Malawi content. Malawian cichlids are guests from Lake Malawi. Features of feeding Malawian cichlids

Content:

Cichlids are the most common and favorite fish of many aquarists. These fish are widely known throughout the world, found mainly in America and Asia. The cichlid family belongs to the perch-like order and has a wide variety of species. Cichlids from the African Lake Malawi appeared in European countries relatively recently and immediately attracted the attention of all hobbyists and experienced aquarium specialists. Malawian cichlids are distinguished by their peculiar bright appearance, large size and interesting character.

Pseudotropheus zebra

cichlids

Aulonocara orchid red

Cichlids inhabit the waters various countries, many of them are commercial, and some species are on the verge of extinction. These fish have a high body compressed on the sides, a single fin on the back. Their color becomes especially bright during the breeding season. The head is large, with age in some species a fatty outgrowth appears on the forehead. The lips are full, the front rays on the fins are hard. The fins are elongated, longer in males than in females.

Most cichlids are predatory, they are fiercely protective of their personal territory and can attack even large rivals.

Aquarium species of large cichlids and their maintenance at home does not pose any particular problems, unlike representatives of small species. Large fish are able to recognize the owner, allow you to feed them from your hand and react to ongoing phenomena outside the aquarium.

Features of Lake Malawi

labidochromis yellow

The history of the discovery of Lake Malawi is associated with the name of the Scottish explorer of the African continent David Livingston, who discovered this freshwater lake in 1859. Initially, the reservoir was called "Nyasa", but after the independence of the state, the lake was given the name "Malawi", which means "shining light over the lake." The lake runs along the borders of three states: Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi. It is included in one of the largest lakes on the planet, several of its islands are declared nature reserves.

The territory of Lake Malawi is the only park in this state, it has over 500 species of cichlids, most of which are endemic.

Kinds

red zebra

All Malawian cichlids are divided into 2 large groups: "mbuna" and "utaka". Mbuna cichlids, which means "attacking rocks", are distinguished mainly by their diet, which includes plant foods. The main representatives of mbuna fish are labidochromis, melanochromis, pseudotropheus. The color of the fish is very bright, in size they reach up to 15 cm.

These herbivorous cichlids feed on algal growths, stripping them from rocks. They have a convenient mouth structure for such a process. At a younger age, fish eat zooplankton, but later they simply need to eat plants. If you give them live food too often, they will quickly become obese and lose their ability to reproduce.

The "duck" group includes cyrtocars, aulonocars, and haplochromis. Fish, on the contrary, eat live food, they can eat their relatives. They differ in larger sizes, reaching up to 20 cm, the color of their females is much more modest.

One of the most beautiful Malawian cichlids are considered various types of aulonocara, yellow and cornflower blue labidochromis.

Basic conditions of detention

Haplochromis cornflower blue

Shells, snags, grottoes, caves, pots are used to decorate the aquarium landscape. Such decor will additionally serve as a shelter for fish. Aquarium cichlids are not averse to digging in the soil, which should be of medium size. Therefore, when planting live plants in an aquarium, you need to choose with powerful roots and surround them with loads and stones. From plants, echinodorus, broad-leaved sagittaria are suitable. The fish also see for themselves food in plants with delicate leaves and floating duckweed.

Among huge variety aquarium fish a separate place is occupied by Malawian cichlids. Fans of home ponds appreciate them for bright color, unpretentiousness, resistance to diseases and the presence of intelligence. Many aquarists note that representatives of cichlids are inherent personality traits character and behavior, in addition, they are able to recognize the owners.

Cichlids are found in the lakes of Asia, North, South and Central America, islands of Madagascar and Africa.

Cichlids are divided into many species that differ from each other in size, body shape, color, degree of aggressiveness in relation to other fish. All are united by belonging to the perch-like order. The dorsal fins of Malawian fish are elongated, the rays are hard. The same applies to the anal fins. The color of the fish is very bright, the color palette is diverse.

Behavioral Features

Malawian cichlids are active fish. They are constantly on the move, swimming around the aquarium, playing with each other, digging the ground. Other fish living with them in the same territory permanently are treated loyally. Beginners can be met aggressively, start chasing them around the territory.

