African Butterfly Cichlid Care and Breeding
A Non-Aggressive and Compatible Fish For the Freshwater Aquarium
Jul 23, 2009
The scientific name for the African Butterfly Cichlid is Anomalochromis Thomasi and at one time, it was in the same genus as Jewel Cichlids. As more distinct features were discovered, it was given its own genus.
The natural habitat of the African Butterfly Cichlid is in areas of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea in West Africa. It can be found in rivers and streams that feed into the Moa, Konkoure and Saint John Rivers. It prefers to live in parts of the rivers where there is heavy vegetation and dead leaves. Their environment is similar to the back river waters of South America.
Characteristics of the African Butterfly Cichlid
The African Butterfly cichlid has a circular body with a slightly arched back. This fish looks like it has an overbite because of the upper lip overhanging the bottom lip. Their coloration is whitish-grey, with the throat and belly being a whitish or creamy yellow.
Their bodies display iridescent colors of red and different shades of green sparkles. The African Butterfly Cichlid has a distinctive black blotch and cheek stripe. Another characteristic is horizontal black bars but in some fish, the bars are not pronounced.
The Butterfly Cichlid grows to a length of four inches as an adult. There is little difference between the male and female so determining the sex is difficult. During spawning, the female’s body swells and this is the only way to distinguish the sexes.
Aquarium Conditions for the African Butterfly Cichlid
Although the Butterfly Cichlid comes from soft river water in the wild, it can be kept in a freshwater aquarium with a pH as high as 8. It seems to grow and breed better in harder water. The water temperature should be kept between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The water should be well-filtered with a 25% water change done every two weeks.
The recommended aquarium size should be at least 50 gallons in order to provide a heavily-planted area as well as driftwood and rock caves for hiding places. An open swimming area should be available in the tank for exercise and eating. The best substrate is fine sand and in a light color.
The African Butterfly Cichlid is a hearty eater and does well with several small feedings a day. It will readily accept most foods, such as: flakes, pellets, freeze dried, and live foods with snacks of lettuce.
It is a social fish so a group of four or more African Butterfly Cichlids is recommended in a freshwater aquarium.
Breeding African Butterfly Cichlids
The African Butterfly Cichlid is an egg layer so flat rocks are needed in a spawning area. Because it is difficult to determine the sex of these fish, it is best to place a small number in an aquarium with hope there will be males and females in the colony.
When a female starts to spend time cleaning flat rocks, it is an indication that spawning is ready to take place. She cleans the rocks within the territory set out by the male and he helps with choosing the exact breeding site. As she deposit lines of eggs on the rocks, the male will follow and fertilize the eggs.
The female African Butterfly Cichlid can lay up to 250 eggs at a time and the eggs hatch approximately 78 hours later. The parents will usually provide total care of their young but they may eat their spawns the first few times. Once they get the accustomed to spawning, they are devoted parents.
These fish will spawn every 10 days so if there is too many fry on hand, it is best to give the parents a break by separating them. Although the African Butterfly Cichlid is a passive fish, it can get slightly aggressive when spawning.
African Butterfly Cichlid Compatibility
In a community freshwater aquarium, the African Butterfly Cichlid can be kept with livebearers such as Guppies and Swordtails. It is also compatible with Gouramis, Tetras, small Barbs, Catfish and other dwarf cichlids.
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