Julidochrom Regan

Julidochrome Regan, scientific name Julidochromis regani, belongs to the Cichlidae family. A popular aquarium fish among cichlids, like a representative of its family, it is distinguished by aggressive behavior towards relatives, but it gets along well with some other species. If you are planning to purchase an African cichlid, then Julidochrome Regan will be an excellent candidate for this role.

Habitat

Endemic to Lake Tanganyika (Africa), does not live in any other body of water. It lives in areas with a sandy bottom dotted with numerous stones. Some members of the genus prefer rocky coastlines.

Requirements and conditions:

• The volume of the aquarium – from 110 liters.
• Temperature – 23-27°C
• Value pH — 7.5–9.0
• Water hardness – medium hardness and hard (10–25 dH)
• Substrate type – coarse sand and stones
• Lighting – moderate
• Water movement – moderate
• Size – up to 15 cm.
• Nutrition – high protein foods

Description

Elongated body with a convex head. There are several species with slightly different head shapes. The dorsal fin is long, stretching almost along the entire back. The tail is rounded, has a white border in the pattern. The main color is yellow with rows of dark brown longitudinal stripes.

Food

Predominantly feed live or frozen food (bloodworm, daphnia, etc.). High-protein foods should form the basis of the diet, herbal supplements are required. Once a week, additional products are allowed – dry food (flakes, granules).

Maintenance and care

Simulating the natural habitat of fish is the best choice for aquarium decoration. Julidochrome Regan will require a large long aquarium with a rocky bottom lined with ledges. With the help of piles of stones and pieces of rocks, grottoes, caves and crevices are formed. Broken clay pots, hollow bricks, etc. can be used as shelters. The substrate is sandy. Plants are not required.

The aquarium is filled with slightly alkaline hard or medium hard water. More about water parameters and ways to change its parameters (pH and GH) in the section “Hydrochemical composition of water”. Since plants are not included in the design, the additional burden of maintaining biological balance falls on the filtration system. Get the most efficient filter available for your price. Other minimum equipment required includes an aerator, heater, and lighting system.

Behavior

Territorial fish, aggressive towards their relatives, but can coexist with other cichlids of similar temperament from Lake Tanganyika. Juveniles usually grow together, eventually forming male/female pairs that do not break up throughout the life of the fish. The formed pair becomes intolerant of the neighbors of its kind.

Breeding / breeding

Breeding is relatively simple, however, there are certain nuances. It is recommended to immediately purchase a formed pair. Separate purchase of a male and a female does not guarantee the formation of a pair, the fish may not match each other, as a result, the male begins to pursue the bag, which often leads to her death.

Spawning of Julidochrome Regan is secretive, the period of courtship is not expressed. The female lays eggs in the selected cave and the appearance of fry may come as a surprise to the aquarist. Parents do not harm the offspring, so there is no need to hastily relocate them to a separate tank. They can live together until the fry reach a length of 2–2.5 cm, at this stage you should already think about their future fate.

Fish diseases

The main cause of disease is inappropriate conditions and poor quality feed, everything else (bacterial or fungal infections) is just a consequence. Read more about symptoms and treatments in the Aquarium Fish Diseases section.