Diamond cichlazoma: what does it look like and how to care for it?

For the first time, diamond cichlazomas were discovered in fresh water bodies of America. Thanks to their unpretentiousness and good adaptive abilities, the fish began to be bred in captivity. They look beautiful in an aquarium: their bright color attracts the eye, and it is interesting to watch them due to their unusual nature. The average life span of a cichlazoma is 10-15 years, depending on the conditions of detention.

The body color of a young individual is pearl gray with blue or turquoise specks, similar to a diamond placer. On the head and fins, bright spots merge to form beautiful stripes. There are a pair of black spots in the middle of the body and near the caudal fin. With age, the color of the little body changes to gray, and the number of dark spots increases to about 5 pieces. Not so long ago, hybrid forms were bred: a diamond red cichlazoma with a scarlet belly and a diamond balloon cichlazoma - this is a short-bodied fish with a beautiful olive tint.

The size of the head is voluminous, with a concave forehead line. Cichlazomas, like many cichlids, have teeth, they are located on the jaws and the last arch of the gills. The dorsal and anal fins have spines, with the help of which the fish attacks and defends itself from enemies.

Cichlazomas are very aggressive, they zealously guard their territory. In this case, both the male and the female can attack. Fish of other species, relatives and even the hands of the owner become the subject of attack.Aquarists talk about cases of aggression towards objects behind glass, sometimes the fish jump out of the container in order to inflict damage on the enemy. Cichlazomas have a well-developed intellect, they can be trained, for example, to swim up on a signal for food. They recognize the owner and often observe what happens behind the glass of their underwater world.

In order to determine the sex of an individual, it is enough to pay attention to the color of the body. The male is brighter, with contrasting shades and beautiful sparkling tints.

Besides, males are larger, they have a well-defined forehead, on which a high fat lump grows... Such a build-up indicates a dominant position in the pack. It is worth paying attention to the dorsal and anal fins, which are longer and sharper in the male than in the female.

Cichlazomas need a lot of space. In order for the fish to reach its maximum size, it needs an aquarium with a volume of 200 liters, and for a couple - at least 400 liters. Although aquarists successfully keep them in smaller containers - from 120 liters, it should be borne in mind that in such a tank the size of the cichlazoma will be small. Water requirements are standard, as for all cichlids:

• temperature - 23–26 ° C;
• acidity Ph - 6.5–8.0;
• hardness dH - 25 °.

It is not recommended to place the aquarium near windows and heating radiators.

They like to spend time near the bottom, digging in the ground. Therefore, it is recommended to put a thick layer of sand or small pebbles on the bottom of the aquarium.

The tank with cichlazomas can be originally decorated with snags, pots, figures. The objects divide the water area into zones, this allows several fish to coexist peacefully. It is better to choose algae with a strong root system. Cichlazomas often attack plants: they tear, bite, pull them out of the sand, so it is recommended to plant the vegetation deep into the ground, and even better in pots. For the cichlid, you can choose the following algae:

• hygrophilus;
• anubias;
• nymphea;
• sagittaria;
• echinodorus;
• vallisneria;
• elodea.

During the life of fish, harmful ammonia is released from the remains of food and dead plant parts, so the water is changed weekly. In a new aquarium, this procedure is carried out only a month later, after an ecosystem that is comfortable for fish has been formed. In order not to disturb the balance of beneficial microorganisms, only 25% of the liquid is drained. To do this, you can use a hose: one end is placed in the aquarium and the other in an empty bucket.

The aquarium is filled only with settled water, which has been in a dark place in a clean vessel for at least three days. Water pipes contain a large amount of harmful impurities. Thanks to settling, they sink to the bottom and the water becomes safe. In addition, the temperature of the liquid evens out to a comfortable room temperature, which reduces stress for the fish. A complete replacement of water is carried out only when fish diseases occur. Some medications are added directly to the water, and after treatment they must be removed along with the water.

