Grow out thread for my bleekeri
- Thread starter NixMix
- Start date
The last time my lfs had any of these was about 5 yrs ago. I always wanted one and just was patient enough.
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cute little juvie.......
Just so you know, bleekeri do not exist in the hobby, never have. The corect term is P. polleni.
Just so you know, bleekeri do not exist in the hobby, never have. The corect term is P. polleni.
Congrats on the find. There's a lot of discussion in this subforum on types of Paratilapia. When I first obtained mine, I was calling her a Bleekeri as well. Take a look at some of the id threads. RD started some good ones http://monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=568639
Also take a look at in the African Riverine & Madagascar media section for pics.
When mine first arrived, she hovered in the top corner for a while. I quickly realized she was stressed. They change colors based on mood, are best in groups, prefer subdued lighting and are often more active for feeding at dusk/dawn. Ciclasoman, Duane's and Notho2000 also keep Paratilapia. They have a great amount of insight to this species, and Madagascar cichlids. I'm not sure what kind of substrate is in your tank. They prefer sand and hiding places where they can retreat when stressed. Hope this helps.
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Also take a look at in the African Riverine & Madagascar media section for pics.
When mine first arrived, she hovered in the top corner for a while. I quickly realized she was stressed. They change colors based on mood, are best in groups, prefer subdued lighting and are often more active for feeding at dusk/dawn. Ciclasoman, Duane's and Notho2000 also keep Paratilapia. They have a great amount of insight to this species, and Madagascar cichlids. I'm not sure what kind of substrate is in your tank. They prefer sand and hiding places where they can retreat when stressed. Hope this helps.
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Yes. as I found out a few months back short of some sort of provenance back to a specific collection location in the wild, the most accurate description is P. polleni "aquarium strain".
BTW - I have a single male polleni in a 125, along with a mixed group of smaller CA fish that can hold their own (or he has grown to accept?) - and he does just fine. In fact he's very outgoing, never hides, and is overall just as aggressive as some of the larger CA cichlids that I own. From what I have seen in other set ups, and experienced in my tank, how well they do in groups or individually depends on the fish, size of tank, decor, tank mates, etc. Pretty much like any other cichlid.
BTW - I have a single male polleni in a 125, along with a mixed group of smaller CA fish that can hold their own (or he has grown to accept?) - and he does just fine. In fact he's very outgoing, never hides, and is overall just as aggressive as some of the larger CA cichlids that I own. From what I have seen in other set ups, and experienced in my tank, how well they do in groups or individually depends on the fish, size of tank, decor, tank mates, etc. Pretty much like any other cichlid.
All that information is very interesting to read. I'll take a look at it later on when I have more time.
The substrate in my 180 is actually pea gravel...nothing special. I've also got plenty of places for him to hide and lots of plants around. My polleni already was eating out of my hands yesterday and he's been swimming around and checking out the surroundings.
As far as the other tankmates: H. cyanoguttatus, 2 festaes, indo dat, buttikoferi, female convict, tiretrack eel. Temporarily there are 3 comets that will be removed very soon.
The substrate in my 180 is actually pea gravel...nothing special. I've also got plenty of places for him to hide and lots of plants around. My polleni already was eating out of my hands yesterday and he's been swimming around and checking out the surroundings.
As far as the other tankmates: H. cyanoguttatus, 2 festaes, indo dat, buttikoferi, female convict, tiretrack eel. Temporarily there are 3 comets that will be removed very soon.
No this is not the Andapa strain. It has much larger spots. Yours looks more like P. polleni 'Maralambo'. Here's a pic of my young Andapa and Maralambo, for comparison.
P. sp. 'Andapa'
P. polleni 'Maralambo'
