Hemichromis elongatus trophic position/level

[SalviniCichlidFan]

Hi,

I recently just got a 4 inch H. Elongatus cichlid and I was wondering what part of the water column they typically live in and what they eat in nature.

Currently, he's in my 10 gallon quarantine tank and he tends to stay at the topwater area so I figured he might be a surface feeder type of fish. Especially, with his up-curved mouth.

Though, I'm not sure so please give me info if you know.

Thanks

edit: he also jumps out of the water a lot when I feed him, which made me think he's a topwater fish even more

 

[Cichlids-r-beasts]

H. elongatus inhabits fairly shallow streams and rivers I think and are pretty carnivorous.

 

[jjohnwm]

I believe your 10-gallon tank is 12 inches tall? Just how many "trophic levels" are you expecting to divide that 12 inches into? It seems a bit silly for us to even be using the term "water column" when referring to our aquariums; in most cases it's more like a "water layer". A topwater fish in nature might easily dip a foot or two beneath the surface to chase a food item, or simply to dodge down away from a passing bird shadow; in your tank that would put him somewhere down under the tank, inside the stand.

Similarly, a bottom-dwelling catfish could be swimming several inches or more above the bottom as it goes about its business. Compared to the water depth normally seen in most natural habitats, that is still more or less on the bottom...but it might very well be on top of the light fixture in a 12-inch tall tank.

I love catching Smallmouth Bass in rocky-bottom clearwater bays that are 8 - 10 feet or more in depth. At dawn and dusk, if lighting conditions are just right, we can see those fish rocketing up from a cave at the bottom to smash a surface lure. Every strike involves the fish shooting straight upwards a distance that is easily 5 or 10 times the height of most typical aquariums. Living in a cave on the bottom...feeding on the surface...what on earth are they thinking? Pick a lane!

 

[SalviniCichlidFan]

I've been observing my elongatus a bit more now that he's in the main 75 display tank. He still seems to hang around mostly near the water surface area which is nice because the other cichlids hangout in caves and stuff near the substrate so they ignore each other.