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CICHLIDS

By: Gatekeeper



Tropheus Duboisi
Found by: Marlier, 1959
Origin: Lake Tanganyika
Size: 12-14 cm
Water temp: 25 - 27°C
pH: 8.2

T. duboisi is one of the most popular cichlids from Lake Tanganyika. Its popularity is mainly derived from the fact that juveniles have a gorgeous coloration pattern consisting of a jet-black body adorned with many light blue to white spots. The juvenile color pattern disappears when the fish gets mature and makes place for a blue-black body color with a white or yellow vertical band under the dorsal fin. The juvenile pattern, however, remains for almost a year and these fish are rightly called "Pearly Butterfly."

Habitat

Found along rocky shores with other of its kind. Tropheus duboisi "mazwa" can be found at Cape Kabogo near the Malagarasi-delta. Lives in a waterdepth of 3-15 m.

Behaviour and reproduction

It's most likely that T. duboisi has been forced to leave the upper waterlayers due to more successful species (for example: T. moorii and Petrochromis). T. duboisi lives more widely spread than T. moorii who is more strongly connected to a group. It's a mouthbreader and the female have the eggs in her mouth in 20-25 days. Juveniles are about 1 cm when they leave their mothers mouth. The female sometimes eats while she's carrying the eggs. The little ones have white dots all over the body. Later they will loose their dots.

In the aquarium

T. duboisi is best kept in an aquarium with at least 300 litres. You should decorate your aquarium with many stones. Older males can be very aggressive and it will be hard to keep them with their own kind.

The feeding can be a problem if you don't consider that the food must have much fibres so the intestine will have to work. Pure water, good circulation and good filtration is more factors that are important if you want to succeed with this fish.

 

Tropheus duboisi "mazwa"

One of my first fry's of the beautiful duboisi. The photo is taken when the fry was about 6 month's

Tropheus duboisi "mazwa"

Here can you se the beginning of the stripe on the duboisi. The fry is from the same group of fry's as the above.

Tropheus duboisi "mazwa"

The female is grasping for the males analfin. You can see the oviduct on the female.

Tropheus duboisi "mazwa"

The male is doing the shake in front of the female.

Tropheus duboisi "mazwa"

A fully grown male. The duboisigroup was mixed with T. moorii "kachese" in this aquarium.

Tropheus duboisi "mazwa"

A group of half-grown T. duboisi. Notice the nice stripe on many of the individuals.

Adult 

Juvenile 

Trade names: 'Karilani'

Trade names: 'Kigoma'

Trade names: 'Maswa', 'Mazwa'

Maintenance

The maintenance of the breeding tank mainly consists of a weekly water change. Depending on the amount of fish a 50% change is a regular amount. Siphon off all debris lying on the bottom and check if the filter is still operating as it should, because T. duboisi likes crystal clear water. A last recommendation: never introduce wild caught fish into an existing colony. They carry, invariably, parasites, which may be transferred to your T. duboisi . The new fish are "inspected" by the duboisis and more often than not get weaker instead of acclimatizing to the new environment. As they get weaker the parasites in them flourish and are even able to affect your healthy T. duboisi . So, never new, wild caught fish in your established breeding colony. If you have taken care of the water quality, the set-up of the breeding tank and supply the right food, there will be nothing holding T. duboisi from breeding. In an established colony spawning can be observed almost daily. Females carrying eggs and larvae can be kept together with the group or isolated in separate tanks. Never put more than one mouthbrooding female in a small tank, they will fight if two or more are kept together. If left on her own the fry will be released at the right time. The female can be put back in the breeding colony. This is best done at night when all fish are at sleep. Thus we avoid the stress of the female being surrounded by inquiring relatives while she may have forgotten the environment of the breeding tank. If one leaves the mouthbrooding females with the breeding colony, the duration of the brooding should be noted for all brood caring females because they will not release their fry in the midst of all other tank-inhabitants. After four weeks the female should be shortly placed in a tank with baby fish to induce her to spit out the fry or we may force the fry out of her mouth with the aid of a Q-tip. The easiest way to net a mouthbrooding female from the breeding tank is during the night. When all fish are at sleep we single out (with a flashlight) the female we want and effortlessly net it out. In large breeding set-ups all females could be netted out every ten days and checked for larvae. Females with eggs are placed back, they will be emptied during the next round.

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