Newly acquired fish will most likely hide in hiding at the sight of a human. However, having got used to the new habitat, it soon begins to recognize the owner and, when he approaches the aquarium, swim towards him, begging for food.

Malawians are distinguished by a special attitude towards offspring. After laying eggs, fish carry them in their mouths, protecting them from enemies. The emerging fry can also hide in the parent's throat pouch. In some species, only the female takes care of the babies, in others, both parents work together.

Kinds

It is customary to divide Malawian cichlids into two main groups:

1. Mbuna.
2. Utaka.

Mbuna cichlids are herbivores. They feed on algae. These fish in nature live near the coast. Aquariums are preferred with an abundance of plants. Mbuna are medium-sized cichlids, their body size does not exceed 12 cm. In all varieties of this group, the color of fish throughout life is very bright, and males and females do not differ in color.

An indicative representative of this group are Pseudotropheus. Among other species, they are distinguished by teeth of an unusual two-topped shape. The most common body pattern is vertical stripes. Males guard the borders of their territories. Females and juveniles live in flocks.

The second group are predators. Utaka are larger in size, reaching up to 25 cm. Under natural conditions, they live in open water. Aquariums for this group are decorated with stones and grottoes, plants are not planted. At birth, the fish are neutral in color, and only when they reach puberty do the males acquire a brighter color. The females remain grey.

The Utaka group includes fish of the genus Aulonocara. hallmark are indentations on the head. There are suggestions that they are related to the senses. Aulonocaras have a large head, an elongated body and a strongly protruding dorsal fin. Females are smaller than males. The dorsal and anal fins are rounded. On the body of the unremarkable gray color a pattern of stripes or spots. Different kinds Aulonocara are capable of interbreeding.

One more hallmark of these fish is "hovering". They are able to freeze at one point above the ground. It looks very nice in an aquarium. One gets the impression that the fish deliberately poses, allowing you to examine yourself better. This skill is necessary for Aulonokars in natural conditions for hunting. The fish hiding above the ground does not give itself away. At the same time, with the help of those very recesses on her head, she picks up the slightest fluctuations in the water, thus scanning the space around her. And as soon as it detects prey (usually invertebrates living in the ground), it rushes at it.

The division into Mbuna and Utaka groups is very conditional. These terms are rather non-systematic, allowing to unite fish according to their habitat.

There are species that are difficult to attribute to the Mbuna or Utaka groups. Haplochromis are an example of such fish.

Outwardly, these fish are very similar to an ordinary perch, but very beautiful. of blue color. The color of the anal fin varies from yellow to red. Females may also turn blue with age. live in natural conditions Haplochromis at a depth of 10 to 40 meters. In the aquarium, they are kept in the middle and lower layers of the water. You can settle in a group of up to 5 individuals, but there should be only one male, otherwise they will constantly fight and eventually the weaker one will die.

On the net you can find complete catalogs of Malawian cichlids with photos.

Cichlids of Lake Malawi at home are kept in species aquariums. The minimum volume of water required for fish is from 150 liters. Trying to provide pets with aquarium conditions close to natural, the owners decorate home ponds with stones, snags, and strive to arrange more shelters. These fish are very important water parameters. Hardness 10–15 dH, Ph - 7.5–8.5.

Constant good aeration and a slight flow are required. You need to change the water every week up to 30% of the volume. average temperature water in the cichlid 24–26 o C. Recommendations for maintenance may have some nuances depending on the specific type of Malawian cichlids.

For fish of the Mbuna group, the cichlid can be arranged with plants planted in the ground and floating. Vegetation is not recommended for the Utaka group, but to improve the quality of the water, aquariums are equipped with phytofilters.

Feeding

The nutrition of cichlids depends on which group the fish belongs to. The Mbuna group is fed a plant-based diet with a small amount of animal protein added to the diet. Very fond of fish fresh leaves lettuce, cucumbers, dried nettles, spinach, dandelion leaf. As a protein component, squid, shrimp, beef, fish fillet, artemia are used. Experienced aquarists prepare special stuffing for them. To finely chopped greens (60%), ground fish or meat products (25–30%) and dry food are added. The resulting mixture is kept in the freezer, defrosting immediately before feeding.

