The Tropheops Sp. "Red Cheek" Tropheops tropheops (previously Pseudotropheus tropheops tropheops)
is small and spunky, and a very pretty African cichlid. It has a great
color combination with yellow cheeks on a blue body making it a fine
addition to the cichlid aquarium. The females of this species are
colorful too. They are all yellow instead of a drab brown or gray color
found in a lot of the Mbunas, giving a nice eye-pleasing variety.
This cichlid is know by common names such as
Pseudotropheus Big eye, Big Eye, and Golden Tropheops. But their most
distinguishing feature is related to the yellow to red color in the area
of their cheeks and chin. This has inspired several more names that are
used to describe them including Pseudotropheus Tropheops Red Head,
Pseudotropheus Tropheops Red Cheek, Tropheops Red Cheek, and
Macropthalmus Red cheek. But the most interesting description we've
found for them is 'M'kokafodya', from Nick Andreola's article,
"Tropheops sp. "red cheek". This is interpreted in the Mbuna language as
'Glowing Fire' or 'Live Coal'.
This is a zebra-type cichlid that
belongs to a group called Mbunas. There are 13 genera full of very
active and aggressive personalities of Mbuna cichlids. The name Mbuna
comes from the Tonga people of Malawi and means "rockfish" or
"rock-dwelling". This name aptly describes the environment these fish
live in as opposed to being open water swimmers like the Utaka cichlids
and other "haps". This cichlid and several similar species were
originally part of a large group of cichlids lumped in the Pseudotropheus genus, but it is now recognized in its own genus,Tropheops.
This species is moderate in size, reaching up to
about 5 1/2 inches (14 cm) in length, and it has a distinctly blunt,
down curved snout. It is also very active, so needs plenty of room. A 40
gallon tank is the minimum for a single specimen, but to keep more will
require at least 50 gallons or more.
Keeping a group of these fish makes for a very
lively, colorful show aquarium. It will do well in a Mbuna tank, but is
not a community specimen that can be housed with fish other than
cichlids. They are not demanding and are pretty hardy if their water is
kept clean. They are also easy to breed if they are happy. However the
males are very aggressive toward the females, especially when breeding. A
male needs to be kept with five or more females to help dampen the
aggression.
You should provide lots of rocks piled up to make caves and
crevices for them to explore and to hide in, especially when the male is
abusing the females. Arranging the rocks in a manner to make
"territories" will help ease aggression, as will keeping them in a large
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.
The Mbuna's have been bred in captivity and with all
the different hybrids that have been formed, there is no way to tell
exactly what you are getting unless it is from a reputable dealer. Try
and keep the different species blood lines pure.
The Tropheops Sp. "Red Cheek" Tropheops tropheops (previously Pseudotropheus tropheops tropheops)
was described by Regan in 1922. They are found in Lake Malawi, Africa
from the Maleri Islands to the Chinyamwezi Rocks. This species is listed
on the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable (VU). Although it is endemic to Lake
Malawi it has a very restricted range, found in only the four locations
of Maleri Island, Chemwezi rocks, Chinyankhwazi Island and Chinyamwezi
Island, but there are no major recognized threats at present.
The genus Pseudotropheus was formerly used quite broadly for the large variety of Mbuna species in Lake Malawi. Recent revisions have split the genus Pseudotropheus into three sub-genera: Pseudotropheus Pseudotropheus, Pseudotropheus Tropheops, and Pseudotropheus Maylandia. These then became recognized as their own genera of Pseudotropheus, Tropheops, and Maylandia. This species and several similar species have been placed in the genus,Tropheops.
Other common names they are known by are Pseudotropheus Tropheops Red Head, Pseudotropheus Tropheops Red Cheek, Tropheops Red Cheek, and Macropthalmus Red cheek, Pseudotropheus Big eye, Big Eye, and Golden Tropheops. But the most interesting description we've found for them is 'M'kokafodya', interpreted in the Mbuna language as 'Glowing Fire' or 'Live Coal'.
They are commonly found in the turbulent, yet clean
shores in the top 9 to 15 feet (2.74 - 4.57 m) of the water column.
They live in sediment free zones where there's an even balance of rocks
and sand. They feed at an angle of about of about 45°, shearing off
algae from the substrate which may contain Aufwuchs. Aufwuchs refers to
tough stringy algae that is attached to rocks and can contain insect
larvae, nymphs, crustaceans, snails, mites and zooplankton. Some will
even maintain "algal gardens" .They will also eat plankton in the water
if there is a lot of it available.
- Scientific Name: Pseudotropheus tropheops tropheops
- Social Grouping: Groups
- Males may be solitary defending a territory while females, juveniles,
and non-breeding males will be seen singly or in small groups.
- IUCN Red List: VU - Vulnerable
The Tropheops Sp. "Red Cheek" has the typical Mbuna
elongated 'torpedo' body shape. Their mouth is positioned lower on the
head than other species, the lower jaw is shorter than upper jaw, and it
has a steep sloping snout. They can grow to about 5 1/2 inches (14 cm)
in length. Mbuna cichlids can live up to 10 years with proper care.
They vary in color depending on location. The males
are mainly blue with yellow to red in the area of their cheeks and
chin, and a little across the back just under the dorsal fin. The front
three quarters of the dorsal fin is blue and the remainder is yellow.
The tail fin is yellow and there are yellow egg spots on the anal fin.
From some locations the males can be mostly yellow with blue across the
top back, and can have more blue in the fins. Yet still they have the
yellow to red chin and cheek feature. The females are gold and sometimes
have spotting on them.
