Metriaclima sp. "daktari"
Doctor's CichlidSynonyms: Pseudotropheus sp. "daktari"
Distribution:
Metriaclima sp. "daktari" is found at
Undu Reef, Hai Reef, and Chiwindi in Lake Malawi. There is some
variation in these location variants, most noticeably the Chiwindi
variant which has a lot of blue/purple coloration on the flanks.
The Blue Daktari Pseudotropheus sp. "daktari"
is a delicately colored African cichlid that is becoming more readily
available. The male Blue Daktari is a beautiful bright yellow color with
some having a bit of blue, and the female is more of a pinkish tan. But
both have black trim on the top and bottom edge of the tail fin,
lending to the descriptive name of "Scissor Tail Cichlid".
This fish is one of the cichlids
from Lake Malawi that are called Mbunas. The Tonga people of Malawi
named these fish Mbuna, as that term means "rockfish" or
"rock-dwelling". This name aptly describes the environment these fish
live in. They inhabit rocky areas full of cracks and crevices, as
opposed to being open water swimmers like the Utaka cichlids and other
"haps". There are 13 genera full of very active and aggressive
personalities of Mbuna cichlids. Other common names this fish is known
by includes Doctor's Cichlid, Metriaclima Daktari, Pseudotropheus
Daktari, as well as Metriaclima sp. "daktari", and of course Mbuna.
It is one of the smaller Mbuna but with the typical
elongated, muscular body shape. In the wild Daktari males only reach
about 4 inches (10 cm) and females are smaller still at about 3 inches
(8 cm), but they can grow slightly larger In captivity. Being a smaller
cichlid makes it easier to house. This cichlid also has a decent
temperament if kept in a properly set up and maintained aquarium. With
its striking color and ease of breeding, it is a great addition to a
Mbuna cichlid tank.
Though easy to moderate to care for, the Blue
Daktari is not a community tank specimen. It should not be housed with
fish other than cichlids. A minimum sized tank of 50 gallons that is at
least 36" long, will be suitable for one male and several
females. A decor providing many hiding places as well as open space for
swimming is needed for success. Multiple passageways and caves can be
formed with piles of rocks.
Like other Mbunas, they may dig so make sure the
rocks sit on the bottom of the aquarium not on the substrate. Arranging
the rocks in a manner to make "territories" will help ease aggression,
as will keeping them in a larger aquarium with other Mbuna species.
Success is dependent on the aquarists willingness to do frequent water
changes, have sufficient hiding places, and provide appropriate tank
mates.
Size: Males- 4 inches, Females- 3.5 inches
Maturity: 2.5 inches
Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger than females and are a brighter yellow with a purple sheen to them.
Description
The
Blue Daktari has the typical Mbuna muscular, elongated 'torpedo' body
shape. In nature males will reach up to about 4" (10 cm) in length, with
the female being smaller at about 3" (8 cm). They can be larger in the home aquarium. This cichlid can live up to 8 years with proper care.
The male is a beautiful yellow color with an
orange-yellow coloring along the back. There are some populations that
also have blue in the body. They can have a few light blue scales here
and there. The fins are a bright yellow, with the tail fin having black
trim on the top and bottom edges. The anal fin has a black edge at the
bottom with egg spots at the area closer to the body. The eyes are not
yellow, but a silver color with a black center. The female has the same
black edging on the the top and bottom of the tail fin, but she is a
pinkish tan to tan-gray color. Juveniles are a pinkish tan color.
All cichlids share a common feature that some
saltwater fish such as wrasses and parrotfish have and that is a
well-developed pharyngeal set of teeth that are in the throat, along
with their regular teeth. Cichlids have spiny rays in the back parts of
the anal, dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins to help discourage
predators. The front part of these fins are soft and perfect for precise
positions and effortless movements in the water as opposed to fast swimming.
Cichlids have one nostril on each side while other
fish have 2 sets. To sense "smells" in the water, they suck water in and
expel the water right back out after being "sampled" for a short or
longer time, depending on how much the cichlid needs to "smell" the
water. This feature is shared by saltwater damselfish and cichlids are
thought to be closely related.
