Pelvicachromis humilis Fandia WF

[Ruki]

Early July, when I have bought them:

And now:

I have them in 80x40cm bottom tank with some Ch. bivittatum Funge as dithers. They haven't spawned, but as you can see, female is ready.
Water parameters: pH around 6.,2 100% RO, so hardness is around 0-1.

 

[henkh]

About this species, they need more hard water and not acid. Try to rise you pH and rise the hardness. Better not use RO water or add some kH+ or something like that. These have total other needs to parameters like South American dwarfs.
By the way, this is a very beautiful dwarf. Once they start spawning, you'll get real many fry....

 

[aquaticclarity]

Very nice fish! I love the humilus kribs. Very Geophagus like in how they constantly sift the sand. I'm not familier with the "Fandia" form but it looks just like the "Dinkaya" population which I've had (maybe the Dinkaya population has a little more red in the anal fin). I've always kept type 2 Pelvicachromis is 6-6.5 pH (rubrolabiatus gets 5-5.5pH) and the stripy forms of humilis are no exception. They can handle harder water and a higher pH but to get the best color and especially to spawn them the lower hardness and pH levels are needed.

 

[Ruki]

Today she looked like this.
After 7 hours she is thinner. I'm hoping that their first spawn was successful. Male wasn't active- he was searching for food and most of time haven't respond on female courting.

 

[Ruki]

Unfortunately, after my yesterday's optimism, today female has normal coloration. I saw her spawning with herself and then eating eggs. It's because male didn't take part in spawning(I saw him only 2 times swimming in to the coconut)... I'm shocked, because the day before he was courting like crazy to her....
I don't know why this happened.

aquaticclarity, did you ever seen something like this with your humilis?

 

[aquaticclarity]

I have had LOT'S of failed spawns with type 2 Pelvicachromis. What other fish are in the tank? When ever possible I tried to set up 2pr of a given species in a tank so that the dominant pair had some rivals to push around. The result was normally a battered (some times dead) subdominant pair of fish and a very well bonded dominant pair. This also lead to larger spawns, better parental care, and less fighting between the 2 dominant fish.

It's sounds like this is your pair's first spawn, yes? Give them a few more before you get to concerned. You could also try adding a few P. pulcher to the mix to give them another cichlid to push around and/or some medium to larger dither/target fish like Congo Tetra to chase around. Often having other fish in the tank will help to kick in stronger parental tendancies by giving them someone to defend against their spawn.

 

[Ruki]

Yeap, it was their first spawn. I'm spoiled by my other fishes and their successful spawns, so maybe I was overreacting.
Tank is too small to give other cichlids(125 liters, but only 80x40 bottom), they have Ch. bivitattum as dithers. I'm planning in nearest future bigger(120x40) tank for them, where I'll be able to put bigger dithers like mentioned Congo Tetra.
Second pair of humilis is off limit, they are too rare(WF first time in Poland) and expensive to be killed, even for "the best in universe dominating pair".

 

[aquaticclarity]

Second pair of humilis is off limit, they are too rare(WF first time in Poland) and expensive to be killed, even for "the best in universe dominating pair".

I understand! Use some Pelvicachromis pulcher then if you can once the fish are into bigger tank. Even just a couple of female pulcher should do the trick.

I normally try to keep type 2 Pelvicachromis in 1m x 1/2 m tanks (36"x18"). These guys seem to need a MUCH larger territory then the type 1 Pelvicachromis.

For the mean time maybe some lamp eye killies or something else a little more active and schooling in the tank would help the humilus. Just a thought though!

 

[Simon Morgan]

I'm confused. I was under the impression that Type 1 = humilis and type 2 = pulcher. I have checked the Anton Lamboj book. Is Lamboj wrong or are you guys?

 

[Ruki]

I normally try to keep type 2 Pelvicachromis in 1m x 1/2 m tanks (36"x18"). These guys seem to need a MUCH larger territory then the type 1 Pelvicachromis.

To have a bigger tank I have to win a battle with family, it'll take some time. They are easy to me having 10 tanks from 50 to 100 liters, but "no no" with one 200 liters.
But I'm slowly going step by step closer to my goal.

 

[aquaticclarity]

I'm confused. I was under the impression that Type 1 = humilis and type 2 = pulcher. I have checked the Anton Lamboj book. Is Lamboj wrong or are you guys?

That's me remembering it backwards! Sorry about that.

 

[Simon Morgan]

That's me remembering it backwards! Sorry about that.

Very amusing. By the way, I kept humilis for several years in 120x30 tanks but never got them to spawn so I'm following this thread with interest!

 

[Ruki]

I keep my fingers crossed- female is guarding coconut shell. Today is third day, maybe tommorow she will show me what she is have there.

 

[Ruki]

Those fishes are awesome. I have around 20 larvaes(they are probably from Sunday)! I'll write more tomorrow.

 

[Ruki]

After twelve days, today I saw fry in visible place in my tank. Only eight little fishes, but it's success for me. Two times I thought that I lost this spawn(first, when I wrote at this forum about lazy male, second because veeery high temperatures in Poland- in tank I had around 30-31*C of water temperature....).
But after so many days, finally:

 

[ste12000]

Superb Lukasz, ive had this fish twice and couldnt manage the aggression in my small breeding tanks, im delighted to see you have success. Great pictures.

 

[tjudy]

Congrats! A pair's first spawn together is often small. The next one may have 100+ !!

 

[Ruki]

Steve, photos would be better if I haven't got Cyanobacteria plague in this tank(and all other tanks...). :/ I'm glad that my pair is really peaceful(my friend has problems with them, but he has smaller tank than me).
Parents are switching with parenting duty and chasing away killies. This is awesome view, even with a little number of fry. Too bad that I have this tank at floor level and I have to lie down to observe them.

Ted, I'm praying for less than 100 fries. I don't have enough tanks to raise so much fishes. And probably I wouldn't sold(or given to somebody) even the half of this number. :/

 

[tjudy]

Let the parents raise the fry. It will be a joy to watch and prolong the time between spawns.

 

[Ruki]

Let the parents raise the fry. It will be a joy to watch and prolong the time between spawns.

I'm not going to separate fry from parents till they won't be chased away by them in tank.