a new 10 gallon for enigmatochromis lucanusi

[GaryE]

Interesting. If I get access to them again, I'll try them in smaller tanks. It's possible that one or two aggressive pairs coloured my view of how to keep them. It's a good fish, well worth any space.

 

[anewbie]

While this is my first time with this species i have found kribs m/f to be very aggressive until they pair up - usually she hammers him testing if he is a suitable partner. Once paired they never squabble much though i've had various pair forming fishes where the female will charge the male if he comes near eggs/wrigglers until she realizes he is her mate. For pologyamous species the situation seems random based on species with some females being hyper aggressive to the male and others welcoming the male checks.

Even if they are peaceful in a 10 i think a larger aquarium will do them good given the adult size though again as noted several times it will be a bit until i can move them to a larger aquarium. Part of the reason for my pushing things is i will be moving in 18 months and i want to explore a few more species before i move. My intention after the move is to have fewer but larger aquariums focusing on 48 x 16 and 48 x24 aquariums rather than the more common 12x30 (numbers in inches) or 10x20. I have found with many species i keep the larger space provides a difference in behavior esp with polygamous species. I estimate i will have 8 to 12 species tank for dwarf cichild and with 1000s of species to pick well.... you know gotta be selective

 

[GaryE]

Enigmatochromis are an enigma. As a very energetic crow would fly, they are over 2000km/1200 miles from where P pulcher, the krib, occurs. Between the 2 species, there is a wide range of related Wallaceochromis, but almost no Pelvicachromis except for the weird and isolated P roloffi. You can see the relationship with the colours, but the body shape is very different from kribs. Look at their heads.

In that region, there is a large group of killies that look like the Aphyosemions farther south, and used to be considered as part of that group from the eyeball test. It turns out the relationship isn't close, even if the appearance is. The northern Scriptaphyosemion types are more closely related to Epiplatys pike killies then to their lookalike southern more distant than we thought cousins. They come from a different evolutionary pathway.

This is cool, but may matter if the same sort of thing happened with the Cichlids of the broad region. I may just be amusing myself wondering about that.

I'm now officially on the hunt for Enigmas. I seem to be getting into dwarf Cichlids again. The hunt for them, for Nanochromis, Congochromis, Pelvicachromis, Benitochromis, Parananochromis, Steatocranus - there is no shortage of possibilities, even if there is a shortage of actual fish available in my small population country.

 

[anewbie]

Enigmatochromis are an enigma. As a very energetic crow would fly, they are over 2000km/1200 miles from where P pulcher, the krib, occurs. Between the 2 species, there is a wide range of related Wallaceochromis, but almost no Pelvicachromis except for the weird and isolated P roloffi. You can see the relationship with the colours, but the body shape is very different from kribs. Look at their heads.

In that region, there is a large group of killies that look like the Aphyosemions farther south, and used to be considered as part of that group from the eyeball test. It turns out the relationship isn't close, even if the appearance is. The northern Scriptaphyosemion types are more closely related to Epiplatys pike killies then to their lookalike southern more distant than we thought cousins. They come from a different evolutionary pathway.

This is cool, but may matter if the same sort of thing happened with the Cichlids of the broad region. I may just be amusing myself wondering about that.

I'm now officially on the hunt for Enigmas. I seem to be getting into dwarf Cichlids again. The hunt for them, for Nanochromis, Congochromis, Pelvicachromis, Benitochromis, Parananochromis, Steatocranus - there is no shortage of possibilities, even if there is a shortage of actual fish available in my small population country.

Pity can't walk across the border grab a few and then walk back with them - i know nothing about canada and availability but in usa they are mostly readiliy available if you don't want to travel to africa and collect them yourself.

Having said that I though you brought back a pair of blonde beauty with you from your recent trip.

 

[GaryE]

The rare fish trade in Canada is limited by the fact we have around 10% of your population, stretched across a fairly cold climate zone. In friendlier times, I could go across the border and get fish shipped to me in Maine, but these days, that option's off the table. We get excellent fish shipped in to Montreal, but we don't have the number of online sellers you have.
I've learned patience, the key to fishing...
The first Enigmatochromis ever imported came here, and I was the second person to see it. We do get fish that don't always go into the US market right away. But I haven't seen this fish in a few years.

If I go to Europe, I'll have breather bags in my luggage.