Chindongo saulosi – a small cichlid from Lake Malawi
This fish was used to known as Pseudotropheus saulosi, but after the 2016 revision, its current name is Chindongo saulosi. This is a small-sized Lake Malawi cichlid with a rather gentle disposition, which makes it a perfect choice for beginner aquarists.
Where does Chindongo saulosi live?
Africa is a continent extremely rich in interesting cichlid species. It is estimated that there are over 800 species of cichlids in Lake Malawi alone and new ones are still being discovered. Two groups of fish have developed in Malawi with clear ecological differences: mbuna and non mbuna. The term mbuna can be translated as “rockfish”, which perfectly describes the behavior of most of these fish during feeding.
Chindongo saulosi inhabits the rocky biotope of Taiwanee Reef near Chizumulu Island in Lake Malawi, Africa. Unfortunately, the exceptional beauty of this species and its indiscriminate fishing has led to a drastic decline in their natural population.
How does Chindongo saulosi look like?
Chindongo saulosi is one of the smaller and calmer species among the mbuna group. Males grow up to 10 cm, females up to 8 cm. Despite their small size, males tend to mark out quite a large territory for themselves. In the wild it can be as much as 2 meters in diameter. For this reason, it is recommended to keep a group of fish consisting of one male and several females in one aquarium. The salousi can also be combined with other species of mouthbrooders having similar requirements and temperament.
Sexual dimorphism is clearly marked. The dominant male has an intense blue color with dark blue vertical bars, while females and young fish are yellow.
How to arrange aquarium for mbuna cichlids?
For a male and several females, you need a tank with a minimum length of 120 cm. However, if you match Chindongo saulosi with other peaceful mbuna cichlids you need to prepare a much larger aquarium. Remember to use sand as substrate in the tank and add decorations made of rocks and stones. Take care of efficient filtration, which is usually achieved with two filters.
The optimum parameters for these fish are temperature of 24-27oC, pH between 7.5-8.5 and hardness in the range of 16-30°dGH.
What does Chindongo saulosi eat?
In general, mbuna cichlids are referred to as herbivorous fish. However, this is a major simplification. In fact, their diet is very diverse, and when deciding to keep them in an aquarium, you need to check carefully what the trophic preferences of the species are. In the wild, Chindongo saulosi feeds on rock periphyton consisting of algae, diatoms, fungi, and small invertebrates. Aquarium fish can be fed with ready-made foods rich in spirulina and other algae (Africa Herbivore, Super Spirulina Forte Granulat, Spirulina Granulat, 3 Algae). From time to time their diet should be supplemented with ready-made foods with a high proportion of invertebrates such as Krill Flake, Africa Carnivore or Cichlid Gran.