The Utaka group has its own dietary habits. Since they are predators, for them the protein component is in the first place. They neglect plant foods. On sale there is an extensive range of specialized dry food for each group and even for a specific type of fish.

Compatibility with other inhabitants

cichlids different types in the same aquarium should be the same size to avoid fights. It is desirable that there is only one male in each species. It is generally accepted that representatives of only one group, either Mbuna or Utaka, can be settled in a cichlid because of the difference in nutrition. However, on thematic forums in the discussion of compatibility, you can find stories about the completely peaceful existence of fish in one aquarium of both groups. With the proviso that they grew up together from a young age.

reproduction

Malawian cichlids become brighter for spawning and tend to prepare a nest. If the fish do not want to breed on their own, they can be provoked by raising the water temperature to 27–28 ° C. The female lays eggs and places them next to the male's anal fin. Next comes fertilization. The female then takes the eggs into her mouth. Until the fry hatch, she does not eat anything and vigorously moves her gills to ensure the flow of oxygen to future offspring. Sometimes parents eat the first clutch. But usually both caviar and fry are heavily guarded by adult fish.

Diseases

The most common among cichlids is Malawi disease. This is a chemical disease. The reason is an excess of sodium chloride, nitrates in the water, and also not proper nutrition. It is manifested by a swollen abdomen, in some cases, raised scales. Develops slowly. There is no cure.

Malawian cichlids are in good health. They are more likely to suffer from injuries received in fights than from infections.

Features of Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi, which gave the fish its name, is located in East Africa and has another name - Nyasa. It has an elongated shape and lies on the territory of three states: Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique. Nyasa - large lake, ranks third in the world in depth and ninth in area. The length is 584 km, the width at its narrowest point is 16 km, at the widest point it is 80 km, and the depth is 706 m.

14 rivers flow into the lake, and only one flows out of it. A constant volume of water is maintained by evaporation. This is the reason for increased hardness and some brackishness.

The bottom of Malawi is rocky, consists of sedimentary rocks up to 4 km thick.

Nyasa has a very developed and diverse ecosystem. Up to 1,000 fish species, represented by 11 families, live in the lake. The most numerous of them are Malawi cichlids. Its representatives make up 90% of the fish living in the lake.

The fish of Lake Nyasa is actively caught. Some species are commercial and can be found in our grocery stores (tilapia). And also Malawians are sold to all countries of the world to aquarists.

Conclusion

Despite the good health of Malawian cichlids, it is still worth starting them for people who already have some experience in the aquarium hobby. This is due to the increased requirements of fish to water. To maintain the parameters necessary for a comfortable existence, you need special knowledge. Subject to the requirements, these bright fish will delight the owners for 7–10 years.

Malawian cichlids, or Malawi cichlids, are one of the most popular varieties of aquarium fish. Lake Malawi cichlids come in two varieties: mbuna cichlids (herbivorous fish, feed on vegetation) and utaka cichlids (predators, feed on plankton and smaller fish of other species, live in rocky bottom conditions). AT wild nature these fish live in the water area African Lake Malawi.

The most common type of aquarium fish are mbuna cichlids, or herbivorous fish. Lake Malawi cichlids, both ducka and mbuna, have won the hearts of many aquarists for their beauty, ease of care and interesting features behavior. The main thing, what is the difference between the cichlids of Lake Malawi(duck and mbuna) from other fish is that the eggs, intended for reproduction and fertilization, mature in the female's mouth.

Malawian cichlids: appearance features

Malawian cichlids of the mbuna variety are distinguished by their beautiful, bright appearance. Such a fish is immediately noticeable in any aquarium. Perhaps that is why they are so popular. Mbuna cichlids are very fond of when the bottom is covered with vegetation, for example, various types of algae. During wakefulness, they actively move along the bottom, uprooting plants and getting food for themselves, as the cichlids of Lake Malawi of the Mbuna group feed exclusively on plant foods.

Belonging to this group, they are distinguished by a pronounced desire to protect their territory from aliens. Males can be aggressive towards strangers, so the cichlids of Lake Malawi of the Mbuna group are recommended to be kept separately from other varieties of aquarium fish. It is strongly not recommended to add other fish to them in the aquarium.

herbivorous cichlids lakes of Malawi are distinguished by the following external features:

Lake Malawi cichlids, which belong to the group of predators (utaka), visually resemble their fellow mbuna, differing from them only in their larger size. The cichlids of Lake Malawi of the Utaka group can reach up to twenty - twenty five centimeters long.

