Tropheops sp. Red Cheek

Tropheops sp. Red Cheek is a strikingly colored Mbuna from Lake Malawi. Their ocher yellow head and belly stand out against the black stripes.

Tropheops sp. Red Cheek

Tropheops sp. Red Cheek is an as yet undescribed species. The temporary name Red Cheek refers to the colour on the head and belly of the males of this species. That colour is not really red, but more ocher to rust coloured. They have the somewhat subdued mouth and steeply rising forehead of the other Tropheus species.

Description

Tropheops sp. Red Cheek males can reach a length of about 11 centimetres in the wild. In the aquarium, they get a little bigger because we offer more and more powerful food than they get in the wild. They have an ocher to rust coloured head and belly. Black vertical stripes are visible on the flank.

The females are very much like those of Tropheops macrophthalmus. They are completely yellow/brown in color, including the fins. The females grow to about nine centimetres in the lake. Also in the aquarium, they stay a bit smaller than the males.

The character of this species can be described as fierce. The males do not tolerate other males of the same species in their territory.

Biotope

This species originates from the south of Lake Malawi. They are frequently caught at Likoma and Chizumulu. They occur on rocks with some current and waves. This leaves the rocks free of sediment. You can usually find them at depths from zero to six meters.

Diet

Tropheops sp. Red Cheek in Lake Malawi feeds mainly on the strands of algae that grow on the rocks (aufwuchs). They also eat small amounts of plankton.

In the aquarium, it is not a picky eater. They take flakes, granulate, Daphnia, Brine Shrimp etc. Make sure you don’t give too much frozen or live food. Vegetable food should not be missing in the diet, spirulina flakes are an excellent addition.

The Aquarium

Due to its fierce character and the fact that Tropheops sp. Red Cheek forms a territory, we recommend an aquarium from 400 litres (about 150 centimetres in length). You can keep one male with two or more females in an aquarium of this size. In this way, the male divides his attention between the females.

Keep them together with dissimilar Mbuna species. A species that resembles Tropheops sp. Red Cheek creates mutual fights.

Set up the aquarium with (filter) sand on the bottom. Place rocks in such a way that there are many holes, cracks and crevices. The male can build his territory here. Also, the females can hide from the male if he chases them too much to mate.

Water parameters

The water parameters in Lake Malawi are fairly equal and constant everywhere. The temperature may be between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius with a pH of 7.5 to 8.5.

Breeding Tropheops sp. Red Cheek

Breeding of Tropheops sp. Red Cheek, like most other Mbuna, is fairly straightforward. They can be bred in an aquarium with other Malawi cichlids. The male lures the female to his territory with vibrating movements. While circling around each other, the female lays the eggs that are fertilized by the male. The female then takes the eggs in her mouth. The eggs are hatched in her mouth.

After about three days, the eggs hatch in the female’s mouth. However, she does release the young fish yet. They remain in the female’s mouth for a total of about three weeks from laying while feeding on their egg yolk sacks. The female does not eat at all during these three weeks. A brooding female can be recognized by the enlarged throat. Sometimes the dark spots of the young fish can be seen through the skin.

After three weeks, the young fish are released out by the female. The fish seek shelter between the rocks, but in an aquarium, with adult fish, they are often eaten.

Breeding Tank

If you want to keep more young fish you can set up a separate smaller breeding tank. Decorate it with some sand and some shelter for the female. Remover her from the aquarium after about 15 days and place her in the breeding tank. After the third week, she releases the young fish. She will not eat them immediately. You have enough time to catch the female after releasing the fry and put it back in the aquarium.

You can feed the young Tropheops sp. Red Cheek with crushed flakes and freshly hatched brine shrimp.

Video

Author

John de Lange

Copyright images

Mark Thomas – Marks Fiskenarie
Pete Barnes

References

Malawicichliden in hun natuurlijke omgeving – 3e oplage – Ad Konings – pagina 30-32
Back to Nature Gids voor Malawi Cichliden – Ad Konings – pagina 182-183
Cichlideae.com

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