Cichlazoma black-striped: characteristics, features of care and breeding

Black-striped cichlazoma is the smallest species of American cichlids and is well known to aquarists. The popularity of the fish is due to its unpretentiousness, good vitality and non-conflict nature.

Black-striped cichlaz (lat.Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum) can be found literally in every home aquarium. These are small fish ranging in size from 13 to 15 cm, with an elongated, slightly flattened laterally high body and a large head. The fish have a very interesting striped color, the intensity of which can vary. This is due to the presence of pigment-containing cells - a chromatophore, the compression of which leads to a loss of color saturation.

The gray-blue color with black stripes makes the fish almost invisible in open reservoirs, disguising it on the rocky and vegetated bottom. In total, there are 8-9 vertical stripes on the body of the cichlazoma, and the strip immediately following the gills is interrupted and becomes similar to the letter U.

Black-striped cichlazoma has large expressive eyes, protected by a deep leathery fold. The mouth is located at the top of the head and has fleshy, large lips.The dorsal and anal fins in most individuals are slightly pointed in the anal area and are transparent, although fish with yellowish fins are also found.

"Zebras" are often involved in breeding experiments, as a result of which it was possible to obtain individuals with the absence of stripes and the presence of different body shades. As an example, we can mention the flamingo cichlazoma, which has a pale pink color with orange sparkles.

Under natural conditions, black-striped cichlazomas prefer to settle in reservoirs with a rocky bottom, where there is always the opportunity to hide in a cave, crevice and other natural shelter. The depth of the reservoir is absolutely not important for fish., therefore, they can be found both in a deep full-flowing river and in a small stream. In large rivers and lakes, cichlazomas prefer to live along the coastline, the largest populations were recorded in places with strong currents and an abundance of food in the form of larvae, worms, small fish and aquatic plants.

Describing black-striped cichlases, one cannot fail to note striking features of their character. Fish are still in fry form pairs that maintain throughout life... They are very good parents, caring for their offspring and protecting them for a long time. In addition, cichlazomas are The most peaceful species of American cichlids and without problems coexist with other fish in the aquarium. Cichlazomas are very undemanding in maintenance and forgive the owners for flaws in their care.

In the wild, the zebra cichlid lives in fresh waters in countries such as Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Indonesia and the United States. The fish became familiar to European aquarists thanks to the sales agent Johann Paul Arnold, who asked the familiar sailors to bring these exotic fish from the voyage.

After receiving a valuable cargo and consulting leading German zoologists, he made a description of the species and systematized the information available about it. Aquarists appreciated attractiveness and unpretentiousness of black-striped cichlases, and since 1867 "zebras" have firmly held the leading position in popularity among other aquarium fish.

Determining the sex of a black-striped cichlazoma will not be difficult, since females are noticeably different in appearance from males. Males have a larger body size and a noticeable fatty build-up on the forehead that develops over time. But if you can make a mistake with the size, especially in adolescence, then the presence of a bright color and more contrasting stripes of females allows you to accurately determine the sex of the fish.

Besides, males have no orange abdomentypical for females preparing for spawning. There is also a difference in the fins: in males, they are more elongated and pointed than in females.

Black-striped cichlazomas are very picky fish and are well suited for beginners. There is a joke among experienced aquarists that the zebra cichlid can spawn even in a plastic bag during transportation - these fish are so unpretentious and undemanding to the conditions of detention.

They easily live up to 10-15 years old and practically do not get sick. Therefore, it is not so difficult to ensure the optimal content of the cichlazome. To do this, it is necessary to maintain the temperature of the water in the aquarium within 20-28 degrees, the hardness index is from 8 to 30 dH, and the acidity level is 7-8 pH.

It is advisable to select a spacious aquarium for keeping cichlazes so that the fish can have their own angle, where they will not be disturbed by other species. The best option would be to keep the fish in pairs, since the male and the female are so passionate about each other, and then their offspring, that they do not care about those around them. The average aquarium size for one pair of cichlases should be not less than 75 liters. In this case, inside must be present a slight current, and the water should be clean and transparent.

As for the filtration and aeration of water, if the aquarium is small and only a couple of fish live in it, you can do without the appropriate equipment. If the capacity has a sufficient volume and is densely populated by inhabitants, then the installation of a compressor and a filter is mandatory. In addition to purifying the water, the filter creates a small flow, which is required for the development of eggs. Experienced aquarists regarding filter capacity it is advised to select it to the size of the aquarium so that it can drive through itself two volumes of water per hour.

Water changes are carried out weekly., changing at a time up to 30% of the volume. The lighting of the aquarium can be either top or side or frontal: cichlazomas are not very demanding on this factor, so the choice of lighting depends on the personal preferences of the owner.

The most important point to consider when filling an aquarium before starting it up is the choice of substrate. Black-striped cichlazomas, like all cichlids, prefer to arrange the redevelopment of the substrate at their discretion, therefore, small or medium-sized pebbles should be used in the role of soil, in the absence of which the use of granite chips or gravel is allowed. If these rules are neglected and ordinary sand is poured into the aquarium, then dregs will constantly rise from the bottom, and the water will be dirty and opaque.