- Size of fish - inches: 3.9 inches (10.01 cm) - Males are about 4" (10 cm) in length in the wild, with females at about 3" (8 cm), but they can get slightly larger in captivity.
- Lifespan: 8 years - They have a lifespan of about 8 years with proper care.
Fish Keeping Difficulty
This is a great fish for both the intermediate
and experienced cichlid keeper. It is a moderately aggressive cichlid,
but not a community tank specimen that can be kept with fish other than
cichlids. The aquarists must be willing to do frequent water changes and
provide appropriate tank mates. It is susceptible to Malawi bloat as
well as the typical diseases that effect all freshwater fish
if the tank is not maintained. In the proper setup it will easily adapt
to prepared foods, breed readily, and the juveniles are easy to raise
as well.
- Aquarium Hardiness: Moderately hardy
- Aquarist Experience Level: Intermediate
The Blue Daktari is an omnivore
that in the wild feeds on auwfuchs and other vegetation. In captivity
they need vegetable matter which provides fiber in their diet to keep
their intestinal tract disease free. Feed a high quality flake, pellets,
spirulina, and other preparations for herbivore cichlids.
It is always better to feed them small amounts
several times a day instead of one large feeding. This keeps the water
quality higher for a longer period of time. Of course, all fish benefit
from added vitamins and supplements to their foods. It would not be wise
to house this fish with other genus of cichlids that eat beef heart or
other mammal meat, as these foods will cause intestinal infections and
death in these fish.
- Diet Type: Omnivore
- Flake Food: Yes
- Tablet Pellet: Yes
- Live foods (fishes, shrimps, worms): Some of Diet
- Vegetable Food: Most of Diet
- Meaty Food: Some of Diet
- Feeding Frequency: Daily - Offer several small feedings a day, what they can eat in about 3 minutes or less, rather than a single large feeding.
This is a great fish for both the intermediate
and experienced cichlid keeper. It is a moderately aggressive cichlid,
but not a community tank specimen that can be kept with fish other than
cichlids. The aquarists must be willing to do frequent water changes and
provide appropriate tank mates. It is susceptible to Malawi bloat as
well as the typical diseases that effect all freshwater fish
if the tank is not maintained. In the proper setup it will easily adapt
to prepared foods, breed readily, and the juveniles are easy to raise
as well.
- Aquarium Hardiness: Moderately hardy
- Aquarist Experience Level: Intermediate
The
streams that flow into Lake Malawi have a high mineral content. This
along with evaporation has resulted in alkaline water that is highly
mineralized. Lake Malawi is known for its clarity and stability as far
as pH and other water chemistries. It is easy to see why it is important
to watch tank parameters with all Lake Malawi fish.
Rift lake cichlids need hard alkaline water but are
not found in brackish waters. Salt is sometimes used as a buffering
agent to increase the water's carbonate hardness. This cichlid has some
salt tolerance so can be kept in slightly brackish water conditions.
However it not suited to a full brackish water tank. It can tolerate a salinity that is about 10% of a normal saltwater tank, a specific gravity of less than 1.0002.
A minimum 50 gallons that is 36" in length is
recommended for a species specific tank, with a 100 gallons or more for a
mixed Mbuna tank. They do fine
in either freshwater or brackish freshwater but need good water movement
along with very strong and efficient filtration. Gravel makes a good
substate and the addition of crushed coral can help keep the pH up. A
very slow acclimation to different pH levels
can sometimes be achieved. Crushed coral or aragonite sands do tend to
dissolves easier than salts. Keeping a higher pH however, means that
ammonia is more lethal, so regular water changes are a must for these
fish.
Provide lots of passageways and caves formed with
piles of rocks. Some open space is appreciated as well. Like other
Mbunas, they may dig so make sure the rocks sit on the bottom of the
aquarium not on the substrate. Arranging the rocks in a manner to make
"territories" will help ease aggression.
- Minimum Tank Size: 50 gal (189 L) - A minimum of 50 gallons is the suggested for a species tank, with 100 gallons or more for a mixed group of Mbunas.
