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Recently, an interesting striped cichlid from Tanganyika appeared in the Bird Market, whose contrasting coloring (alternation of dark and light stripes) attracted attention not only connoisseurs and connoisseurs of the tangantik ichthyofauna, but also inexperienced amateurs of aquarium fish who want to decorate the underwater world with large-eyed minke whales.
Many of the lucky people still do not suspect what a rarity for domestic aquarculture is represented by this fish and how many copies were broken in the struggle for its breeding.
It is a five-strip lamprolog (Neolamprologus tretocephalus) inhabiting stony biotopes of Tanganyika. Externally, the fish are very similar to Cyphotylapia frontosa, only smaller and without a prominent convex forehead.
For the first time I saw large single trtotsefalov in the then cichlid collection of V. Sviryaev in 1988, where they came from the aquariums of M. Yakimov, who tried to establish the reproduction of these fish. By the way, almost all the coryphaeus of "tangantika" tried in their time forces on this form, unsuccessfully trying to achieve stable spawning of five-band lamprogologists.
After a lot of misery with a disobedient view, V. Sviryaev transferred them to the Moscow Zoo. Experiments of local specialists from the Ichthyology department also failed to produce positive results: aging individuals, despite various manipulations with them, were not going to give offspring.
In Russia until the beginning of the nineties, the species was known mainly from photographs, and only rare amateurs saw trtotsefalov alive. Since 1992, the striped lamprolog has been imported to our country several times. Birds imported from abroad were periodically exhibited at the Bird Market and, despite the considerable price, were immediately sold.
In 1994, A. Belov, an active popularizer of aquarium art, received these fish in a parcel of tanganike rarities for the exhibition "World of Aquarium". Fishes broke up instantly. There remained only a dozen of the best specimens for a permanent exhibition.
Continued attempts to get along with the "intractable" lamprogologist and the famous Moscow amateur V.Chuprikov.
Time passed, the fish grew older, not hurrying, however, to give the long-awaited offspring. Now many aquarists could boast of the presence of a whole herd of adult tritotsefalov, retired couples or spawning groups, but except for the assurances "just about" nothing happened.
The fish grew normally, they were well, they felt great, but even after spending 2 to 3 years in the aquarium, they did not want to reproduce at all, despite the approbation of reliable methods, which proved to be successful in breeding other lamprogologists. The habits of the fish were overgrown with legends, one more incredible than the other.
Nevertheless, periodically from the periphery and expanses of the former CIS, rumors of successful and numerous spawning of the species came to light. But only once from Kharkov were brought for sale in Moscow fry "home breeding."
In 1996, when the tricephaloids received a steady status of an "impassable" species, and many of those who had decided to "tie it up", stopping to torment themselves with insane hopes, the Moscow tangantiki breeder S. Mayorov received in his collection a dozen different lamprogologists from Germany. On the advice of friends, "played enough" with this kind, about the futility of the venture with breeding was answered only: "I want to try."
Having stopped by S.Mayorov on business once, I was surprised to find among the uneven-aged cichlid fry about three hundred odd one-size fry. In color they resembled C.frontosa. To my question: "What's this?" The owner suggested "to guess from three times", and as a clue he tapped on the aquarium. Because of the rubble, several adult tritosephalians appeared at once. The females immediately disappeared into their holes, and the huge male swam to the sight glass to inquire: "What's the matter?".
Later I found out that this is not the only dwelling of the tretocephalus. Varied, not yet stripped, smaller brethren are simply lost among other fry. And although the master did not disclose all the secrets, I learned that the high quality of water (transparency, absence of any kind of turbidity, stiffness up to 20 degrees), and the last two weeks before spawning feeding small fishes, are key to successful breeding of the species.
Adult five-strip lamprogologists reach a length of 14 cm (females are somewhat smaller and rounder). For the maintenance of fish of such representative dimensions, an aquarium of 200 liters with shelters in the form of slit brick, rolled boulders, drainage pipes, thickets of live or artificial plants is necessary.
The conditions are as follows: hardness (preferably magnesium) from 8 to 12 to 20 degrees, pH 7.2 to 8.6, temperature 23 to 28 degrees C (the average values ​​of the respective ranges are optimal).
Young animals are happy to absorb bloodworms, a corpuscle, a tubule (the latter must be kept for a week), zooplankton. At me teenagers ate even the processed cheese. Pisces of more mature age are fed with sliced ​​squid, beef meat, heart, lean fish. Interest in plant foods is episodic.
By the year the mad leapfrog with the pursuit of one another throughout the aquarium ends and grown bulldogs fall down, "on the rocks." Ripen fish in a year and a half.
A large male leader can create a group with two or three females. Each of them occupies his shelter and protects him from all neighbors except the male, who controls all the territory occupied by his females.
If only a couple formed from the group of fish, then the territory controlled by it is slightly smaller than the territory of the harem, which allows to install more neighbors into the aquarium. As such, lamprogologists can recommend any commensurate cichlids (not only from Tanganyika), large and medium-sized barbs, melanotenes, catfish, etc. The main thing is that these fishes should be as active and nimble as tretocephalus, since the latter, unlike other laparogists, do not "lock themselves up in the rocks," but actively swim around the aquarium, chasing each other and chatting with other inhabitants of the underwater world . Only by the time of spawning fish go "on the substrate."
The female is hiding in the shelter up to 500 whitish eggs, immediately fertilized by the male. On the laying remains a female. A male, while engaged in the protection of a nearby territory, can simultaneously take part in spawning with another female of his group. At a temperature of 27 degrees C, larvae escape after two days. On the 6th-8th day the fry begin to swim and feed on small plankton (preferably pond "live dust").
Growing juveniles relatively quickly. But if you leave it in a common aquarium, it will constantly be attacked by other fish, and ultimately only a small number of fry will survive. To maximize the survival of the offspring, it is best to incubate eggs in the ranch. The masonry is placed under the sprayer, and in the corner an air-lift filter is installed. It is better to take the water from the spawning ground, slightly dyed it (for the prevention of bacterial and fungal defeat of the eggs) with methylene blue.
Fry, as practice shows quite viable, although sensitive to fluctuations in LV. With the transition to larger live fodder, the growth rates of juvenile sharply increase. High food activity helps fish not to get lost among neighbors on the aquarium, which allows the species to harmoniously merge into any underwater community.
Five-strip lamroprog arrange any aquarist, set himself the goal of shelter in a home pond elegant rarity. Brightness, color contrast, unusual habits of these fish with a rich pedigree will please caring owners up to 10 years.


S. Elochkin, Moscow Aquarium No. 4, 1999.