Pseudotropheus Demasoni, popularly called Chindongo demasoni, is a colorful and eye-catching species of cichlid that makes a statement in any aquarium. It gives freshwater tanks a vibrant splash of color and energy with its eye-catching black and blue stripes.
This fish, which is native to Africa’s Lake Malawi, is well-known for its gregarious demeanor and vibrant behavior. The Demasoni is a fascinating addition for seasoned aquarists because, despite its diminutive size, it can be quite feisty.
It’s essential to comprehend the unique requirements and traits of the Pseudotropheus Demasoni in order to keep your aquarium environment peaceful and healthy. For those who value the intricacy and beauty of African cichlid fish, this fish offers a satisfying experience, regardless of whether you are drawn to it by its distinctive look or its lively personality.
Habitat and habitat
Africa: Exclusive to Tanzania’s Lake Malawi. This fish’s habitat is restricted to the rocky reefs south of the Ruhuhu River delta, specifically Pombo and Cape Ndumbi.
Lives near the tops of rocks in shallow water up to 4 meters, where it spends most of its time feeding on the algae that covers the rocks. seldom observed in open waters.
Description
The body pattern is made up of distinct, light- and dark-blue, alternating stripes that almost look black. The lighter stripes on the dorsal fin are thinner than the darker ones, and they are slanted backwards. In addition, the caudal fin of the blue-black fish has many light blue rays. There is a light blue edge on the caudal fin, as well as the upper and lower fins.
The color pattern of young immature individuals is the same as that of adults.
Size:
In the lake, this is the tiniest mbuna species. Its mature size in the wild is 5 cm, and in an aquarium, it is rarely larger than 8 cm.
Behavior and compatibility
They belong to a species where eggs are incubated in the mouth. All of the child care is given by females. It is evident that males are aggressive and territorial, protecting their territory from larger fish as well as from other males.
While females prefer to stay in hiding places that are guarded by the dominant male, who spends most of his swimming time in his territory, males prefer to be surrounded by multiple females.
These fish swim among rocky habitats in very large groups when they are in the wild. Interestingly, there isn’t much hostility between the members of these groups. It is advised to create conditions that are similar to natural ones in order to successfully maintain a group in an aquarium.
Among the mbuna that are most hostile and possessive. Although they can be mixed with other mbuna that have a similar temperament, they shouldn’t be kept with calm species. If mbuna are housed in a community, the aquarium should be overcrowded to prevent territoriality and aggression. They will attack fish that are several times larger than they are because they have no fear.
Keeping them in a crowded tank with just other members of their own species is an additional option. Subdominant males can still be removed, though. To lessen harassment, multiple females should be confined to one male. This poses issues as well because, in contrast to many mbuna females, P. demasoni are not amenable to harassment.
In order to reduce aggression, any size tank should contain a minimum of twelve members of the same species. This helps females and subdominant males avoid being harassed to exhaustion (and death), becoming "lost in the crowd," in addition to preventing one male from being dominant over all the others. It won’t work to have a small group of five or six people because the dominant male will kill each and every other male tankmate until he is the only one left. Bonus: when kept in large numbers, the male-to-female ratio is irrelevant because a dominant male may find it difficult to accurately determine the sex of the animals.
In order to reduce the possibility of aggressive behavior, it is recommended that fish species kept in the same tank have different colors.
Aquarium enthusiasts love Pseudotropheus Demasoni, also called Chindongo demasoni, for its eye-catching, colorful stripes of black and blue. This species is known to be territorial despite its small size, so maintaining a home aquarium will require careful tank management and careful selection of tank mates.
Aquarium
Because of the aggressive nature of these fish, a 200-liter tank measuring 120 by 45 by 37.5 centimeters is the bare minimum. For them, a sizable tank with lots of caverns and hiding spots is perfect.
Another essential habitat is one that is rocky. They spend more time swimming around rocks and exploring caves than any other Mbuna, not because they are timid but rather out of curiosity.
With the help of rock piles, construct a network of caverns and hiding spots within the tank. Since this species prefers to swim near rocky surfaces, it doesn’t need a lot of open space, so the majority of the tank should be configured in this manner. For a substrate, sand works best.
