Tropheus Moorii
Tropheus Moorii "ilangi" live in the wild in the southern part of Lake Tanganyika, in a small bay a few kilometres from the eastern entrance to Nkamba Bay. These fish were first imported into Europe in the early 1990s and have since become very popular among aquarists. Keeping the fish is recommended for trained aquarists.
The Tropheus Moorii "ilangi" is a very beautiful fish that will be a decoration in any aquarium. Tropheus ilangi is considered king among the other trophaeus species, in terms of its rarity and demand. The body of the fish is coloured yellow-red-purple. The head of the fish is purple, the body is bright yellow, and the pectoral, dorsal and anal fins are red. Sexual differences are very weakly expressed. The coloration of males is more vivid. This is especially noticeable during the spawning period. Males grow faster. The body of the males is more developed, while the females look slimmer. Males reach a size of 15 cm, while females are slightly smaller.
The Tropheus ilangi are aggressive fish. Keep them in a large group of at least 10-12 fish. In this case, the aggressive fervor of fish blunted somewhat. May be kept in a common aquarium with other species of trofeus. Keep the fish in an aquarium of at least 400 liters. Imitate rock formations, crevices and caves with stones in the aquarium. If there are many fish in the aquarium, it is desirable to delimit the area with large stones, so the fish will behave more calmly. Plants should not be planted in an aquarium, as Trofeus will certainly eat them, even if they are hard leaves. In the aquarium is undesirable to place snags and peat.
Water parameters: temperature 24-27° C, hardness dH 15-30°, pH 7,5-8,8. Shell rock and marble may be used to stabilise the pH values. Magnesium hardness predominates in the lake water, so aquarists sometimes practice adding magnesium sulphate to the water. Water aeration and filtration are required, as well as a weekly change of 1/5 of the water volume to fresh water.
Tropheus Moorii "ilangi", like all trophaeans, are herbivorous fishes. Their menu should therefore consist mainly of plant food. In an aquarium, the fish are fed algae wafers as well as spirulina containing flakes and pellets. The fish do not refuse green vegetables and spinach and lettuce leaves. A fish diet should consist of 90% plant food. Shrimp and fish meat as well as bloodworms can be given as supplementary food. Feed the fish preferably in small portions 3-4 times a day, and make sure they are not overfed.
Reproduction
During the spawning period, a temporary pair is formed between the male and female. The female lays eggs up to 20 eggs) on a flat, inclined surface of the stone, which the male first cleared of dirt and algae. eggs are fairly large and are 4-5 mm in diameter. After the female marks a batch of eggs, she immediately collects it all in her mouth and swims up to the releasers located on the male anal fin trying to grab them. At this time, the male releases a cloud of milk and the eggs are fertilized right in the female's mouth. The spawning process then continues until the female completely marks the eggs.
The eggs incubate in the female's mouth for 4 weeks, after which the fully formed fry leave. At the slightest danger, the fry swim back into the female's mouth, this occurs in the first week of their lives.
The fry are fed with Artemia nauplii and Spirulina flakes 4 times a day.
