Information on types of Frontosa

Red Devil

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So many people are baffled {including me} when it comes to all the different types and species of Frontosa.. please add pics and give information of the type it is... lets have a place we can look up and learn about Frontosa with out hunting through so many different sites .. Please add a picture of the frontosa and give us all the information you can find about it ... and include everything you can about keeping them...and any other information that would be deemed important.... i am going to need help doing this so i really appreciate everyones imput... thanks..in advance..
 
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Red Devil

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Lets start with the varient "Zaires" .. the Zaires being in such deep depths of Lake Tanganika actually live deeper then any other frontosa...For this reason it takes 4 or 5 days to bring Blue Zaires to the surface.. The high price of Zaire Frontosa is determined by a series of factors but being found so deep is the leading cause of their high price.. Also the distance of the nearest airport.. the fish must be caught twise as deep... and because they are wilder they are more vulnerble to stress then the other frontosa varients..causing a much greater risk to divers, and more people involved in the process.The "Blue Zaire" are probably the most desired varient of C.Frontosa... i will add more info as i can about them...anybody have Zaires please post their pics....
 

Red Devil

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Origin: Cyphotilapia Frontosa are found off the congo shore line of Lake Tanganika in East Africa...

Size: Adults to max. of 16 inches in aquarium environment.

Coloring: Males and Females are colored alike..mature males develope extra extended filaments in their fins and they obtain a somewhat frontosa hump. But large females can also develope hump so this is not a sure indicator for sexing...

Diet.. will except frozen, flakes, pellets ..feed larger specimens larger size pellets according to their mouth....

Need to know information: Cyphotilapia can easily become aggressive towards conspecifics when they approach maturity.. they grow slow so juveniles can be reared in smaller tanks and moved to roomier compound as they mature.. It is best to house them in groups of at least four. The Zaires seem to like more rock structure then other varieties.. PH 7.8-9.5 Temp. 72-83 degrees..

Spawning: Males will display for females.. They are maternal mouth brooders holding sometimes up to 5 weeks or more. The Blue Zaires are reported to be the most difficult to spawn of the Frontosa types.

Tankmates: Bare in mind the sedate nature of zaires...they can be kept with many other fish that do not present a meal and are non aggressive types.
 

Red Devil

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and lists the different varieties..
 

k1ngph1l

Jack Dempsey
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Frontosa's are actually only the Kigoma and the Burundi, the others are called Gibberosa. Not to confuse anyone, but if someone were to see a front labeled as a gib somewhere. Fronts are also monomorphic species, so females also develop the nuchal hump.

Take notice that the name of the fronts/gibs is basically the collection point. It is also nearly impossible to tell the difference between fronts from the same area such as between Mpimbwe and Kipili. Some people will argue that they can tell the difference from color, but this is not completely accurate.

Frontosa
Kigoma- 7 striped frontosa, distinguished by the 7 stripes



Burundi- identified by the giant Nuchal hump on adults and the very defined straight stripe down the eye



Gibberosa

Tanzanites (Mpimbwe, Kipili)- Identified by the mask around their eyes that extends to the jaw.


Zaires (kapamba, Moba, Kitumba)- The most expensive and sought after of the fronts, distinguished by their zorro mask, that does not extend past the eye.
 

Red Devil

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Thank you so much for adding all your knowledge... i appreciate it so much,.this is exactly what i want this thread to be... information ...
 

freshwaterfishing

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Alright i have been trying to find out as much as i can about the Red Fronts,(Copper Bannding).
What i have found out is that they are man made in the attempt of trying to come out with an albino Front.
It is also not really a red that they get but, a burgundy or wine colour.
THey came out around 2000 and were really expensive but then they didnt really take off, so the price went down dramactically. They also were not hard to make the solid red stripe anymore wich also brought the price down.
I have found someone who owns them and asked him a few questions and he answered aswell as sent me a few pics of his beautiful fronts.
He told me that he owns both the red fronts aswell as your regualars in one tank.
They all get along great but the red front hide more often then the others and as for their temperment they are quieter than most.
He has also owned them for over 2 years now.
I will try and find out more but one thing is forsure, they are not a easy fish to look up.


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Red Devil

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mike dunagan;2058989; said:
Sorry, need to correct a mistake. Burundi are not frontosa. The only Frontosa are the 7 stripe. Burundi are also Gibberosa.
okay..thanks for info... but how can the 7 stripe kigoma and the 6 stipe burundi be the same species then... and please add more if you can... and pics of your zaires..
 

mike dunagan

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the correction I just made was that their was only 1 type of Frontosa, the 7 stripe Kigoma. All the rest are Gibberosa, and are different varients or collection points. However of course that theory itself is being challenged again to deteremine that in fact they are all Frontosa. It is complex...

Currently again 1 Cyphotilapia Frontosa, rest Cyphotilapia Gibberosa!

I will get pics of my little Zaire soon. I also have Kipili to take a pic of...
 

k1ngph1l

Jack Dempsey
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Burundi are not gibberosa. Burundi actually are classified as cyphotilapia sp. north, but most people still refer to frontosa as the burundi or kigoma because burundi are collected on the northern part of the lake and gibberosa are collected from the bottom half.
 
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