Amphilophus calobrensis
The Amphilophus calobrensis naturally inhabits bodies of water located in Panama, Central America. The fish mainly inhabit lakes and ponds, although they can occasionally be found in slow-flowing rivers. The largest concentrations of fish are found along rocky shores, where they swim among crevices.
Amphilophus calobrensis is yellowish or pinkish in colour. The entire body of the fish is dotted with small reddish mottles. There are also a small number of dark spots on the body closer to the root of the tail plumage. Adult males are larger than females. In addition, they eventually develop an occipital hump and their fins are elongated. The sex of young fish cannot be distinguished. The maximum size of the fish is 20-25 cm.
The Amphilophus calobrensis is an aggressive, territorial fish. In large aquariums their aggressiveness significantly reduced, but by and large only applies to large aquariums with a volume of more than 1000 liters, which for many aquarists simply unavailable. Other cichlids from Central America can be kept in these aquariums together with the red-spotted cichlids.
An aquarium with a capacity of 250 liters is suitable for keeping the fish. This is sufficient for keeping one pair of fish. If other cichlid species are kept, the volume should be considerably larger.
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Place large quantities of stones at the bottom of the tank, with which to demarcate areas and make them shelters in which the fish will hide. Rocks should be firmly fixed, as fish are constantly digging in the ground undermining the base of the stones, which can lead to the collapse of stones, such as folded in the form of gorges.
Plants should not be planted as they will all be pulled out of the ground along with the roots. As there will be no plants in the aquarium, the light intensity does not have any special requirements.
Water parameters: temperature 22-27° C, hardness dH 3-15°, pH 6,5-7,5. Need effective filtration, aeration and weekly replacement of 1/4 of the aquarium water with fresh.
The Amphilophus calobrensis is almost omnivorous. They gladly eat earthworms, shrimps, mussels, etc. A large part of their diet should consist of vegetable food such as spinach, salad leaves and green peas. Food with high protein content, such as beef heart and various red meats, is contraindicated for these fish, since it may harm their digestive system. The fish are fed once a day.
Reproduction
If there is a strong pair of fish, it is quite easy to obtain offspring from them.
Unfortunately, selecting a strong pair of fish is a complicated process, the males often kill the females if they are simply placed in the same aquarium together. Some aquarists solve this problem by placing transparent glass in the central part of the aquarium, which divides the territories and allows the male to get used to his potential mate. After a few weeks the partition is removed, but there is no guarantee that the fish will understand each other.
By far the best option is to acquire a flock of young fish and raise them together, allowing the pair to form naturally. As soon as an established fish pair is spotted, the other fish should immediately be moved to another aquarium for their own safety.
If there is a pair of fish, they will reproduce without much preparation from you. During the pre-spawning period, the hump increases considerably in both sexes. The male courts the female for a long time.
The female lays her eggs either in a cave or on a vertical rock surface, although almost any hard surface will do if not available. Both parents take care of the clutch. The Amphilophus calobrensis are extremely aggressive at this time, so care should be taken when carrying out aquarium maintenance, otherwise the fish can bite your fingers bloody.
The eggs are incubated for 2-3 days. Once the alevins hatch, the producers transfer them to a previously dug hole in the ground, which they do not leave for 5-7 days. At this time, it is advisable to install a glass separator to protect the female from the extremely aggressive male. Also, do not be tempted to remove the fry, as this may cause the male to become literally furious altogether. If the female survived without the installation of a separation glass and the fry removed, the male will make a second attempt at spawning, and if the female is not yet ready for it, he may beat her to death.
The fry are fed with artemia and various small dry feeds 4 times a day. They grow very quickly.
