Demasoni Cichlid (Chindongo demasoni) Breeding Guide

Breeding the dwarf mbuna Chindongo (Pseudotropheus) demasoni: a hard-to-sex, very aggressive maternal mouthbrooder that needs a harem and large groups to spread aggression.

Overview

Chindongo demasoni (described as Pseudotropheus demasoni) is a dwarf mbuna endemic to Lake Malawi, originally from Pombo Rocks in Tanzanian waters. Like most mbuna it is highly territorial and a maternal mouthbrooder, and its extreme aggression is the dominant factor in breeding it successfully.

Sexing

The species is difficult to sex because both sexes share identical colour and pattern. Mature males are slightly larger and carry egg-spots on the anal fin that females usually lack, but behavioural observation is most reliable: males are markedly more territorial and aggressive.

Conditioning

Condition the fish on a good diet of live, frozen and dried foods. Reported spawning conditions are around pH 8.2-8.5 and a temperature of roughly 25-27 °C (77-80 °F).

Breeding Setup

Use a harem with several females per male to reduce harassment, and keep the colony large because group spawning is necessary to dissipate male aggression toward females. Provide a flat rock surface or a substrate area where the male can excavate a pit.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

The male forms a territory around a flat rock or excavated pit, displays intensely and pursues females. When a female is willing she approaches the site and lays her eggs, allowing the male to fertilise them before she takes them into her mouth.

Egg & Fry Care

The female carries the eggs for around three weeks before releasing free-swimming fry, and she does not eat while holding, recognisable by her distended mouth. Fry are large enough to take brine shrimp nauplii from release. Experienced breeders sometimes artificially strip fry at about the two-week stage, which usually yields more young but is recommended only for experts. Fry show high intraspecific aggression from a very young age and need separating as they grow.

Common Challenges

The principal difficulty is the species' intense aggression: lone or paired fish quickly kill one another, so the colony must be large and well structured. Holding females are easily stressed into releasing the brood early.