WOW!..... I'm in love......

I saw a fish today, which I have never seen in South Africa before and it was love at first sight......

The lable says "DuBoisi Cichlid"..... they are extremely expensive, and in a tank with Puffers....... so that made me wonder and put me off from getting any before I can find out some more about them......

Can anyone tell me something about this fish??.... are they overly aggressive, have they been bred, are they marine or Brackish....... How big do they grow?....... Are they easy (enough) to keep?....... please tell me... I love them and if it is a good report back..... I will drive back to where I saw them and get me some...... (400km return trip).......

 

Duboisi are Tanganyikan cichlids from the Tropheus genus.

Stunning fish and yes, expensive.
They must be kept in numbers to distribute aggression, a good colony would be well over 12 fish.

They are very aggressive towards each other. They get to about 15cm if I'm not mistaken.
All Tropheus species are very sensitive to bloat and must be kept on a suitable diet and with tip top water conditions.

Do a little research on their diet, tank size and intraspecific aggression before purchasing, I think those are the only places an experienced fish keeper can go wrong with them.
You'll be hard pressed to find good tank mates other than more Tropheus.

 

Hi @Cheetah, did you see a baby or a full grown adult?

 

Can't stress the SUITABLE DIET part enough... these fish almost have a bad name because too many fish keepers have killed them off with protein rich foods and or large feedings... you can seriously hurt your retirement funds if you don't pay attention to their diet, maybe try to get some solid feeding advice from breeders.

One breeding I spoke too says he feeds his Tropheus high quality goldfish flakes.
Heheh, oh ja, and their adult colours are completely different to that of juveniles.

 

Well.... from what I've heard so far...... These must've been Juveniles ...... and all the other info is sooooo discouraging that I am sadly..... (and reluctantly).... deciding against keeping them...... As much as I would've liked to...... I am discouraged...... Damn!!!

 

Don't be discouraged from keeping them... many people succeed, you just need to be a little more careful than what you are with most fish.

Also don't get them unless it's from a reputable dealer, they're most likely already killing them with an unsuitable diet and the customer will only have the chance to finish them off... just my view on the Tropheus trade. I'd take my time sourcing decent fish if I were to fork out the money for them.

If they were black with white spots they were juveniles.