Alcoapia alcalicus

[duanestuermer]

female



male again

[duanestuermer]

OOps Alcolapia couldnt find an edit button

[Bas Pels]

beautiful

and quite special in bodyshape

[smitty]

Not very familiar with them but looking at your photos definitely something I would like to have.

[Piotr Koba]

Great photos you have just shared with us. It would be even nicer if you shared some experiences with the species? They don't belong to those cichlids you can find in every LFS.

Thanks

[duanestuermer]

They are from Lake Natron, actually part of the Rift.
But it is a shallow, soda lake, meaning it is more saline than the ocean. They live on the periphery, as the lake proper so alkaline it is uninhabitable
It is also very warm, 90'F plus.
I keep them at temps in the high 80s F where they constantly spawn, unless the temp drops to 80 or below, and they stop.

They are algae eaters in nature, so I feed a diet high in spirulina.
Although regularly spawn, I have not been able to get fry, because they are in a community with other high temp fish, Acarichthys heckelli, Guinacara geayi, and discus that eat the fry. I have tried breeder boxes, but they always manage to escape. I plan to give them a very shallow tank of their own in the near future,


I realize the water parameters for this community of fish are to say the least, drastically different (chemically), but my water stays semi neutral (7.5-7.8pH) and all coexist nicely.
When I first acquired the Alcolapia I used very saline conditions, but found it was not necessary.

[Paulo José Alves]

Hi

Keeping Alcolapia with Dicus and Acarichthys, acid water fish, is something I would never dream doing but aparently you are doing it without any problem, and they breed! It shows that the tolerance of fish and adaptability is bigger than we might think. Interesting.

All The Best
Paulo José

[Philippe Burnel]

Hi

Keeping Alcolapia with Dicus and Acarichthys, acid water fish, is something I would never dream doing but aparently you are doing it without any problem, and they breed! It shows that the tolerance of fish and adaptability is bigger than we might think. Interesting.

The problem is to know how long will they (Alcolapia or Acarichthys) live in such conditions that do not fit with any of these species.
We, aquarists, must give to our fishes water conditions as close to the natural conditions as possible.

[Paulo José Alves]

Hi

I just see this experience as a proof that this species endures the conditions in Lake Magadi and in the other two lakes where it was introduced but it doesn´t really apreciates or needs them. Actually it seems that many specimens of this species when captured and mantained in the water where they were captured tend to die very fast which shows that conditions there are extreme even for them. Aparently something similar seems to be the case for other species living in border line conditions like for example Iranocichla. It seems thet even the fish are not masochistic if they can avoid it...
I wouldn´t put Alcolapia with Discus but that aside if the Alcolapia are breeding that means that the conditions are right otherwise that would not happen.

All The Best
Paulo José

[Nebraska_cichlids]

Duane,

I keep a fairly large breeding group in a species tank, using high temps and brackish conditions. They spawn regularly, but i need to pull the fry a day before they are released, because the parents don't appear to protect the fry, and h other fish in the group would happily eat them up.

Janos

[duanestuermer]

I just took your advice and had the female spit 5 fry into a net, they are now growing out in a breeder box, the males have been trying to eat the fry thru the box, without success.
Thanks for the advice, these are the first fry I've been able to save. They are eating newly hatched artemia and green water.

[duanestuermer]

[Nebraska_cichlids]

For those of you who want to give this species a try, I just put up a group for sale on aquabid, category "West African" (which isn't quite where the fish are coming from). I ship within the continental USA.

[duanestuermer]

Little update on the fry, they have been moved from the tiny breeder box to a 30 gal tank.


And a new half dozen just spit fry are in the box.
By the way, I received my Alcolapia from Janos at Nebraska cichlids, all arrived healthy and vibrant, and packed and shipped superbly.

[Nebraska_cichlids]

Duane,

I appreciate the kind comment. Just for clarification I am just a hobbyist, not a petstore/dealer.

I am glad to see that you got your alcalicus going.

Janos

[Nebraska_cichlids]

I have a group of alcalicus for sale. This is the last group that I will be shipping this year. I will make up to six specimens available at only $11ea plus shipping. The offer is good throughout October 2012. Send PN if interested. Thanks.