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Paratilapia Bleekeri

LS2012 said:
Congrats on your first Malagasy cichlid! I agree with Duane re feeding live fish. My female Bleekeri didn't eat for two days after she arrived @ 1.5 inches and is still a picky eater. She's about 5 or so inches now. Very slow growing at first. They prefer subdued lighting and lots of hiding places, especially if you're putting more in the tank. She prefers to eat at dawn or in the dark, stays in her 'cave' during the day and patrols her territory at night. Is yours male or female? Looking forward to more pics.

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Thanks so much for the info! Hard to tell sex at this point because "it" has been a little stressed. Ironically enough though, just as you said, right around dusk, it decided it was time to eat. lol





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nice fish and good that it started eating
 
Thanks!

It appears, time of day has a huge factor in feeding these fish. Dusk seems to be the key at this point. Most likely dawn is an even better opportunity ...

To be continued.....


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Jc1119 said:
Thanks so much for the info! Hard to tell sex at this point because "it" has been a little stressed. Ironically enough though, just as you said, right around dusk, it decided it was time to eat. lol
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You're very welcome, glad your fish is eating. They can definitely be picky eaters. Mine eats shrimp pellets, NLS pellets and occasionally flakes. She only eats what she's interested in and ignores everything else, even if it lands on her head. . If she's hungry, she will hover at the top of the tank, especially if my husband is nearby. You'll see a bunch of threads here where paratilapia just stopped eating for a few days. I'm sure you've also noticed frequent color changes, its usually due to their 'moods,' mostly influenced by environmental factors like stress level, lighting, hiding places time of day, etc. Also consider their line of sight to/from the other tank. Looks like they can see each other. At the size of your fish, a clear pic might help to id male or female. There are many members who keep paratilapia and can chime in to assist with gender.

The many moods of Mavra...

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Baby pic, she's since outgrown this cave
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More recent pic 2nd cave
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Interested in someone else's cave
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Sulking because she's not allowed near a recent spawn
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Interested in a spawning site

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Very nice! Thanks for sharing.

I'll get some pics up once the lights kick on. Not only am I curious about gender but it would be nice to confirm species as well. I trust my lfs to a point, but it could be polleni ....




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Ok.....well, I guess its time to do some research. I moved the Bleekeri to another tank with tons more cover and in a more active room of the house, because it was super skittish and just wasn't coming around. Normally, I'd just wait it out for the fish to come to me........... but, meanwhile our 13" female jag decided she wanted to eat our 3" con "Autumn" in another tank and I thought, well, maybe a tank mate could help the Bleekeri out.

I pulled some scape out , rescued the con from our ***hole jag and put her in the tank with the Bleekeri.


Instant spawning activity. Headshake, dance.....the whole deal. Is it even possible? lol To say the con brought the Bleekeri to life is an understatement. Currently swimming everywhere together. Completely inseparable. Time to research, but in the meantime................

help?lol
 
Not sure what to think......

This is the most activity I've seen ftom the Bleekeri yet. But....,,lol


Maybe I should get a few females as planned. Could be kinda cool. And I have a 5' 120 I could grow them out in. Thoughts and any insight?


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Although males don't appreciate other males, I find them to be very social fish.
I believe a group of 1 male to a few females is the way to go.
My group is a large male, with 3 (?) females, and has so far worked well. Although he can at times focus on 1 of the females (to her detriment) the other females distract him enough to keep her from destruction.

I only feed once per day, and find whenever I enter the room, they act like a pack of starving dogs, coming halfway out of the water for food.
 
My pair of bleerki's are very social fish . I will walk into the room and they will beg for food. The love small nightcrawlers , bloodworms and NLS pellets . They also love eating the occasional frozen pea. I always have to be careful when opening the lid because the male will literally jump out of the tank if im not fast enough putting the food in. They refuse to eat during the day just at night . I have driftwood and live plants in my tank and hopefully soon I will be upgrading the size .
 
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