Protomelas sp. Steveni Taiwan

Taiwan Reef Cichlid

Max Size:

7.0"

Temperament:

Semi-aggressive

Water Temperature:

78-82°F

Diet:

Herbivore

Min. Tank Size:

50 Gal

Description:

This is one of the more stunning Haplochromis from Lake Malawi in Africa. The Protomelas sp. "Steveni Taiwan" or Taiwan Reef Cichlid features a mostly yellow body with bright light blue on its head, over its back and down to its tail. It has red pelvic and anal fins, and a white stripe along the top of its head and tip of its dorsal fin.

Compatibility:

Taiwan Reef cichlids are mildly aggressive, and can mix well with other Haps, Peacocks or mildly aggressive Mbuna. A breeding male will show higher levels of aggression towards other males and males of closely related species. Some compatible fish are the Red Shoulder Peacock, the Star Sapphire cichlid, and the Azureus cichlid.

Tank Requirements and Feeding:

These fish get pretty big. Male Taiwan Reef cichlids can grow to be 7". Minimum tank size is 50 gallons, but it should be big enough to provide plenty of space to swim and claim territories. The substrate should be sand or fine gravel and there should be plenty of rocks to create caves and passageways for the fish to claim territories or seek protection. The water should be hard with a temperature between 78-82°F and a pH of 7.8-8.6. Additives like Cichlid Lake Salt and Malawi/Victoria Buffer will condition the aquarium water for African cichlids.

The Protomelas sp. "Steveni Taiwan" is a herbivore and should be fed foods that are high in vegetable matter. Commercial foods like cichlid pellets and flakes that are spirulina based are good a choice for these fish.

Breeding:

The Taiwan Reef cichlid is a sexually dimorphic fish where the males display the bright colors and females remain a silverish-grey color with black vertical bars that have a spot near the middle. Males will also grow to be larger than the females.

Taiwan Reef cichlids are mouthbrooders which means that the female will carry the eggs and fry in her mouth to protect them after spawning. In a home aquarium it is best to have one male and several females to divide the male's attention up between the females. After spawning, the female will pick up the eggs and carry them in her mouth for three weeks or longer.

These fish will spawn with other closely related Protomelas species. If you do not want hybridization, the Taiwan Reef cichlid should not be kept with Red Empress cichlids, Tangerine Tiger cichlids, Insignus cichlids, or other closely related Haplochromis from Lake Malawi.