Marlieri Cichlid (Julidochromis marlieri)
Marlieri Cichlids are freshwater aquarium fish native to the rocky shorelines of Lake Tanganyika in Africa. These cave dwelling cichlids can grow to 3 inches long. Marlieri cichlids are characterized by their elongated body with alternating black and white strips and spots. The doral and caudal fins of marlieri cichlids are outlined in black with electric blue tint. Marlieri cichlids are fun cichlids to watch in the aquarium. They seem to have a bit of a personality with their deliberate swimming. Below you will find tips and advice on how to set up the aquarium for your cichlid, what to feed your cichlid and how to breed marlieri cichlids.
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Aquarium Set Up for Marlieri cichlids
Marlieri Cichlids are cave dwelling cichlids. They are territorial fish so they will need plenty of rocks, caves and hiding places to carve out their territory. I like these cave aquarium decorations that are made to mimic cave-like environment. These cichlids will also need plenty of room to swim so ideally they should be housed in a 25 gallon or larger aquarium decorated with plenty of rocks and caves. They prefer water temperature of 72-84°F. Get yourself a good aquarium heater to regulate the water temperature. They like hard water and an alkalinity pH of 8.0 to 9.0. In order to maintain these conditions, buy aragonite sand for your cichlids.
What to Feed Marlieri Cichlid
Feed your Marlieri Cichlid a diet consisting of vegetarian-based foods, supplemented with meat. Cichlid pellets with some brine shrimp are good for your cichlid. Or feed a good quality flake food for cichlids.
How to Breed Marlieri Cichlids
You can breed marlieri cichlids at home. It is not very difficult to do. It’s best to buy 6 to 8 marlieri cichlids and house them in one aquarium. They will begin to pair off once they are about a year old. They are cave spawning cichlids so you need to make sure there are plenty of caves and rocks in the aquarium. They will disappear for a few days while they are laying their eggs inside the cave. After hatching, feed the baby cichlids brine shrimp or finely ground flakes food.
Marlieri Cichlid Facts
Family: Cichlidae
Origin: Farm Raised
Max. Size : Up to 3″
Min. Tank Size: 25 gallons
Level: Easy
Water Temperature: 72-84°F
Water Conditions: PH 8.0-9.0
Color : Black and White with tint of electric blue
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Diet: Omnivore
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