The life span of the Rusty Cichlid is between two and five years. The Rusty Cichlid can reach a size of three inches and would do well in an aquarium of its own. The Rusty Cichlid is very peaceful and should not be kept with larger cichlids or aggressive ones. It is native to Lake Malawi, one of the Great Lakes in the Rift Valley of Africa.Īs its name suggests, this cichlid has a beautiful rust color with a purplish hue to it. The Rusty Cichlid, also called Iodotropheus sprengerae in Latin, is one of the most beautiful Mbuna-type cichlids. This peaceful African cichlid is a pleasure to observe in a freshwater aquarium because of its playful nature. The eggs may be incubated for up to 25 days until they hatch and the resultant fry held for a further few days afterwards.A Colorful Freshwater Fish from Lake Malawi in Africa This is the method of fertilisation, and this ritual may go on for some hours. The female sees the egg spots on the male’s anal fin and attempts to pick up those “eggs” whilst she is picking up the real ones that she deposited, and at the same time taking in milt. At the same time, the male will rotate so that he is almost on his side, at the same time shaking and extending his anal fin, releasing his milt. These are deposited just one or two at a time and after doing so, she immediately turns around and picks them up. They will circle each other in a head to tail manner a number of times, until the female deposits her eggs. He will choose and clean a spawning site, then display to the female fish until one accepts him. When ready to spawn, the colouration of the male will intensify and his aggression level will heighten. An occasional treat of Mysis shrimp, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, and mosquito larvae can be given, and vegetable matter such as cucumber, blanched spinach and romaine lettuce can be fed on a regular basis. A good quality flake food can be offered along with appropriately sized granular foods specifically developed for Mbuna. May also be seen on sale as the Lavender Cichlid. This species can be kept successfully alongside Aulonocara, Copadichromis, Haps, and other easygoing Mbuna such as Labidochromis caeruleus, making it a versatile addition for many Malawi set-ups. This is a relatively peaceful species (as far as Malawi cichlids are concerned), however, it is best to keep several females to each male, as keeping in pairs will result in continual harassment. The Aragonite or coral sand can always be placed into a mesh bag and kept inside the external filter for buffering purposes. Although a substrate of coral sand or Aragonite is often recommended to help to keep the water hard and alkaline, Mbuna feel safer and show better colours over a darker substrate. These structures should be built with the purpose of creating many crevices for the fish to explore but constructed in such a way so as to keep the rocks stable if the fish start to dig around and underneath them. Décor such as ocean rock can be used to build sturdy structures which stretch from the base of the tank to near the surface of the water.
The aquarium should be at least 4ft long and aquascaped to emulate a rocky reef effect. It belongs to the Mbuna group of cichlids. The Rusty Cichlid is known from the sediment-free rocky habitat at Boadzulu, Chinyamwezi Island, and Chinyankwazi Island in the south-eastern part of the lake.
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