Haplochromis nyererei

Q&A about Lake Victoria Cichlids

Moderator: Pam Chin

Post Reply
Pam Chin
Site Admin
Posts: 1798
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2003 9:11 am
Location: California, USA
Contact:

Haplochromis nyererei

Post by Pam Chin »

Hi Pam,

About 5 weeks after the ACA Convention, while at the FAAS/Rainbow/Greater Pitt Group Convention I attended outside of Pittsburgh in late August-early September (where I had the great pleasure of meeting Maxine Gorsline, Jim Lilly, John Benn, Chuck Bialon, Salley Boggs, and many others) I had the great fortune of winning a bag of 6 of Haplochromis nyererei as part of a very large raffle they put on.

Well, I brought them home as very small juveniles, and they now reside in a 125 gallon display tank in my living room, along with several other types of fish. In the past month or so, one in particular, has just bloomed in coloration, unlike just about anything I have ever seen before. This dominant male, is probably one of the more colorful of freshwater fish that I have ever seen in my life. His red hues, are not just plain red... they are fluorescent red..., and there are hues of several other shades, such as hints of blues, oranges, and yellows. I can't wait to see how this fish develops in the months to come, and plan on entering it in a show coming up in a few weeks here. I was wondering, have you ever kept these fish before, and if so, do you have anything that you can share in their regards? If not, have you ever even heard of them before? I have not been able to find anything about them in the few reference books I have, and suspect that they may be new to the hobby.

I already have a female with a mouth of eggs, but, in a tank like she is in, it is nearly impossible to catch her to strip her.... Just FAR too many plants and a LOT of rocks. If this fish is rare in the hobby, I'll do my best to spread them around as much as I can.

Lee
Pam Chin
Site Admin
Posts: 1798
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2003 9:11 am
Location: California, USA
Contact:

Post by Pam Chin »

Dear Lee,

I haven't had the opportunity to have this fish yet! I have admired it from afar, friends tanks and pictures in the books. It is said to be the most beautiful Victorian Haplochromis in the hobby to date. It has yet to be officially described and has been placed in the large and growing larger category of "Haplochromis". Apparently it is found throughout Lake Victoria and is known as a rock dweller. Ole Seehausen says it is a zooplanktivorous, which I would assume means it feeds on the zooplankton. The fishes color is the reason for its popularity, it was first introduced to hobbyists around 1991 - 1992. It is as hardy as most of the Haplochromines from Victoria, and easy to maintain. They supposedly "breed like flies" * grin * according to Miles Neiman's article in "Cichlid News" October, 1993. His says they don't require any special care. There is also a couple of fin bits about the fish in "The Cichlid Year Book, #2" edited by Ad Konings, in an article by Ole Seehausen.

I would treat them as any other Victorian's I am working with. They like their water a bit cooler than most fish, they will do fine around 72 - 74 degrees. This lower temperature helps keep down aggression as well. You may want to remove your adults to a smaller tank, so when they do breed you can catch the female easier. I would appreciate it, because then maybe I could trade you for some fry!!
Cichlid Power!
Pam

Cichlid Room Companion
Best Cichlid Site Ever
http://www.cichlidae.com
Post Reply