Nyassachromis boadzulu
Nyassachromis boadzulu live in the wild in the African Lake Nyasa. The largest concentration of fish is found in the southern part of the lake. The fish stick to the shoals with sandy substrate. The fish is quite interesting and attractive, although not often seen in aquarists' collections. This fish is listed in the Red Book.
Male Nyassachromis boadzulu is painted a rich blue-blue colour. Throughout the body can be seen weakly contrasting dark transverse bands. The dorsal fin, dorsum and head have a light stripe along the outline, and the anal fin has specks of blue. The colouration of females is much more modest. Their body is silvery or gray with dark stripes. Their size is 13 cm, while the length of the males is 17 cm. In aquariums, the fish are usually no larger than 15 cm.
The Nyassachromis boadzulu are relatively peaceful fish and keeping them is usually not difficult. They can be kept with almost any African cichlids comparable in size and temperament. Keeping one fish requires an aquarium with a capacity of 100 liters. When keeping 3-5 fish (1 male and 2-4 females), the minimum volume of the aquarium is 350 liters.
The aquarium should be rock-like, with driftwood, large stones and ceramic pots. If desired, you can plant bushes of plants, to which the fish are almost indifferent.
Water parameters: temperature 26-28° C, hardness dH 9-25°, pH 7,5-8,5. Requires filtration, aeration and weekly replacement of 1/3 of the aquarium water with fresh. Create a weak water current in the aquarium, e.g. by draining the water filter along the rear wall of the aquarium.
A mixture of sand and gravel can be used as a substrate.
Light intensity of approximately 0.3 Watts per litre. Daily light duration 10 hours.
The diet of the fish in the wild consists of zooplankton, which the fish catch in the water column. Under aquarium conditions, the boasouls eat daphnia, artemia and chironomid moths. They can also be fed with specialized granular food designed for cichlids. This food is given once or twice a day.
Reproduction
During the spawning season, the male builds an improvised nest in the sand, which is something like a small crater. Once the construction process is complete, the male attracts the female to the nest in every way possible. One of the females swims up to the nest and hatches 30-50 eggs that immediately after being fertilized by the male, she immediately collects them into her mouth, where they incubate for 3-4 weeks. Mouth of the female leaves the fully developed fry, which at first hold a friendly flock under the indefatigable control of his mother and at the slightest danger immediately swim into her mouth. After 2-3 weeks, fry become more and more daring, and the female can no longer control them all. At this time, fry, to save their stock, should be transferred to another aquarium.
The fry are fed live dust and artemia at least 4 times a day.
