Haplopromis-leopard, golden leopard - the name of the species of tropical fish belonging to the family Cichlids, the order of Perciformes. They live in fresh water and are endemic to the deep lake Nyasa (Malawi), located in East Africa, at the junction of three countries - Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi.
The article will describe the appearance of the golden leopard cichlid and the features of its behavior. In addition, the necessary conditions for its maintenance in aquariums will be given. The compatibility of the golden leopard cichlids with other species and breeds of aquarium fish will also be examined.
Description, general information
In Latin, the name of this species sounds like Nimbochromis venustus. The last word - a specific name - is translated as “beautiful”, “elegant”, “elegant”. These words fully characterize the handsome golden leopards - cichlids, the content of which in the aquarium has gained great popularity.
These large, bright fish with a flattened body and high back are painted yellow with dark spots scattered across it. They are brown in color and elongated in the vertical direction. Because of these spots, the species is sometimes called "cichlid - giraffe." In females and young individuals, they are less pronounced. The heads of adult male golden leopard cichlids have a bright blue-green color, which in contrast with the spotted yellow body gives them a truly fabulous look. On the head of both the females and the males, contrasting black strips from the corners of the mouth to the eyes are clearly distinguishable. They usually appear when the young growth in length is more than 10 centimeters.
These are quite large fish, the length of which on average is 22.5 centimeters, but can reach 25. The height of the body is 38-40% of its length. The dorsal fin contains 16-17 hard and 10-12 soft rays. Anal - 3 hard rays and 9-10 soft.
In the photo below you can see what the golden leopards look like - cichlids, males and females. The differences between them are clearly visible.
Environmental conditions
Under natural conditions, as mentioned above, these cichlids live in fresh water bodies. These fish are near-bottom, and they prefer a sandy bottom. Near the rocks only young growth can come across. They live at shallow depths, from six to twenty-three meters (the average depth of Lake Malawi is 292 meters, the maximum is 706 meters). The water temperature in their natural habitat is + 25 ... + 27 degrees. A comfortable pH value is 7.2 - 8.8, that is, the fish feel comfortable in alkaline water.
Behavior features
How does a golden leopard behave in nature? Cichlids, males and females, are typical ambush predators. This means that they deftly hide and wait in ambush for an unsuspecting victim, who is attacked at a convenient time. Fish can even pretend to be dead, sitting at the bottom, buried in the sand, or on a small rocky ledge. Gold leopards feed on small species of fish and small invertebrates.
They live in reservoirs, as a rule, in small groups of three to four individuals: one male and several females. Males zealously guard their territory and do not allow strangers into it.
The rest of the article will discuss the content of these fish in aquariums.
Compatible with other fish
When planning to make a cichlid of gold leopards, you need to keep in mind that they are practically not compatible with other species, so here we can only talk about species content. This is due to the fact that these large fish are predators, and they will probably want to feast on their smaller neighbors. Experts advise purchasing a flock of a male and several females at once, as adult fish may not accept new neighbors.
Only the content of gold leopards with other species of cichlids of Lake Malawi is permissible, however, to preserve the purity of the species, it is better not to combine them.
Required aquarium dimensions, water and substrate requirements
Golden leopards are naturally large fish, and although in captivity they rarely grow longer than 20 centimeters in length, they need a spacious aquarium, because they live in groups. If there is one male and two to four females, the volume of the aquarium should be from 200 to 500 liters. If there are two males, or the owners decide to plant other cichlids with the gold leopards, 500 liters is the minimum volume. It is better if the aquarium is long and wide, and not high, because this species has a bottom-hole lifestyle.
As for the organization of the space of the aquarium, it must necessarily contain caves in an amount sufficient for all fish (at least 1 more), as well as dense plants (limnophila, vallisneria, hygrophila), which form part of the diet of cichlids. The scenery must necessarily be firmly fixed, because cichlids are rather large fish. It is better to use coarse river sand as soil. If nevertheless it is decided to take small gravel, then it should not be sharp, since gold leopards like to delve into bottom sediments. Once a week, the soil must be siphoned.
The necessary temperature indicators and pH parameters of water were indicated above. Permissible water hardness for cichlids of gold leopards is medium to high (8 - 20 ° dH). It is these parameters that are inherent in Lake Malawi. Once a week, you need to do a water change in the aquarium to a third of its volume.
Lighting requirements are standard: 0.5 W per liter.
Food
Since we are talking about predatory fish, it is clear that the best option for them would be live food: earthworms, snails, small shrimps and fish, insect larvae. The use of frozen food is also allowed - artemia, cyclops. You can give your fish pieces of fish. Frozen foods must be thawed first. Throw them into the water in small pieces.
It is also permissible to use artificial dry food - granules or flakes. However, you can’t completely switch to them in any case if you want to see your pets active and healthy.
Feeding is carried out four to five times a week. The uneaten food residues should be removed immediately from the bottom of the aquarium to avoid rotting and accumulation of ammonia in the water, to which cichlids are very sensitive.
Breeding
In captivity, gold leopards breed quite easily. This contributes to the harem content in the aquarium. The male becomes sexually mature at the age of 1 year. The signal for spawning is a gradual increase in water temperature by 2-3 degrees. The female lays 100-150 yellowish-brown eggs in the hole prepared by the male at the bottom. After fertilization, she takes them in her mouth and bears them for about three weeks. This evolutionary protective method of carrying offspring is inherent in most species of cichlids.
Spawning can be carried out in a common aquarium, but it is better to transplant a female with eggs into a separate one, because defenseless fry will be easy prey for adult fish. After the ripening of the eggs, the female takes care of the fry for about ten more days. In case of danger, she opens her mouth, and the young growth hides in it.
Golden leopard cichlids can be fed with nauplii (larvae) of cyclops and brine shrimp.
Finally
The article described the species of Malawian gold leopard cichlids, briefly characterized the conditions of their maintenance in aquariums, water and soil requirements, and feeding rules. If the conditions are violated, water pollution, cichlids can get sick and die, because diseases characteristic of them, such as bloating in Malawi, are incurable.
With good care, these fish live 7-10 years, which means that caring owners will be able to admire these bright majestic creatures for a long time, which can decorate any home.