Nutrition Features

Aquarium cichlid fish are unpretentious in food. However, each of the two varieties - utaka and mbuna, as mentioned above, has certain taste preferences. Utaka cichlids eat only high-protein foods of animal origin. They willingly eat their own fry and fry of other fish, as well as their adult counterparts and adult aquarium fish of other varieties. In an aquarium environment, it is necessary to provide duck cichlids with a sufficient amount of protein in the diet.

Cichlids, which belong to the mbuna variety, on the contrary, consume exclusively plant foods with a high content of carbohydrates. Therefore, they will have a completely different diet. In any case, the following components must be present in the diet of Malawian cichlids of both species, which are necessary for normal development and reproduction, and also to maintain good physical health:

It is desirable to feed the fish at the same time.

Attention: do not allow uneaten food to remain in the aquarium for a long time, as this may adversely affect the quality of the water. After some time after feeding, the remnants of food must be carefully removed. Caution: use leftover food for subsequent feeding is strictly prohibited, since the food must always be fresh. Regarding the use of vitamin and mineral supplements, it is recommended to consult with specialists who will recommend the most appropriate option.

If you feed the fish certain hour, they quickly get used to it and begin to float to the surface strictly at a certain time. If cichlids are healthy and doing well, they always react very quickly to food. Even fights for food between aggressive males are possible.

Content Features

To keep Malawian cichlids, you need an aquarium with a filter, lights and a temperature controller. What will be inside the aquarium depends on what kind of cichlids it contains: predatory or herbivorous. If the aquarium is intended for herbivorous mbuna cichlids, ideal option there will be a flat bottom covered with marine vegetation. In this case, the fish will not have problems with nutrition. They will actively swim along the bottom and feed on algae. Marine vegetation at the bottom of the aquarium must be changed periodically. Attention: in case of damage or decay of algae at the bottom of the aquarium, they must be immediately removed from there, in order to avoid infectious diseases and fish poisoning.

On the contrary, a rocky bottom with sea pebbles is recommended for keeping predatory cichlids of the duck group. different size and snags. Duckfish are very fond of hiding behind rocks or snags. Thus, they disguise themselves in order to surprise their prey and attack it. In order for predatory fish to have no problems with protein-rich animal food, it is recommended to place fry or adults of other fish species in their aquarium.

Malawian cichlids spectacularly look in an aquarium with a beautiful decoration. Such decoration may include the following elements:

• Stones of bright colors and large sizes;
• Large snag;
• sea ​​shells different shapes and different sizes;
• A small plastic house with an opening door and a window into which the fish can easily swim.

Everything you need for such a decoration can be purchased at a specialized store. To herbivorous fish you can also visit aquarium snails. It is recommended to purchase decorations for an aquarium in specialized pet stores. An aquarium with Malawian cichlids, at the bottom of which a spectacular decoration is installed, will become a worthy decoration of any interior. Perhaps that is why aquariums with Malawian cichlids can often be found in cafes and restaurants, in rest rooms at enterprises, in living corners of schools and kindergartens. In order for the aquarium to always look spectacular, it must be cleaned regularly, and the water must be changed periodically.

In order for Malawian cichlids to please the eye with their bright color for a long time, it is necessary to properly care for the fish and their artificial habitat - the aquarium. The most important - take into account the variety, to which the fish belong (herbivorous mbuna or predatory utaka), and contain them in accordance with the specifics of a particular species. It is also important to organize suitable conditions for the reproduction and fertilization of these fish in captivity in order to get healthy offspring.

The cichlids of Lake Malawi are quite unpretentious in keeping, the main thing is to provide the fish with proper nutrition. If fed an unsuitable life, the lifespan of Malawian cichlids in captivity will be greatly reduced. An aquarium for keeping fish should be large enough so that the fish are spacious and can freely swim along the bottom in search of food. If the aquarium is small, put in it a large number of fish is not recommended, because crowding negatively affects the well-being and activity of Malawian cichlids.