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: 5.5 inches (14.00 cm)
- Lifespan: 10 years - Mbuna cichlids have a lifespan of about 10 years with proper care.
This is a good fish for both the intermediate
and experienced cichlid keeper. It is an aggressive cichlid, and not a
community tank specimen. It cannot 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
Feeding :
The Tropheops Sp. "Red Cheek" is an
omnivore
that in the wild will shear off algae from the substrate which may
contain Aufwuchs and will also eat plankton. In captivity they need
vegetable matter which provides fiber in their diet to keep their
intestinal tract disease free. A good quality cichlid flake or pellet
can be used as a basic diet along with spirulina flake giving a varied
diet to help with overall health.
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.
Water Changes: Weekly - Water changes of 30% weekly, or 20-40% bi-weekly are suggested, depending on the bio load.
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 40 gallons is suggested for a single
fish, but a larger aquarium of 50 gallons or more will be needed to keep
more than one or 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. Sand is the preferred substrate, but
some aquarists have also used crushed coral or a mix of gravel and
crushed coral. A substrate of crushed coral or sand used for salt water
tanks can help keep the pH up. They also 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.
They need lots of caves and rocks for them to
explore and to hide in, especially when the male is abusing the females.
Females need lots of hiding places. Arranging the rocks in a manner to
make "territories" will help ease
aggression. Moving rocks around every two weeks to a month may also
help with an overly aggressive fish. They like to dig so make sure the
rocks sit on the bottom of the aquarium not on the substrate.
- Minimum Tank Size: 40
gal (151 L) - A minimum of 40 gallons is suggested for a single fish,
with 50 gallons or more needed to keep more than one or for a mixed
Mbuna tank.
- Suitable for Nano Tank: No
- Substrate Type: Sand/Gravel Mix
- Lighting Needs: Moderate - normal lighting
- Temperature: 75.0 to 78.0° F (23.9 to 25.6° C)
- Range ph: 8.0-9.0
- Hardness Range: 8 - 12 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.
This cichlid is aggressive and is not considered to
be a community fish. They can be housed with other Mbunas as long as
their size and coloring is different. They can be temperamental,
aggressive and very territorial especially when spawning or protecting a
breeding site. They are not aggressive toward females of other species,
but may chase after the males.
The Tropheops Sp. "Red Cheek" needs be be grouped
with one male and at least 5 or more females since the males are very
very rough on them. Provide lots of hiding places so the females can can
get a break. You may decide, after spawning, to take the female out so
she can heal and hatch her babies in peace.
- Temperament: Semi-aggressive
- Compatible with:
- Same species - conspecifics: Yes
- They can be kept in groups of 1 male with 5 or more females. They are
very aggressive towards females, especially when in breeding mode, so
the females must have plenty of hiding places.
- Peaceful fish (): Threat
- Semi-Aggressive (): Safe - They can be housed with other Mbunas as long as their size and coloring is different.
- Aggressive (): Threat
- Large Semi-Aggressive (): Threat
- Large Aggressive, Predatory (): Threat
- Slow Swimmers & Eaters (): Threat
- Shrimps, Crabs, Snails: Threat - is aggressive
- Plants: Threat
Sexual difference
The males are mainly blue accented with yellow, are larger, and have yellow egg spots on the anal fin, the females are yellow.
Breeding
The Tropheops Sp. "Red Cheek" has been bred in
captivity and is a mouthbrooder. Once the dominant male decides to
breed, he will become severely aggressive and pummel his females. You
need to have at least 5 females to spread out the aggression. Like other
Mbunas the males coloring will change. He will shake and circle the
female, moving her to a flat rock in his territory, then the breeding
begins.
The female will lay between 10 - 40 eggs, depending
on her size. The female then immediately takes 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 7 - 10 days at about 80 - 82° F the eggs
hatch. The fry are free swimming in another 10 to 17 days.
Tropheops Sp. "Red Cheek" females are very good
mothers and may protect the fry in her mouth for another 10 days after
the fry are free swimming. These fry are a little bigger than other
Mbuna fry and are a silvery color at first. Their coloring will be
visible in 3 weeks. They can eat daphnia and crushed flake. They will
eat voraciously so keep the water clean.
Credit :
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cichlid/TropheopsRedCheek.php
- Dr. Rüdiger Riehl and Hans A. Baensch, Aquarium Atlas Vol. 1, Publisher Hans A. Baensch, 1991
- George Zurlo, David Schleser, Cichlids (Complete Pet Owner's Manual), Barron's Edu Series, 2005
- Richard F. Stratton, The Guide to Owning Cichlids, T.F.H. Publications, Inc., 2002
- David E. Boruchowitz, The Guide to Owning Malawi Cichlids, T.F.H. Publications, Inc., 2003
- Mark Phillip Smith, Lake Malawi Cichlids, A Complete Pet Owners Manual, Barron's Educ Series, Inc. 2000
- Tropheops tropheops (Regan, 1922), Fishbase.org
- Tropheops tropheops, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Nick Andreola, "Tropheops sp. “red cheek”, Cichlid-Forum.com, Referenced online, 2007
- Brett Harrington, "Aufwuchs. A food that really rocks (or grows on it)", Cichlid-Forum.com, Referenced 2007
- "Pseudotropheus tropheops tropheops", Translated French web page: AquaBase.org , Referenced 2007
http://www.riftlakes.com/cichlids/tropheops_sp_red_cheek_e.html
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