Family: Cichlidae
Distribution: Chalinochromis popelini is a middle-bottom dwelling African cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika. Specifically, its type locality is in Moba, about two-thirds of the way down the southwest side of Lake Tanganyika.
PH: 7.5 – 9.0
Temperature: 22°C – 27°C (72 – 81F)
Hardness: 8 – 15 dH
Description: Chalinochromis popelini can grow to a maximum length of 15 cm. This cream-coloured, slim-bodied cichlid has three distinctive longitudinal stripes and a visibly forked caudal fin. Males and females are very similar, but can be sexed thanks to the male’s pointier genital papilla which slants to the rear.
Diet: Chalinochromis popelini will eat basically any food item in an aquarium setting. You can feed adults a diet of flake, frozen and pelleted foods, along with most live foods. You can feed youngsters on baby shrimp, but the adults also have a thing for baby brine shrimp.
Breeding: Chalinochromis popelini, like Chalinochromis brichardi, do their spawning in caves. The female will lay up to 100 eggs; both sexes will vehemently guard the batch. Be careful, the pair will become extremely territorial and have been known to kill other species within sight. It takes only 2 – 3 days for the eggs to hatch, and the fry will be out and about between 5 – 6 days.
Comments: You could keep a pair of Chalinochromis popelini in a 20 litre tank. Decorate your tank with plants, a gravel substrate and large, rocky formations to create hiding spaces for this secretive spawner. This species is suitable for beginners, but care must be taken during the breeding stage.
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Recommended Compatible Species: Chalinochromis popelini is a generally timid species, but a pair should be kept in its own tank during the breeding stage. At other times this species can be kept with other Lake Tanganyikan cichlids, such as Julidochromus and Lamprologus.
Originally posted 2010-01-05 20:34:47. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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