Malawian cichlids love heat and light, so the aquarium should be equipped with a special lamp. It is also necessary to constantly monitor the water temperature and the level of pollution. If there is a decoration made of artificial materials at the bottom, it must be washed and cleaned periodically to prevent mold. It is also necessary to closely monitor the condition of aquatic vegetation. Special aquarium snails can be placed in an aquarium with Malawian cichlids, as they will play the role of a natural "filter", contributing to effective cleansing water.

Malawian mbuna cichlids are different increased level aggressiveness. In this regard, when several males are kept together, the risk of injury increases several times. Males actively fight for their territory and can cause serious damage to each other with their sharp grater teeth. Injured and lethargic, sick fish must be isolated from relatives in a timely manner. Timely isolation of sick fish helps to prevent the spread of dangerous infections. An excellent prevention of mass diseases of fish is also a frequent change of water in the aquarium. Tidying up the aquarium should be done regularly, and not occasionally.

Malawian cichlids are a very popular type of aquarium fish.. They have long won mass recognition due to their exotic coloring, unpretentiousness, interesting behavior. You can watch Malawian cichlids for hours, and the wonderful sight of bright fish scurrying along the bottom of the aquarium will never get boring. Children are especially fond of these fish, for their bright unusual beauty. Watching Malawian cichlids is great for calming the nerves and great for relieving the stress caused by the busy rhythm. modern life. Such fish will serve as a worthy decoration of any aquarium.

Malawian cichlids are fish native to Lake Malawi, which is located in the southeastern part of African continent. Have many bright colors and for this they are loved by many aquarists. Photos of Malawian cichlids will be presented in the article along with information about the species and their content.

general information

The description of Malawian cichlids should begin with the fact that the fish belong to the perch family, and by nature they are not the most friendly. However, each representative underwater world very individual. There are both very aggressive and slightly territorial cichlids that may well live with other waterfowl. Malawian cichlids got their name in honor of their habitat.

In nature, cichlids prefer to live in the zone of the bottom space. Some of them like more spacious parts of the reservoir, while others live closer to the shore.

They do not like bright lighting. Cichlids are spawning fish, but what is especially interesting is that many of them hatch their eggs in their mouths.

cichlid groups

All types of Malawian cichlids are divided into two large groups. The main difference between these groups is the type of food and habitat of fish.

One of the groups of fish prefers to live in conditions of rocks and algae. Such Malawian cichlids are called "mbuna". The main food for this group is vegetation, they also eat live food, but only that which they meet among those same algae.

A group of cichlids called "duck" is more diverse in the choice of residence. She is interested in both crevices in the rocks and caves. It can settle in algae, but will give preference to those that are deep. Food is mostly protein.

Subspecies

Types of Malawian cichlids are diverse. Individuals meet various colors and sizes. As previously stated, behavioral features they are also individual. Therefore, we propose to consider some popular types of these fish in more detail.

Labidochromis Yellow (mbuna)

This type of cichlid has a bright yellow color, hence the additional "yellow", but this subspecies has other color variations. Juveniles are somewhat paler than adults. Females, like males, have black edging on their fins. Only in males it is much more pronounced.

• The temperature regime of water is from 24 to 28 degrees.
• The acidity of the water is from 7.2 to 8.8.
• Water hardness - from 10 to 20.
• Aquarium at least 120 liters.
• Food: live, vegetable or dry food.
• In nature, they can grow up to 8 cm, and in an aquarium - up to 10 cm.
• Life expectancy - from 6 to 10 years.
• Relatively calm temperament, there should be no aggressive fish in the neighbors.

Iodotropheus Sprenger (mbuna)

The color of these fish varies depending on the sex. In males, the head and back are yellow-orange, and the body has a lilac-brown color. The females are burgundy with a brown tinge. Both sexes have egg spots on their hind lower fins.

Requirements for the maintenance of Malawian cichlids of this species and general characteristics:

• Water hardness - from 6 to 10.
• Aquarium at least 150 liters.
• Nutrition: live, frozen or dry food with herbal supplements.
• Able to grow up to 10 cm.
• Life expectancy - from 7 to 8 years.
• The character is calm.

