SILVIA’S CICHLID
Looking for an easy to spawn project that isn’t ‘just’ another mainstream fish? Why not try the Yellow krib, writes Liam Roberts.
Looking for an easy to spawn project that isn’t ‘just’ another mainstream fish? Why not try the Yellow krib, writes Liam Roberts.
WHAT SPRINGS to mind when I say West Africa? Regional unrest from rival crime lords? Isolated tribes who haven't been contacted in decades? Untouched jungles, full of life? For us fish keepers, maybe the Congo. But there’s so much more to West Africa, such as a charming dwarf cichlid from the Niger River system.
The is Pelvicachromis silviae, and Silvia is the lady this particular cichlid is named after, the wife of Austrian ichthyologist and West African fish expert Anton Lamboj.
Throughout the trade the fish is known as the Yellow krib, and was formerly known to science as Pelvicachromis sp. aff. subocellatus, believed to be a close relative of Pelvicachromis subocellatus up until 2013 when it was formally described.
The key differences between the two fish are body shape and colour. Pelvicachromis subocellatus has a much narrower, slender body and intense colours of purple and gold on the body. Meanwhile, Pelvicachromis silviae has a stocky body that gives it more obvious presence. The colours are also spread further, even through to the fins, and on males particularly.
If P. silviae hadn't been associated with P. subocellatus it likely wouldn't have been as popular. P. subocellatus was for a while an extremely rare fish, so anything resembling it was snatched up, which unintentionally
gave P. silviae a firm foothold within the hobby.
I sourced mine at Aqualife Leyland, where I noticed a group of fish that had come to the shop simply as ' Pelvicachromis sp' — I promptly bought the whole group. Thus began a journey of trying to find a correct identification. Initially, the experts I asked were torn between the fish being P. silviae and P. subocellatus, but we concluded that I indeed had the former.
You'll find P. silviae in any typical West African river biotope of decomposing organic material, with low flow and plenty of cover and few (if any) plants. Asked about their biotope, Anton Lamboj says:
"The biotope is not known exactly, possibly endemic in tributaries and of the lower parts of the Niger River system.” There's still plenty to learn about this elusive fish.
Provide a spacious layout with sandy substrate, plenty of ground cover in the form of palms, leaves, rocks and wood (along with plant pots and seed pods) and plant it with Vallis, Java fern and Anubias on wood.
Aim for around 6.5pH and low TDS, with a slight tan to the water — it wants to be especially soft. Don't be afraid to really choke the tank full of natural decor, as the fish will use this to their full advantage.
My method for breeding all my dwarf cichlids is to start with a group and allow nature to take its course and let the fish form their own pairs. This way you have a natural bond. I've tried buying sexed pairs before, but it rarely works.
Once a pair is formed, put them into a tank with plenty of cover and broken lines of sight. Provide seed pods, clay pots or anything else that forms a cave, as this is where they'll lay their eggs.
Condition them to spawn with cool water changes and live food such as mosquito larvae, but remember veggies make up a good chunk of most West African cichlid diets so don't overdo the meaty foods.
If the mood is right, males will start displaying to the female and they'll both start cleaning a suitable spawning site. Now just sit back and wait, as eggs should follow soon after the cleaning stage.
Both parents take an active role raising the fry and are extremely protective, with the female taking the lead role in guarding the fry while the male does perimeter checks and keeps any unwanted guests away. After six weeks to two months the fish will now look like mini parents and start to explore the aquarium alone, this is then it's best to remove the parents from the tank and allow the fry to mature alone.
Simply condition the parents again by giving them a break from each other, and when reintroduced they start spawning afresh. Easy!