Haplochromis CH-44
Haplochromis CH-44 naturally inhabits Lake Victoria in Africa. This fish is very beautiful and unpretentious, and even a novice aquarist can cope with its maintenance.
Males are very brightly colored, their body yellow with red highlights and dark transverse stripes. The tail is red, head blue with black, dorsal and anal fins red-blue, pectoral fins black. Females are beige in coloration with low-contrast stripes. Young fish have a coloration similar to the adult fish and when they reach 2 cm in size, you can already identify males and females. The size of fish is 9-14 cm.
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Keep fish preferably in an aquarium of 250-300 liters. At least 2 females should be per 1 male. Not desirable to contain more than 1 male in the same aquarium, because in this case between them there will be constant clashes, which may eventually lead to the death of one of them. In general, Haplochromis CH-44 rather aggressive species cichlids, but despite this enjoys great popularity because of its bright coloration.
The aquarium should be placed a large number of stones, stacked in bulk, in the crevices between which each fish could find a shelter. Very interesting look stones with holes, which not only look beautiful, but also serve as a natural shelter for the fish. Also, limestone is not contraindicated, due to the fact that the water for these fish should have a high pH (limestone naturally increases the pH of water). Also be careful to keep the stones firmly in place, because the constant digging in the ground fish can make a dig under the stones and the entire structure can collapse, dropping the fish themselves.
It is possible to place in an aquarium living plants, but only those types that are not rooted in the ground, and float on the water surface, because everything that will be planted in the ground will certainly be pulled out of it along with the roots.
Water parameters: temperature 24-28° C, hardness dH 8-20°, pH 7,5-8,5. Requires filtration and aeration. Also need to replace ¼ of the aquarium water twice a week with fresh.
As the soil is suitable coarse-grained river sand or fine polished gravel (to fish do not damage their mouths swarming in it).
Haplochromis CH-44 feeds on virtually all live, frozen and dry food: Tubifex, bloodworms, artemia, earthworms, fry, shredded fish meat, shrimp and mussels. Also need plant food in the form of chopped salad leaves and spinach. Fish should preferably be fed in small portions 2-3 times a day.
Reproduction
Before spawning, the male attracts the female to her pre-digged near the rocks hole in the sand. The female hatches up to 20 eggs, which, after fertilization by the male, collects all in his mouth. Depending on the temperature of the water the eggs are incubated in the mouth of the female 2-3 weeks. All this time the female practically does not eat anything. Once the fry are turned off, they begin a friendly flock swimming under the protection of their mother, and at any danger immediately swim into her mouth. The female takes care of the fry from 1 to 4 weeks. Once it is noticed that she loses interest in her offspring, it must be removed from the fry.
The fry are fed artemia and dry food designed for cichlid fry.
Life expectancy Haplochromis CH-44 in an aquarium environment is 6-8 years.