Water parameters:
Temperature range: 24–28°C pH range: 7.6 to 8.8 Hardness: 10–25 degrees dGH
As fish are at risk from even minute amounts of ammonia, it is critical to continuously monitor the preservation of the water’s high optical qualities and to prevent soil silting. Weekly fresh water replacement of a portion of the aquarium’s water is necessary, along with active filtration and aeration.
Nutrition
Natural habitats of herbivores.
Accepts the majority of the suggested meals; however, the majority of the diet should consist of plant-based foods like spirulina flakes, blanched spinach, nori seaweed, etc. Live and frozen food can be added to all of this, but in moderation. Never feed fish animal meat because it will damage their digestive systems.
Premium cichlid mixtures that can be used as a main course as well.
Sexual dimorphism
This fish is challenging to identify as male or female because it lacks any sexual dimorphism. Males and females share the same coloring and pattern, making it impossible to tell them apart visually. But mature males are usually a little bit bigger. The anal fin of the male has egg-shaped spots, whereas the female may have fewer of these. Because men are more territorial and aggressive than women, the best way to distinguish between the sexes is to watch how they behave.
Unambiguously determining the sex can only be achieved by comparing the sizes of the "genital papillae," but this method is reserved for the skilled individual.
Breeding
They are a species that sulks.
It is best to keep them in an aquarium designed specifically for that species. Starting with a group of 6–8 young fish is a more acceptable option because adult fish are typically rather expensive. A 100 x 40 cm tank works well and should be arranged as previously mentioned. Provide some open sand areas and some level rocks as possible spawning locations. A pH of 8.2-8.5 and a temperature of 25–27 °C are ideal.
The male will clean himself and then circle around his chosen spawning site, displaying intense colours to try to entice females to mate with him. He will often pursue females that are not ready to spawn and may sometimes injure them, and it is to disperse aggression that the species is best kept in a harem – this prevents the male from concentrating on one female. When she is ready, she will approach the spawning site and deposit her eggs, after which she will take them into her mouth. The male has egg-shaped spots on his anal fin, which attracts the female. She will then press herself against the male, who will release his milt directly into the female"s mouth, thereby fertilising the eggs.
Before releasing the free-swimming fry, the female can carry her brood of five to thirty eggs for three to four weeks. She won’t eat during this time, and her enlarged mouth makes her easy to spot. If you decide to move the fish so that the fry won’t get eaten, proceed with caution as the stressed-out female may spit out or eat the brood prematurely. It is also important to remember that a female may drop out of the group’s pecking order if she is absent from her colony for an extended period of time. Until the female is being harassed, it is advised to wait as long as possible before moving her.
You can move the fry or the female to a different tank in order to keep it safe. Since this usually produces more fry, some breeders purposefully remove the fry from the mother’s mouth at the two-week mark and raise them thereafter.
The fry are big enough to eat brine shrimp nauplii right out of the bag. They exhibit high levels of intraspecific aggression from an early age, so they should be closely watched as they develop and separated as needed.
Longer than five years.
| Topic | Details |
| Scientific Name | Chindongo demasoni |
| Common Name | Pseudotropheus Demasoni |
| Origin | Lake Malawi, Africa |
| Size | Up to 3 inches (8 cm) |
| Temperament | Territorial and aggressive |
| Diet | Herbivore, prefers algae and plant-based foods |
| Water Conditions | pH 7.8-8.6, Temperature 76-82°F (24-28°C) |
| Aquarium Size | Minimum 30 gallons |
| Care Level | Intermediate |
The colorful and lively chindongo demasoni adds both character and color to any aquarium. They stand out due to their striking black and blue stripes, but experienced aquarists are best suited to handle them due to their territorial nature.
These fish can flourish and turn into the focal point of your aquatic setup with the right care, upkeep, and thoughtful selection of tank mates. It’s important to comprehend their needs and behaviors in order to make sure they lead stress-free, healthy lives.
A rewarding experience, chindongo demasoni allows you to have a little piece of the African Rift Lakes in your home aquarium for those who are willing to take on the challenge.
