▷ Blue Yellow Mouthbrooder in the Aquarium | All info

Data sheet Blue yellow mouthbrooder

German name:
Blue yellow mouthbrooder

Scientific name:
Pseudotropheus acei

Origin:
Africa, Lake Malawi

Size:
Body length about 15 cm

Aquarium

Length:
Length from 140 cm width

Contents:
from 400 liters

water values

Temperature:
23°-27° C

pH:
7.5 – 8.5

GH:
10° – 30° dH

Behave

Area:
middle area

Lining:
Omnivore, prefers plant-based food

Behave:
little aggressive and territorial in its own kind

Number:
at least 3 animals

Difficulty level:
Beginner

This African mouthbrooder is native to Lake Malawi. In the vicinity of the bank, he stays mostly and likes to be in a muddy environment. This is interspersed with a lot of dead or driftwood, where it also finds its mostly vegetable food. He also likes to swim in open water from time to time.

Nicolas COUTHOUIS, Pseudotropheus Acei Male, CC BY-SA 2.5

Look

The blue-yellow mouthbrooder has the typical perch shape: a flattened body with a pronounced ram’s head and large lip ridges. With a blue shimmering basic color, the fins are yellowish in color. There are several species described, these appearing deep blue in color and having a white caudal fin.

gender differences

The females are slightly smaller than the males and have the same coloration as the males.

The male also has egg spots on the anal fin.

breed

During the mating season, the colors become more pronounced. The female lays her eggs on smooth surfaces and then takes them in her mouth. In this intuition she also mistakes the male’s egg spots for her eggs and wants to snap them open. The male releases his sperm, which the female then picks up and the eggs are fertilized in her mouth. It takes about three to six weeks for the young fish that hatched in the mouth to be released into the tank by their mother. They already have the beautiful coloring of the adult animals and can then be reared with Artemia nauplii.

socialization

Socialization should only take place with other East African cichlids from Lake Malawi if similar attitude parameters prevail. Invertebrates should not be socialized with the blue and yellow mouthbrooder.

Aquarium

Since Pseudotropheus acei is a slightly territorial fish and likes to establish its territory, the aquarium should have several stone reefs and slabs of slate. Here it is important to create many hiding places and caves. The substrate should be designed with fine sand. Here, too, several slabs of slate can be laid out to imitate a rocky subsoil that the blue and yellow mouthbrooder finds in its homeland. Planting should only take place with robust species, but can also be omitted entirely. It is important to have plenty of swimming space, as in its natural habitat, Lake Malawi, it also likes to swim in the open water.