Pseudotropheus Zebra (mbuna)

These Malawian cichlids are very diverse. There are six color options for the zebra alone. There are three more subspecies in the pseudotropheus family. One is called "pendani", the other "crabro" and the third " white prince". But we will consider only the most popular zebra, a bright orange color. Aquarists appreciate her very much, as she is able to "color" almost any aquarium.

Requirements for the maintenance of Malawian cichlids of this species and general characteristics:

• The temperature regime of water is from 25 to 26 degrees.
• The acidity of the water is from 7 to 8.1.
• Water hardness - from 8 to 25.
• Aquarium at least 80 liters.
• Nutrition: specialized food with spirulina.
• Able to grow up to 12 cm.
• Life expectancy - up to 8 years.
• Territorial character. Which speaks of a generally non-aggressive disposition, but requires a certain personal space.

Melanochromis Maingano (mbuna)

As in the case of pseudotropheus, it has several types. In addition to "maingano", there are "yohana", "pearl of likom" and "golden" melanochromis. But, as in the previous case, we will consider the most popular one, and this is Mingano. This species has a bright contrasting color. The main background is blue, and the pattern in the form of stripes is saturated black.

Requirements for the maintenance of Malawian cichlids of this species and general characteristics:

• The temperature regime of water is from 24 to 27 degrees.
• The acidity of the water is from 7.7 to 8.6.
• Water hardness - from 10 to 25.
• Aquarium at least 100 liters.
• Food: dry food, frozen or live.
• Able to grow up to 9 cm.
• Life expectancy - up to 9 years.
• The character is problematic, aggressive. This is especially evident during the spawning period.

Blue Dolphin Cyrtocara

The color is blue, has vertical dark stripes on the body. A feature is the rounded shape of the forehead, which makes this representative look like a dolphin. During spawning and sexual activity in males, the frontal part turns yellow.

Requirements for the maintenance of Malawian cichlids of this species and general characteristics:

• The temperature regime of water is from 24 to 28 degrees.
• The acidity of the water is from 7.2 to 8.5.
• Water hardness - from 5 to 20.
• Aquarium at least 200 liters! This is very important as the fish are territorial. Additionally, the aquarium must have a lid.
• Food: dry food, live and vegetable.
• Able to grow in nature up to 25 cm, in an aquarium - from 15 to 20 cm.
• Life expectancy - up to 15 years.
• The character is calm but territorial. Your own species or other balanced cichlids will suit your neighbors.

General Content Options

It should be noted that most Malawian cichlids live in a ratio of one male and several females. And one kind. This should be taken into account when filling the aquarium. For one male, depending on the specific species, you need from two to four females.

Most representatives of these fish need to "decorate" the aquarium. This is due to their way of life in natural conditions. Therefore, an abundance of vegetation, various snags and caves made of stones are necessary. Moreover, the more fish you have, the more items listed should be in the "interior".

The protein menu of fish usually consists of brine shrimp, cyclops, coretra, krill and musis. You can give these products both in dry and ice cream, and in live form. You can supplement your diet with foods containing spirulina. Granular feeds require pre-soaking.

As for the choice of vegetation for food, you can use following products: lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, red pepper, dandelion greens, nettle, pumpkin.

How many fish to put in the aquarium?

The population density of the aquarium depends on the size of the fish and their nature, as well as the volume of the aquarium itself. Consider the specific volumes of the aquarium and its relationship with the number of cichlids.

For small species of Malawian cichlids, aquariums from 100 liters to 250 liters are suitable. Up to 20 fish can be settled per 100-150 liters. It is permissible to populate 30 small cichlids in an aquarium of 150-250 liters.

Population density for an aquarium of 250-300 liters - no more than 60 fish. For 300-400 liters - no more than 80. For a volume of more than 400 liters, the population density is from 100 pieces.

It is worth clarifying when buying cichlids their features. Especially in terms of territory. Some need more space, while others need less.

Under common name African cichlids most commonly refers to the cichlid fish of Lake Malawi. Most often, fish from this reservoir, young by geological standards, appear at the mention of bright colored large species fish.

These aquarium pets have managed to achieve absolute favor with humans due to their unusually bright colors and amazingly interesting behavior among the flocks of semi-wild cichlids. In addition, it has been repeatedly observed that African cichlids have the rudiments of intelligence.

