Cyathopharynx furcifer
Cyathopharynx furcifer are found in the wild in Lake Tanganyika. These fish stay at the edge of the rock and sandy bottom.
Cyathopharynx furcifer has an elongated body. The mouth has 3-5 rows of small teeth. Males are larger than females and more colorful. They have fins, especially the pelvic fins, noticeably longer than the females. The maximum size of fish is 20 cm.
The Furcifer Cyathopharynx is not very aggressive towards other species, but is not at all friendly towards their own kind. The fish is territorial and fanatically guards its territory.
On the sides and in the background of the aquarium should be placed piles of stones and rocks, forming caves and crevices. The substrate should be sandy. Fish need plenty of living space. It is desirable to keep them in a species aquarium of 350 liters, in the ratio of 1 male to 2-3 females. May be kept in a common aquarium with larger fish family Cichlova. Fish do not harm plants, so they can be planted in the aquarium if desired. Choose hard-water-tolerant species such as anubias and wallisneria.
Water parameters: temperature 24-27° C, hardness dH 8-25°, pH 8.0-9.0. Need quality filtration, aeration and weekly replacement of 1/3 of the aquarium water with fresh.
The menu of fish in nature consists of various microorganisms and zooplankton. In the aquarium, Cyathopharynx furcifer will eat all kinds of live and dry food after being accustomed to it. Meat dishes with high protein content should be avoided. Plant food should be predominant. The fish are given blanched spinach, flakes and pelleted food containing spirulina. The food is given once or twice a day.
Reproduction
Breeding Cyathopharynx furcifer is generally not difficult.
During the spawning season, the male digs a crater-shaped hole that is sometimes up to 60 cm in diameter. In the wild, males sometimes build nests in close proximity to each other.
Upon completion of nest building, the male begins to attract the female to the nest in every way possible. At this time he becomes brightly colored and overly aggressive. This is why the male should be kept in a harem with several females in order to dispel this aggression. When the female responds to the male courtship, she swims to the spawning area and hatch there a few eggs, and then collects them in her mouth. Immediately after that, she bites the tip of the male's pelvic fin, which immediately emits a cloud of milk resulting in the fertilization of the eggs. This continues until the female spawns completely. In total, she hatches about 25-35 eggs.
The eggs incubate in the female's mouth for 3 weeks. During this time she does not feed at all. The female should not be disturbed during this time because she may spit out the eggs or swallow them when frightened.
The hatched fry swim under the control of their mother. They are large enough and able from the first days of their lives to feed on Artemia nauplii and milled flakes containing spirulina. The fry are fed at least 4 times a day.
Life expectancy Cyathopharynx furcifer in aquarium conditions is about 8-10 years.