Hoping that perhaps someone here has some experience with these fish. I have a chance to get a few specimens, really like them...but I have no suitable tanks if they require typical "tropical" temperatures. Virtually everything I can find about them in captivity indicates that they should be kept at around 25C; these are not just the common "care guides" written by people who have had fish tanks for 2 years and have kept this species for a few weeks, or not at all. Plenty of scholarly articles by well-respected and highly experiences aquarists are quoting those temps as well.
But...the species is found throughout a lot of the southern portion of the African continent, which implies cooler temperatures similar to South American fish from Uruguay and Argentina, which could best be described as temperate rather than tropical. One particular article I found was examining the successful colonization of a small river in South Africa; temperatures in the region were described as being typically between 15C and 22C. The fish have done very well in this location, implying that they are very adaptable to lower temperatures, not only for simply surviving but also for successful breeding. The tank I would be using for them...if I get them...matches this temperature range almost exactly, cool in winter, warmer but not hot in summer.
Since they have a wide range in Africa, some of which is further north and therefore warmer, I realize that exact origin information would be very helpful, but the fish available to me are captive bred for a number of generations and collection data for the original stock is not known. If I get them, I would bring them home to whatever temperature they are currently kept in, likely 25C, and then slowly acclimate them to the cooler tank.
The old Egyptian mouthbrooder, P.multicolor, was one of the first cichlids I kept and bred many years ago, and so this hopefully more cold-tolerant relative has a lot of appeal for me. Any thoughts/comments/suggestions/ideas about these critters would be appreciated.
But...the species is found throughout a lot of the southern portion of the African continent, which implies cooler temperatures similar to South American fish from Uruguay and Argentina, which could best be described as temperate rather than tropical. One particular article I found was examining the successful colonization of a small river in South Africa; temperatures in the region were described as being typically between 15C and 22C. The fish have done very well in this location, implying that they are very adaptable to lower temperatures, not only for simply surviving but also for successful breeding. The tank I would be using for them...if I get them...matches this temperature range almost exactly, cool in winter, warmer but not hot in summer.
Since they have a wide range in Africa, some of which is further north and therefore warmer, I realize that exact origin information would be very helpful, but the fish available to me are captive bred for a number of generations and collection data for the original stock is not known. If I get them, I would bring them home to whatever temperature they are currently kept in, likely 25C, and then slowly acclimate them to the cooler tank.
The old Egyptian mouthbrooder, P.multicolor, was one of the first cichlids I kept and bred many years ago, and so this hopefully more cold-tolerant relative has a lot of appeal for me. Any thoughts/comments/suggestions/ideas about these critters would be appreciated.