These exotic pets have a huge share of ingenuity and a remarkable amount of natural instincts, and therefore these fish feel great in any critical situations.

These aquarium fish originate from the discovery of the mysterious and legendary Lake Nyasa, made during one of the research expeditions by the outstanding Scottish discoverer and cartographer David Levingston.

When David got to the greats African lakes, it was not clear to him that the greatest treasure of ichthyology, buried in the depths of Central African reservoirs, falls into his hands.

The discovery of the researcher characterizes a whole era in the aquarium trade, it has everything: the discovery of previously unknown species of freshwater ichthyofauna, a huge number of various color varieties Malawian fish, which immediately established their unwritten laws in the circle of fans who immediately fell in love with these bright olfactory fish.

African cichdids have an elongated or sometimes round body that is slightly laterally flattened in a vertical direction. The head of the fish is large and powerful, in males it is often decorated with a massive forehead shifted towards the mouth. In its own way, this growth on the head is a secondary sexual sign and means that the male fish has reached the stage of full maturation.

At the same time, the primary sexual characteristics of the male Malawian cichlid are recognized as a scattering of light spawn spots scattered along the lower part of the anal fin. There can be from one to one and a half dozen such marks, their task is to make it clear to the female ready for spawning that the male is mature and ready to produce offspring.

And the dorsal fin of the male and female cichlids look completely different - in the young future father, it ends with a long, sharp edge, and in the female, with a blunt, rounded top.

In general, the dorsal fin is rather an attribute of the beauty of a sexually mature fish. This is especially noticeable when, in an attack of aggressive confrontation, the fish opens its fins and clings to the opponent with its teeth behind the jaws.

Aquarium for cichlids

In general, Malawian cichlids are very territorial and aggressive towards their neighbors, so it is advisable to keep them in separate pairs or small groups in an individual pond.

Such precautions are by no means redundant. Especially when active persecution the male of the female (pre-spawning behavior) suddenly ends unexpectedly and, at first, harmless pushes into the body of the opponent sharply develop into a bloody fight.

Feeding Malawian cichlids

In the natural conditions of African lakes, cichlids mainly feed on plant foods, which make up the constant diet of fish. Cichlids have small brushes on their jaws and always scrape overgrown areas of rocky ruins at the bottom of the lake mass with them.

The fact is that algae fouling is a big deficit in conditions of lack
lighting characteristic of the deep waters of the lake, and therefore all areas of abundant thickets filamentous algae divided among representatives of the ichthyofauna. And for pieces of overgrown rocks there is a constant intense struggle.

Except plant food cichlid fish willingly eat the larvae of African mosquitoes, which during the breeding season arrange massive flights from the bottom of the lake. Often a colossal mass of insects soars in the air above the surface of the lake. Their population often reaches several million midges and provides massive food for the fish gathered for dinner.

Reproduction of Malawian cichlids

Cichlid fish mature in quite early age when they are 6-8 months old and almost immediately begin to receive offspring. Babies are born almost constantly up to a fairly respectable age of their parents - often more than 20 years.

The apogee point in the behavior of fish is deservedly the period of obtaining offspring from fish. This process among the Malawians is not very complex and occurs as if by itself, but with the observance of small nuances. natural features spawning behaviour.

The first thing parents do is dig a large hole in the bottom among the soil, it is often called a nest.

It looks like a conical hole in a bed of pebbles with a perfectly polished central part.

The spawning process itself looks something like this:

male and female converge together, bringing the anus closer together. The female releases a small portion of eggs, which falls under the stream of milk released by the male, and is fertilized. After that, the female quickly collects the fertilized eggs in her mouth, where she will be until the end of the development stage from the eggs, bypassing the stage of zygotes until the complete and final formation of the fry.

This process lasts approximately 27-28 days, after which the mother releases the babies to some secluded place and allows them to start feeding on small live crustaceans, cyclops or daphnia, or a cut pipe maker.

Well-fed cichlid fry, being under permanent protection mothers, grow very quickly and at the age of one and a half to two months reach a size of 1.5 - 2 cm, which will allow them to be careful and not go to dinner with hungry, trying to eat relatives and not finish life path ahead of the allotted time.

Video: Malawian cichlids in an aquarium