After the soil has been selected, it's time to start zoning the aquarium. This requirement is due to the need to have its own territory, which is typical for most species of American cichlids. Zoning is carried out using snags, large stones, ceramic fragments and coconut shells, constructing caves, labyrinths and all kinds of shelters from them.

Aquarium plants with strong root systems, such as Echinodorus, Cryptocoryne and Vallisneria spiral. These plants perfectly purify water from phosphate and nitrate impurities and saturate it with oxygen.

In addition, at the bottom of the aquarium, there must be a flat stone or pot where the cichlazomas will spawn. It should also be remembered that it is not recommended to place weak-rooted algae in cichlid tanks.

This is because there is no special need for fish in them, moreover, they will be immediately pulled out of the ground. Floating plants such as duckweed, riccia, pistia and wolfia can be used as a decorative component. Besides shading and making the aquarium attractive, these algae will act as a good addition to the cichlase diet.

Feeding black striped cichlases is not much different from feeding other fish species and requires a balanced diet that includes live food and plant foods. Pisces really like bloodworms, brine shrimp, tubifex, sea fish and squid, and from the vegetation they will not give up green peas, spinach, zucchini, fresh cucumbers, scalded cabbage, oatmeal and lettuce.

With natural feeding, you can create a weekly ration based on the needs and number of fish, and enter it in the table... This will prevent oversaturation of fish with one product against the background of a shortage of another and will contribute to a more balanced diet.

Natural products can be replaced with ready-made balanced feeds, in which all the necessary vitamins and trace elements are present in the right dosages and optimal combinations. For feeding, you can use dry, freeze-dried, frozen and live food, since cichlazomas, like all cichlids, are very unpretentious and eat everything.

Breeding black-striped cichlazes is easy, all you need to do is create optimal conditions for spawning and rely on nature. Sexual maturity in cichlids occurs at 7-10 months, the fish form strong pairs and are good parents. Spawning can continue all year round at short intervals, and the stimulus for it is often heating the water in the aquarium to 29 degrees and replacing 1/4 of its volume with fresh water.

The courtship of the male for the female continues for a long time; after it is over, the female begins to lay eggs. To do this, she uses large flat stones, a coconut shell, a ceramic pot, or a large shell. However, it is not uncommon for eggs to be deposited directly on the leaf of a large plant. If the eggs were laid in a common aquarium, then the couple will jealously guard them, not allowing strangers to come close. Periodically, the female examines the clutch and removes dead and unfertilized eggs from it.

After 3 days after laying eggs, larvae begin to hatch from it, the yolk sac breaks up, and fry are born. Usually, their number is 100-200 pieces, depending on the age of the couple and the conditions of detention. For the first 3 days, they feed on the remains of their pouch and do not swim anywhere, and then begin to move around the aquarium under the vigilant control of the parent couple. At the same time, the female specially brandishes her fins near the bottom, picking up all the dregs from it.

In the raised suspension, the fry seek out food for themselves, and by the end of the daylight hours the well-fed family returns to their shelter. However, despite the high parental instincts, some males after the appearance of fry become very aggressive and if they are not isolated in another aquarium in time, they can eat all the fry. That's why after the appearance of offspring, the aquarist must carefully monitor the behavior of the father of the family and, if necessary, take measures to immediately resettle him.

In an aquarium with fry, a filter and a compressor must be installed, and crushed mixture of live and dry feedv. After 3 weeks after birth, the fry switch to a common diet and begin to eat in the same way as their parents. The next spawning can be expected in a month, and it will bring about the same number of fry. However, it is worth noting that if spawning occurs in a common aquarium, then, despite the vigilant guardianship of parents, not all fry survive.

After the fry become independent fish, it is necessary to decide the question of their future fate. Most aquarists sell or give away surplus livestock, otherwise the bred cichlazomas will not give a quiet life to other species, and the aquarium runs the risk of becoming a monospecific one.

In general, black-striped cichlazomas get along well with other species, however, exceptions to the rule do occur. So, the male sometimes chases the neighbors around the aquarium, which happens especially often during the spawning and caring period for fry. However, such attacks are cyclical, and cichlazomas get along well with peaceful species of not too large sizes.

Fish such as swordtails, barbs, pearl gourami, thorns, parrots, diamond cichlazomas and mollies can be used as neighbors. In addition, "zebras" get along well with labeo, tarakatums and speckled catfish. However, catfish, due to their near-bottom lifestyle, can interfere with the cichlazoma from laying eggs, which is why such a neighborhood often leads to showdowns and fights.

But cichlazomas do not get along with such fish as piranhas, acars and astronotuses. The presence of cherry barbs, red, blue and black neons, rasboros, guppies and other too small species is also undesirable. The ideal option would be to maintain a monospecies aquarium, where black-striped cichlazomas will be full-fledged hosts.

Next, watch a video with tips on how to properly maintain black-striped cichloid.