins to rummage everything to your liking. Living beings with intelligence have their own tastes and needs. It has its own beauty.
Water
The content of the black-banded cichlazoma is greatly simplified due to the fact that it is able to live in water from the tap. To do this, it should be defended during the day. Temperatureshould fluctuate between 24-27 degrees Celsius above zero. Hardness and acidity can be standard, slight fluctuations are acceptable.
Addition of aeration and filtration depends on the population of the aquarium. If you plan to use a small aquarium for one pair of fish, you can do without additional funds. When keeping minke whales in a common tank, these technical means are necessary. Filtering water and creating low aeration is also necessary when fry appear in fish.
Plants
Black-striped cichlazoma is a fish that likes to remake the bottom at its discretion. Do not be surprised if one day she decides to dig a cozy mink in the place of a green space. She will carefully turn the excess soil into a picturesque mound. It is for such activities that you can very often find representatives of cichlids.
The owner must pick up plants with a powerful rhizome. Leaves should be tough. The following crops are suitable for this:
- Echinodorus are the most common plants. Has many types. They differ in their endurance, undemanding. In order for their large root system to have a place to strengthen, a layer of soil from five centimeters is needed. You can plant a plant in a pot with soil and place it in an aquarium in this form.
- Cryptocoryne - some species of this plant are unpretentious, others are quite difficult to maintain. They are distinguished by the reddish tone of the underside of the leaf. At night, they produce a lot of carbon dioxide, so it is important to supply oxygen to the aquarium. Propagated by rootshoots.
- Vallisneria spiral - fast growing plant looks simple, but has a good root system. Propagated by shoots on which daughter plants are formed. About two hundred new Vallisneria can appear in a year. If you do not thin out the plants in time, they will fill the entire aquarium.
- Canadian Elodea - the homeland of the plant is North America. Distinguished by its unpretentiousness. Elodea can grow without soil, so it will not die if the minke whale digs a cave in its place. Feels great both on the bottom and on the surface. In addition, the plant serves as an excellent shelter for viviparous fish. It grows very quickly, capable of drowning out other green spaces. For this, Elodea is called the "water plague." It can live in relatively cool water, but does not tolerate turbidity. Turbid water does not get the light it needs. Therefore, it is better to cover the bottom of the aquarium with pebbles.
Such green spaces will allow dividing the reservoir into separate areas. This will help to maintain relative peace in the aquarium.
Lighting
Low power fluorescent lamps are suitable as lighting. To make the black-striped cichlazoma fish look more impressive in the aquarium, it is worth adjusting the front lighting. However, it should not spoil the lives of water representatives. The main lighting should still be the top one, as it is more natural.
Food
Fish are omnivores. They areabsolutely not picky about food. Traditionally, they are fed bloodworms, tubifex, scraped meat. The third part of the feed should consist of plant foods. It can be scalded oatmeal, boiled zucchini and carrots, shredded cabbage and lettuce.
If a person tries to stick his hand into the tank, minke whales will attack her. This is how they defend their territory. They are especially aggressive during the spawning period. How does the reproduction of cichlazoma black-striped occur?
Reproduction
The spawning process is considered fairly easy. These fish are able to breed both in a common tank and separately. However, due to the excessive aggressiveness of cichlids at this time, they should be moved to another aquarium. Spawning occurs regardless of the season. It happens that after a short break due to caring for young offspring, the couple spawns again. Therefore, do not be surprised if a kind of kindergarten appears at the bottom of the aquarium.
Parents take great care of the fry. Black-striped cichlomas walk their offspring several times a day. This is very exciting to watch. How does spawning happen?
First, the female lays her eggs at the bottom of a secluded cave, which she had previously cleared. A pottery pot lying on its side can be used as a masonry site. The main thing is that the place is removed from the sight glass.
After two or three days, the parents get helpless larvae that require constant care. Parents take them out for a walk in their ownmouths. While the cubs are with one of the parents, their cave is cleared of debris. After the disappearance of the yolk sac, the fry can swim. It is from this time that they should be fed. Young fish are large in size, so they can eat Artemia nauplii, Cyclops. Eventually they will be able to eat shredded Tubifex.
Many people will be interested in the question of the compatibility of the black-banded cichlazoma with other fish. The answer is ambiguous and depends on many factors.
Compatibility
When they talk about life in cramped conditions, but don't be offended, they don't mean black-striped cichlases. Their compatibility with other fish is close to zero. To live in a common reservoir, it is necessary that it be large, provided with many shelters and territorial zones. Then habitat wars will be reduced to a minimum.
Relatively well this species gets along with swordtails, barbs, rerio denmarks, flocks of neon. It is not advisable to add catfish, because during the spawning period of minke whales, they can swim into their territory. This will lead to inevitable conflict. The introduction of small and calm aquarium fish is contraindicated, especially with veil fins.
To date, many bright and less whimsical aquarium fish have been bred. But minke whales still do not lose their popularity among aquarists. They are still considered one of the most interesting representatives of cichlids.