The serving size is determined empirically, the main thing is that the food is completely absorbed by the fish. Otherwise, food debris will begin to rot and release harmful substances. There are many good foods for the diamond cichlazoma:

• Cyclops is a small red crustacean, well absorbed and suitable for feeding young individuals;
• diaptomus - crustacean with a hard shell, contains a large amount of protein;
• daphnia is a cladocerans; “soft” species are suitable for feeding cichlazomas;
• brine shrimp - crustacean, which contains valuable nutrients;
• bloodworm - contains a huge amount of proteins and carbohydrates, suitable for feeding adult fish;
• coretra - mosquito larva, is considered the safest food for aquarium fish;
• the tubifex is a small-bristled worm, it can be fed to young animals.

Food can be fed dry, frozen or live, the latter being preferred. It is recommended to alternate between different types of food and include herbal and vitamin supplements in the diet:

• spirulina:
• soybeans:
• nettle;
• salad;
• carrot;
• basil;
• anise;
• cabbage leaves;
• fish meal;
• lysine.

These foods help maintain health and enhance the color of fish.

Beef and pork can cause obesity in the internal organs of the fish, causing it to die.

Do not forget that cichlazomas are predators, and guppies, neons, veil-tails and other peaceful fish can become their food. Therefore, diamond beauties need to select their neighbors with special scrupulousness. Cichlazomas, even towards their younger relatives, can show aggression. Young animals are less belligerent and may suffer from adults, which will drive them from their territory and take food.

For these purposes, large-sized fish are chosen that can fend for themselves. The following types are suitable:

• black pacu, another name is the herbivorous piranha, which reaches gigantic sizes - up to 70 cm;
• brocade pterygoplicht - large catfish;
• gourami - strong individuals are chosen among them, who can repel an attack;
• black knife - a large, but graceful fish of an unusual shape;
• plekostomus - a catfish cleaner with a strong shell;
• barbs - despite their small size, these nimble fish can stand up for themselves;
• turquoise akars - beautiful bright blue fish of the cichlid family;
• other types of cichlazoma, for example, meeka, red-throated or eight-striped.

Tsichlazoma is ready to put up with strangers if she herself has enough space.

Much also depends on the nature of the individual, because each has unique habits. Some can get along with their neighbors, while others categorically do not accept strangers. There are times when the cichlazoma does not want to live with strangers in any way, it terrorizes even very large fish, exceeding it in size by 2-3 times. In this case, it is better for the diamond cichlazoma to be given a separate territory or to divide the aquarium into two zones.

Diamond cichlazomas choose the chosen one once and for life. In a flock of young, pairs gradually begin to form, females and males independently look for a partner.

In order to start the breeding process, favorable conditions are created:

• increase the water temperature by 2 degrees;
• include high-protein feed in the diet;
• change the water more often - it should be perfectly transparent;
• required filtration and aeration of water.

If all the points are observed, love games begin, which look a little rough: the fish circle around each other, "bite" and "fight" with their tails.

The male chooses a place for laying and cleans it thoroughly.It can be a smooth surface of driftwood, a flat stone, less often plant leaves. The female lays eggs, which the male fertilizes immediately.

Cichlazomas jealously guard the masonry: fanned with fins, remove non-viable eggs and maintain cleanliness. But during this period, the male can become more aggressive even towards the female and future offspring, so it is better to remove him from the spawning grounds. Otherwise, he can eat caviar and destroy his partner.

On days 2–6, the larvae hatch, which the female carefully transfers to a previously prepared hole.

When it dissolves, you can already feed the fry. There are special feeds for this:

• live dust - a colony of microorganisms that provides young animals with all the substances necessary for growth;
• microworm nematode - nutritious live food;
• eggs and nauplii of brine shrimp.

You can also give specialized dry food, but fry grow on them more slowly. Females take care of babies until a certain moment, but as soon as the fry get stronger, take shape and grow up to 1 cm, the maternal instinct disappears.

Young individuals are transplanted into a common aquarium when their size is greater than the distance from the lips to the gills of the largest male in the cichlid. In the first week, you need to monitor how teenagers are settling in a new home. In the event of a rough attack by adult fish, the juveniles are isolated and tried to be placed in a common aquarium a little later.

About cichlamosis brilliant, see below.