Fish that share the same biotope as Malawi cichlids?

[puffers4puffers]

Most people consider only dense piles of rocks when thinking about Lake Malawi tank biotopes.
When I kept cichlids from lake Malawi I kept those species that lived over vast stretches of sandy desert like areas, where the cichlids acted similar to the Geophagines of S America
One of my favorites was Fossorchromis rostratus, they could disappear underneath the sand, and although I kept a shoal of a half dozen 10¨individuals in a rockless 150 gal tank....... if startled the tank would appear empty because they dove head first into the thick sandy substrate.
There are a number of others that don´t quite fit into the typically thought of rock strewn biotopes most people use for Malawians
Lichnochromis, aand Taeniolethrinops, are a few others..

I also gravitated to similar the sand and planted Valillisneria meadow like field areas when keeping Tangayikans

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I also liked those sand oriented ëarth eater¨types when keeping Malagasy cichlids, such as Ptychochromis ¨tanantsy¨

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Fossorochromis rostratus!!
Such a cool fish
I won best of class 2007 ACA in Sacramento with a beautiful male

 

[tlindsey]

Fossorochromis rostratus!!
Such a cool fish
I won best of class 2007 ACA in Sacramento with a beautiful male

That's awesome!

 

[Pyluper]

Most people consider only dense piles of rocks when thinking about Lake Malawi tank biotopes.
When I kept cichlids from lake Malawi I kept those species that lived over vast stretches of sandy desert like areas, where the cichlids acted similar to the Geophagines of S America
One of my favorites was Fossorchromis rostratus, they could disappear underneath the sand, and although I kept a shoal of a half dozen 10¨individuals in a rockless 150 gal tank....... if startled the tank would appear empty because they dove head first into the thick sandy substrate.
There are a number of others that don´t quite fit into the typically thought of rock strewn biotopes most people use for Malawians
Lichnochromis, aand Taeniolethrinops, are a few others..

I also gravitated to similar sand and planted Valillisneria meadow like areas when keeping Tangayikans

View attachment 1568787

View attachment 1568788View attachment 1568789
I also liked those sand oriented ëarth eater¨types when keeping Malagasy cichlids, such as Ptychochromis ¨tanantsy¨

View attachment 1568791View attachment 1568790View attachment 1568792

You gave me an idea. I wanna have a huge Malawi pond, where there are rocks area and empty open space desert-like area. I love watching videos about the lake Malawi so much, so I'll try to replicate it.(Not this year though.)

 

[Gucci]

Most people consider only dense piles of rocks when thinking about Lake Malawi tank biotopes.
When I kept cichlids from lake Malawi I kept those species that lived over vast stretches of sandy desert like areas, where the cichlids acted similar to the Geophagines of S America
One of my favorites was Fossorchromis rostratus, they could disappear underneath the sand, and although I kept a shoal of a half dozen 10¨individuals in a rockless 150 gal tank....... if startled the tank would appear empty because they dove head first into the thick sandy substrate.
There are a number of others that don´t quite fit into the typically thought of rock strewn biotopes most people use for Malawians
Lichnochromis, aand Taeniolethrinops, are a few others..

I also gravitated to similar sand and planted Valillisneria meadow like areas when keeping Tangayikans

View attachment 1568787

View attachment 1568788View attachment 1568789
I also liked those sand oriented ëarth eater¨types when keeping Malagasy cichlids, such as Ptychochromis ¨tanantsy¨

View attachment 1568791View attachment 1568790View attachment 1568792

Horei and lepidiolamprologus, two of my absolute favourites from tang.. nice