Breeding Blue Gularis (Fundulopanchax Sjoestedti) In The Aquarium

Location

This freshwater species lives between south-western Cameroon (mostly in Nolian River) and southern Nigeria. It lives in rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands, puddles covered rain-forest. These reservoirs often are seasonal reservoirs.

Body description

Colour of the male is blue-olive with red-brown spots. These spots create transverse stripes from the pelvic fins to the base of the caudal fin. There is also other multi-colour variants of this fish which depend on their habitat. Male has blue-gold, elongated rays of the fins with red spots - especially the caudal fin has elongated external and middle rays. This fin is orange with blue border in the lower part. Male is larger and more colourful than female. She is thicker in the ventral parts compared to him.

Temperament and behaviour

This species is medium-aggressive. Males are more aggressive than females and are territorial and when gets older it hunts for small fish and species with flowing fins. You should keep these fish with non-aggressive cichlids, catfish, corydoras and big species of characidae family. You need large aquarium (minimum 100 Liters) for group of the fish. Males can fight together if aquarium is too small. For every male you should have 2-3 females.

Aquarium decoration

This species prefers a spacious tank with a lot of plants, floating plants, dimmed light, dark substrate with layer of peat, dark decorative elements, gentle filtration system. You must cover the aquarium so your fish do not jump out. A partial water exchange should be done regularly.

Breeding

This is an oviparous species. You should breed these fish in a separate tank. Breeding aquarium should have 2/3 water level, soft water with pH=6.0-6.5, 24-26°C water temperature, small sponge filter with peat, peat substrate and tank should be covered. You don’t need light. You can separate males from females around 1 week before spawning and you should feed them with plenty of live food. Then you transfer the most colourful male and the thickest females (2-3) to the breeding aquarium. You can stimulate the fish to breed through bigger partial water changes on cooler water. Female lays tens eggs in substrate every day. You should remove parents after spawning. Then you need to remove the peat substrate with eggs and very gentle squeeze excess of water out of the peat. The peat substrate should be damp. You need to put into container e.g. plastic box or bag and leave small hole for exchange of gases. You keep this container in the dark place in the room temperature. The peat must be damp at all times. You put the peat with eggs in the previously prepared aquarium after 8 weeks - when you can see eyes in the eggs. This tank should have low water level, 20-23°C water temperature. The larvae hatches in this aquarium for next few days. The fry immediately starts to swim and feed. The fish can also spawn in the general tank without interference of the aquarist but then reproduction will be poor.