Congochromis squamiceps

[candidi]

Hi everybody,

I bought today 1 pair of C. squamiceps, sold as Nanochromis squamiceps.

I just wanted to be sure that the genus name had change from Nanochromis to Congochromis.

Does anybody kept this specie? And do somebody have any experience with it?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

 

[a.d.wood]

Hi there,

Yes, genus name has changed from Nanochromis to Congochromis for this species.

I would like to see some photo's of your fish, particularily the female as in the past everything I have seen in the UK labelled as C. squamiceps has actually been C. sabinae.

Key difference betwen the species (the females), C. sabinae will only have 1 or 2 iridescent/refelective scales around the genital area, with C. squamiceps this iridescence extends from the genital area upwards towards the dorsal fin.

I've kept and bred C. sabinae a couple of times now and would assume that C. squamiceps will be similar for maintenance/breeding:

Adult pair in their own tank.

Tank size > 18x18x15" (46x46x38cm) (LxBxH). Silica sand substrate, potted amazon swords, caves (clay, coconut and pvc pipe) and bogwood.

Filtration equipment > Centralised sump filtration system in the fish house

Water chemistry, types of food used to condition the adults > pH ~5'ish, GH & KH not detectable (tap water passed through an HMA filter then circulated through moss peat for 24 hours prior to use). Adults fed a variety of frozen foods (bloodworm, artemia etc) and a commercial granular food.

Fry feeding details > For the first week a combination of banana worm and bbs (baby brine shrimp), therafter bbs, cyclops and whatever the parents receive as well.

Breeding tank maintenance details > centralised sump filtration, total system in excess of 3000 litres of water. Tanks 'hoovered' to remove debris (as required), combined water change of approximately 40% weekly.

Male:

Female:

Female with newly swimming fry:


And young at just over 5 weeks old:

Growth rate of this species is fantastic, at 5 weeks old they are getting on for 20 to 25mm SL, not bad for a cichlid!!

Andrew

 

[candidi]

Hi,

Thank you for your answer. It had help me.

Unfortunately, I found my female on the floor 2 days after buying

About the iridescent scales, she had two, if I remember good big scales from the genital area to the dorsal fin. Those scales were big. Can you say me more about that?

 

[Heiko Bleher]

hi,

this is Heiko Bleher and I just saw the threat and wanted to tell you:

I discovered and collected both species already in the early 1980s and brought them back. Formerly Nanochrois squamiceps was first identified as a new species and than slowly it showed that it was the described species. But N. sabinae was only described recently (more than 20 years later) and it has the smaller silver spot, that is correct. Recently both (and some Nanochromis species) were placed in a new genus: Congochromis.

Breeding is very similar, as the two species are found nearby (the location they are found are not so far away from each other, along the upper Lualaba river in the democratic republic of the Congo), and both come from very acid, black waters (pH 4.22 to 4.55). I am just writing up the second catalogue for Russia called translated: "Bleher's Biotopes in nature and in aquaria". The English version will be available also on-line soon, same as number 1, which is already under www.aquapress-bleher.com available.

In Russia it is a grand success (10.000 copies sold in no time) and they love the natural biotopes. So for those fishes fine sand, place to hide, soft and acid water (if possible) and few plants.

Good luck, form a collector

Heiko Bleher