Gold Sexfasciatus Cichlid

An exotic beauty done up in colours og gold and blue, The Gold Sexfasciatus Cichlid originates from the rocky coastal waters of Southern Lake Tanganyika, Africa. This species is one of the larger of the dwarf African cichlids, and attains a maximum size of 6 inches. They have an elongated body shape, and are gold in color with many dark vertical bands. Their fins are outlined in an iridescent blue which adds to the appeal of these fish.

Aquarium care: The Gold Neolamprologus Sexfasciatus Cichlid need an aquarium of at least 50 gallons with other smaller Tanganyikan or Malawian cichlids. Ensure availability of plenty of rocks, shells and African driftwood in order to build caves. Provide a sandy bottom of aragonite to maintain the necessary high pH and alkalinity.

Breeding: The Gold Sexfasciatus Cichlid certainly takes its time to build a family. It is a secretive cave spawner, and breeding is more difficult than most of the cichlids. This is a very slow growing species with sexual maturity attained rather late. Eventually, the males are typically larger than the females, attaining a size of about 6" compared to 5" with females. Provide a number of caves for the pair to choose from. Once an acceptable site is found, the female will lay her eggs within the cave, and the male will fertilize them. It is recommended to remove all other fish from the aquarium once breeding has taken place. These fish become aggressive during breeding time. Incubation occurs in 3 to 4 days. Feed the fry newly hatched brine shrimp and finely crushed flake food.

Food: Their diet should contain meaty items such as blood worms, brine and mysis shrimp, carnivore flake and pellet foods.

Compatibility: Lake Tanganykan similar size African Cichlids and African Catfish Keep them in an aquarium of at least 50 gallons with other Tanganyikan or Malawian cichlids of similar size. Incorporate plenty of rocks, shells and African driftwood in order to build caves. Provide a sandy bottom of aragonite to maintain the necessary high pH and alkalinity. If you want to introduce another Cichlid to your tank make sure there is room, the recommended amount is 1" of fish per two gallons of water of water.

Some other important factors you must bear in mind while choosing aquarium companions for the Gold Sexfasciatus Cichlid is preference for water temperature. For example, cichlids like warm water and goldfish like cold water they do not mix well. Another parameter for selecting an aquarium companion is the nature of the fish. A clear example is the Tiger Oscar which is equally aggressive as the Gold Sexfasciatus Cichlid. Both naturally would be in attack mode from the word go and turn your aquarium into a battleground.