East African Demasoni Cichlid


Demasoni
Pseudotropheus demasoni 

Temp: 76-82° F
KH 10-15
pH 7.8-8.6 
Max. Size: 5" 
Diet: Herbivore 
Origin: Africa - Lake Malawi 

The Demasoni Cichlid, Pseudotropheus demasoni, is a relatively rare cichlid, which originates from a specific rocky point called Pombo Rocks, within the waters of Lake Malawi located in Tanzania, Africa.  This is a dwarf Mbuna, and as such, can be housed in tanks not usually recommended for Mbuna species. In the wild, these fish are found together in extremely large groups swimming in and amongst rocky habitats. Surprisingly, members of these groups show very little aggression towards one another. In order to successfully keep a group in an aquarium, the same type of set-up should be simulated.

The male of this species has dark blue or black vertical stripes with alternating lighter stripes of light blue to white.  The male Demasoni Cichlid also displays the typical spots on the anal fin, and is considerably larger than the female.  The female of this species is not as brilliantly colored, and lacks the spots on the anal fin.
 
A larger tank with plenty of rocks and caves is best suited for these fish. An aragonite-based substrate is recommended in order to maintain the necessary high pH and alkalinity.

A minimum of twelve should be kept in any size tank to help disperse aggression. This not only keeps a single male from being dominant over all others, it helps females and sub-dominant males from being chased to exhaustion (and death) by getting "lost in the crowd".  A small group of 5 or 6 simply will not work, as the dominant male will systematically kill off each tank mate until only he remains. Male to female ratio is unimportant when they're kept in groups of this size, which is a bonus, because accurately determining their gender can be a futile task.  Often many hobbyists that keep them as part of a collection of other cichlids such as having 2 or 3 Demasoni in a large colony of other Malawi cichlids will not have any issues with aggression, our point is that if you only have 2 or 3 Demasoni in a tank by themselves with no other cichlids, there will be some issues down the road. 

A rocky habitat is also of utmost importance. They, unlike any other Mbuna, spend a lot time in caves and swimming around rocks - not because they are timid, but because they are curious. They also seem exquisitely territorial; therefore, the more caves and niches your aquarium has, the better off females and sub-dominant males will be.  Enjoy this beauty and order today!  This is an item that we don’t always have for sale.