- Suitable for Nano Tank: No
- Substrate Type: Any
- Lighting Needs: Moderate - normal lighting
- Temperature: 78.0 to 82.0° F (25.6 to 27.8° C)
- Range ph: 7.8-8.6
- Hardness Range: 10 - 25 dGH
- Brackish: Sometimes - Salt is not found in their natural environment, but they do have a slight tolerance, keep levels below 10% - a specific gravity of less than 1.0002.
- Water Movement: Moderate
- Water Region: Middle - These fish will swim in the middle and bottom areas of the aquarium.
The
Blue Daktari is semi-aggressive and is not considered to be a community
fish. However it can be kept in a community cichlid aquarium under the
right conditions. It is best kept in groups of one male and several
females, six or more females are suggested to spread out the male's
aggression. Provide a lot of hiding places for the females.
They can be kept with other less
aggressive cichlids from Malawi that are not similar in coloring or
shape. They are aggressive toward similar looking males of a different
species. If overstocking is used as a form of aggression reduction, care
should be taken to do several partial water changes a week. One author
reports housing a harem of Blue Daktari with six Ishmael's Cichlid Haplochromis ishmaeli
- Temperament: Semi-aggressive
- Compatible with:
- Same species - conspecifics: Yes - They are best kept in groups of 1 male with 6 or more females, 2 males will fight.
- Peaceful fish (): Threat
- Semi-Aggressive (): Monitor
- Aggressive (): Monitor
- Large Semi-Aggressive (): Threat
- Large Aggressive, Predatory (): Threat
- Slow Swimmers & Eaters (): Threat
- Shrimps, Crabs, Snails: Threat - is aggressive
- Plants: Threat
The
Blue Daktari has been bred in captivity. It is a mouthbrooder that
needs a harem. They should be given a tank of at least 50 gallons to
breed in if kept by themselves, larger if kept with other cichlids.
Start with 6 to 8 fry, and in 10 to 12 months the dominant male will
color up and take over. They breed like other mouthbrooding Mbunas and
the females are very good at holding their young. Mbunas spawn in the
male's territory. The male changes his color to an intense exaggeration
of his original coloring that almost looks like a double exposed
picture.
The Blue Daktari female will lay between 10 - 60
eggs and then immediately take them into her mouth. The male will then
flare out his anal fin which has an 'egg spot' patterning. The female
mistakes the patterning for her own eggs and tries to take them in her
mouth as well. This stimulates the male to discharge sperm (milt cloud)
and the female inhales the cloud of 'milt', thus fertilizing the eggs.
In 14 to 21 days at about 82° F, the eggs are
developed. The released pinkish-tan fry are good eaters and can be fed
Cyclopeeze. In about 5 days you can change over to crushed flake food.
They can also eat finely powdered dry foods and brine shrimp nauplii.
The female will guard her young for a few days, even taking them into
her mouth if there is a perceived threat. As long as you have plenty of
hiding places, your young will have a easier time surviving until they
are too big to eat.
- Ease of Breeding: Easy
Malawi
bloat is a typical disease for the Blue Daktar Cichlid, especially if
their dietary needs are not met with quality foods. They are susceptible
to typical fish ailments, especially if water is stale and of poor
quality and oxygenation. One common problem is Ich.
It can be treated with the elevation of the tank temperature to 86° F
(30° C) for 3 days. If that does not cure the Ich, then the fish needs
to be treated with copper (remove any water conditioners). Several
copper based fish medications are available for Ich. Copper use must be
kept within the proper levels, so be sure to follow the manufacturers
suggestions. A copper test also can be used to keep the proper levels.
You can also combine increasing the temperature with an Ich medication
treatment.
As with most fish they are susceptible to skin
flukes and other parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.), fungal
infections, and bacterial infections. It is recommended to read up on
the common tank diseases. Knowing the signs and catching and treating
them early makes a huge difference. For information about freshwater
fish diseases and illnessesCredits :
https://www.google.co.th/#q=Doctor%27s+Cichlid+care
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cichlid/BlueDaktari.php
www.borstein.info/profiles/malawi/metdakt.html
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