Pseudotropheus sp. polit “Lion’s Cove”
Pseudotropheus sp. polit has not yet been officially described (hence the sp. in the name).
Description
Pseudotropheus sp. polit is a small, tough and fierce Mbuna from Lake Malawi, they can grow to about 8 to 10 centimeters long. The males have a fantastic color pattern while the females are a bit rusty colored. If the males feel threatened they can immediately change color to a dull gray/blue. Keeping multiple males in 1 aquarium often does not go well. When the males are colored they are light blue. A black mask is then over the head. This black runs down and back over the throat to the pelvic fins. The anal fin is also black. The black is also in the fin rays of the tail fin. The dorsal fin does not contain black, making them easy to distinguish from other Mbuna. Juvenile Pseudotropheus sp. Polit are brown like the females. Females are slightly smaller than males. Even though the Pseudotropheus sp. polit is a relatively small Malawi cichlid, it can be described as aggressive. Especially among themselves, the males can be quite aggressive towards each other. They fight, grab each other by the mouth, and hold each other like that. Because the males always want to mate, they frequently and fanatically chase the females. Other species are generally left relatively alone. It is best to keep them as a harem. That is to say, keep one male with three or more females.
Biotope
Diet
Like most Mbuna, Pseudotropheus sp. polit is a herbivore. This means that it feeds mainly on plant food. In the wild, it scrapes through the algae strands (Aufwuchs) on the rocks and ingests pieces of algae. In the aquarium, however, it accepts all the food offered. Therefore, it is advisable to keep this species only with other algae-eating Mbuna. You can then feed them with spirulina, spinach, lettuce, pumpkin and herbivorous flake food and granulate. Occasionally, some artemia, water fleas, or mysis will not harm them, but be careful that they do not become too fat and fat.
The Aquarium
Set up the aquarium for the Pseudotropheus sp. polit like other Mbuna aquariums. Use sand on the bottom for the fish to bite into and rinse their gills. To prevent the sand from silting up, it is best to use filter sand. Provide enough rocks for algae to grow on. Create enough space between the rocks for the females to hide when the male chases them for too long. The females with a mouth full of eggs/young can then also get away from the male. The aquarium should be at least 100 centimeters long but bigger is better. It gives you more room to create hidings and apply some bigger rocks to break the visual lines to give the fish some space.
Breeding Pseudotropheus sp. polit “Lion’s Cove”
Like all Mbuna, the Pseudotropheus sp. polit is a mouthbrooder. When laying eggs, the female turns around and takes the eggs in her mouth. The female incubates the eggs, which hatch after a few days. The young remain in her mouth for about 3 weeks after laying and feed on the yolk sac. After three weeks, the female spits out the young, which then have to take care of themselves. The nests consist of a maximum of about 15 to 20 young. You can raise the young with finely crushed flake food and spirulina. If you do this in a mixed aquarium, you must provide part of the bottom with some smaller rocks or pebbles that the young can get between but the parents cannot. If you want to keep entire nests, you can catch the female after a week or two and give her her own aquarium. Simply furnish this aquarium with some rocks between which she can hide. She does not eat for the first few hours after spitting out the young. You then have plenty of time to catch the female and put her back in the aquarium.
Conclusion
Pseudotropheus sp. polit is a very nice-looking Mbuna. However, it is a fierce guy that needs to be considered in terms of your inhabitants’ composition and the aquarium’s setup. Keep an eye on your fish to be able to intervene when a male starts to misbehave.
Video
Author John de Lange Copyright imagesJ. de Lange Kevin Bauman
