Labidochromis Yellow - care and maintenance in an aquarium

Each representative of the underwater world is unique and in order for a closed water system to become alive and natural, it is necessary to know everything to the smallest detail. It is important to choose the right neighbors, plant the necessary plants, and create the necessary living conditions for the inhabitants of the aquarium. In order for fish to live in harmony and not destroy other species, you need to know their temperament, behavioral characteristics, as well as the subtleties of the species living in its natural environment. Today we will talk about the unique, surprisingly beautiful and spectacular fish labidochromis ellou, or simply “yellow”, which has found its worthy place in the hearts of many aquarists. In fact, the fish can be not only yellow, in nature there are white and blue representatives of this species.However, labidochromis yellow is considered the most unpretentious fish, which is not amenable to many diseases, perfectly withstands various conditions and reproduces well in captivity. Besides, it is difficult to find a person who can remain indifferent to this surprisingly saturated color of scales.

Description and natural habitat of the species

Labidochromis hellow belongs to the cichl family, the fish is often called the dwarf cichlid. The first representatives of this species got into decorative aquariums in the second half of the 20th century. The shape of the body of the yellow fish is quite characteristic of cichlids - elongated, flattened laterally. Yellow color is especially pronounced, both in males and females. The only thing is that in young stock the color of the scales is a bit light, it is usually determined by the age of the fish. A long black stripe runs along the line of the entire dorsal fin, the other fins have a thin black border. Deep dark eyes stand out against the background of bright yellow calf. The size of the fish in the aquarium can reach 8-10 cm, and sometimes more.

In nature, yellow cichlids are found in a single place - in Lake Malawi, which is located in East Africa.In the natural environment, fish have chosen the rocky shores, where you can find a lot of shelters. In nature, Labidochromis Yellowou lives at a depth of 20-30 meters. In general, the labidochromis yellow belongs to the genus "mbuna", which are distinguished by their special aggressiveness and malice towards other species. However, the yellow labidochromis is the most tranquil fish of all 13 representatives of this species, although it is, in fact, a predator. A surprising feature of this cichlid is that the yellow African woman does not live in a pack, but alone or in pairs.

Content labidochromisa hellow

Despite the fact that the fish is quite unpretentious, it is necessary to create conditions for it in the aquarium as close as possible to the natural ones. And then the yellow labidochromis will not only grow and please the eye, but will also begin to spawn.

1. The temperature of the water in the aquarium should be in the range of 24-27 degrees, the water should be quite hard - 10-12 mol per cubic meter. The pH should also be slightly shifted to alkalinity, around 8 pH.
2. The fish is quite sensitive to the quality and purity of water.In the aquarium should be quite a powerful filter that will clean the water from various contaminants. Once a week it is necessary to replace water in the amount of one third of the total volume of the aquarium. Old water should be replaced with clean water, because a lot of harmful nitrogen accumulates in it during long life of fish. Pure water that you add to the aquarium should be separated, without chlorine and other chemical additives. During water changes, a bottom siphon must be carried out in order to remove food residues, excreta and other fish waste from the surface of the ground.
3. In an aquarium with labidochromis yellow, you need to have a good compressor that fills water with oxygen.
4. In their natural environment, yellow cichlids prefer wide open spaces; therefore, it is not worth breeding fish in a small aquarium. The minimum volume of the aquarium is 100 liters, where you can settle one male and several females. However, remember that this is the minimum amount in which a labidochromis yellow will not open itself completely. Ideally, yellow Africans should live in a large aquarium of 200-300 liters in a small flock.In this case, you can observe the individuals - how they build relationships, how the hierarchy is built, how skillfully the males achieve the location of the female, etc.
5. Especially it is necessary to pay attention to the arrangement of the bottom of the aquarium. On the surface of the soil should be a lot of grottoes, various shelters, artificial rocks and gorges in which the fish will feel protected. At the same time, it is necessary to plant a sufficiently dense layer of plants, in the thickets of which fish also like to hide. As the soil used river sand, shells or crushed marble. However, this is not important, since most of the time fish spend in the middle layers of the reservoir.
6. The experience of most aquarists suggests that more females need to be settled in a flock, and males should be less than twice, this is the minimum. A large accumulation of male individuals leads to constant fights and clarify the relationship. In addition, the labidochromis hellow gets along well with other types of cichlids, with some catfish. Do not forget that the labidochromis yellow is a predator who will not refuse to eat small fish like guppies or neons if they accidentally turn out to be neighbors.

These are the basic conditions that will help you to breed yellow African, keeping her health and offspring.

Food yellow labidochromis

The natural environment pampers yellow African women with a variety of different dishes. In the diet of yellow labidochromis there are both vegetable and protein foods. In nature, the cichlid feeds on small fish, mollusks, insects and their larvae, as well as various rock algae, from which individuals get the right amount of vitamins.

In an aquarium, fish is unpretentious to any kind of food, it can be fed with special formulations for cichlids, frozen and dry food. The fish does not refuse algae - it chooses what it needs right now. You can spoil the yellow labidochromis with a caretre or a little bloodworm, but it is better to refuse a pipemaker. In addition, chopped squash, lettuce leaves can be added to the feed. But remember that it is very dangerous to overfeed fish, some advise giving cichlids only half of the total food, so labidochromis yellow will feed the rest of their food for themselves. Overfeeding can be a cause of severe bloating and even death.

Yellow African reproduction

If you are breeding a labidochromis, you need to separate a young couple to spawn and immediately remove it when the fry appear, as sometimes the parents themselves eat their offspring.You can feed the babies with a special feed for fry or simply chop up the usual feed for cichlids. On average, individuals of yellow African live for 8 years.

Breeding labidochromisa hellow is a fascinating activity that will allow you not only to enjoy the rich color of the African fish, but also to observe its interesting and meaningful behavior. The main thing in the maintenance of labidochromis is a sufficient volume of the aquarium and peaceful neighbors with whom the yellow fish will not have conflicts. And then your water system will be filled with amazing yellow specks!

Video: aquarium fish labidochromis ellou