Aulonocara jacobfreibergi
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi occurs naturally in the southern part of Lake Malawi. The fish stay in areas on the border between rocky and sandy soils, although they are mostly found near rocky ridges, rarely swimming long distances away from them. The fish was named after the naturalist guru of Malawian cichlids Jacob Freiberg (Jacob Freiberg). Keep the fish is recommended aquarists who have some experience in caring for cichlids.
Adult male Aulonocara jacobfreibergi flanks are blue with darker vertical stripes. The base of the fins can be red, orange or yellow, as can the forehead area in front of the dorsal fin. The edges of the fins are white. The Freyberg's aulonocarps are called cichlids pavlins, because of the fantastic colouration inherent in the dominant males. There are many variations in the coloration of these fish in the wild, and fish caught in different parts of the lake may differ greatly from each other. Females and juveniles are usually silvery grey, they are smaller than males and the dorsal fin is rounded. The maximum size of the fish is 18 cm.
The Aulonocara jacobfreibergi aquarium should be large enough to hold 300 liters. they can be kept in a species tank as well as in a community tank together with other Malawi cichlid species with similar temperament. Due to dominance problems, do not keep multiple males together in a small tank. It is advisable to buy a group of young fish (6-10 fish) and simultaneously settle them in the aquarium, so you can avoid problems with their rejection of each other. To prevent interspecific cross-breeding, the Freiberg aulonocaras should not be kept with closely related fish species.
The bottom of the aquarium should be sandy, with several large stones located in different parts.
Water parameters: temperature 24-28° C, hardness dH 8-25°, acidity pH 7,0-9,0. Requires effective filtration, aeration and weekly replacement of 1/3 of the aquarium water with fresh.
The fish are fed with a variety of live, frozen and dry food (granular and flaked). A varied diet is advisable to encourage brighter coloration. Feed the fish once or twice a day.
Reproduction
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi reaches sexual maturity at 9-12 months of age.
Fish spawn in a general aquarium, as well as in a specially designated spawning tank. The male in the spawning period is very active, and sometimes constantly pursue females who are not yet ready to spawn. Females are often injured as a result of these male activities. To protect females from the excessive attention of the male to arrange in an aquarium numerous shelters in the form of grottos and piles of stones.
Before the female spawns, the male selects a suitable place for it and begins to protect it from other breeders. The female hatches about 15-70 eggs, which she collects into her mouth immediately after being fertilized by the male. The eggs incubate for 16-21 days, after which the fully developed fry leave the female's mouth. At first, they swim in a friendly flock under the supervision of their mother and swim into her mouth when in danger. To save the number of fry desirable to transfer them with or without the female in another aquarium.
The fry are fed live dust and artemia nauplii at least 4 times a day.
The lifespan of the Aulonocara jacobfreibergi in an aquarium is about 8 years.
