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Fishmonger Newsletter

Turkana Jewel Cichlid, Fancy Plecos, & Construction Updates

November, 2021

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Fish Store Construction Progress

The trusses up, the Tyvek warp is on, and most of the steel roofing material has been laid. Word is that we will be dried in by November 8th…not sure I believe it, but that’s the word. Also, our access road and parking lot are paved. The pads for the electrical service and front/side patios have been poured. I received word today that construction on our surface well should begin in 2 weeks. Pictures of the construction progress can be seen below.

Construction Update Video

Here’s a video showing the progress of our new fish store construction. It is coming along!

Fish Warehouse Has A Roof! Building a FISH Store!!!

We have pavement!

Trusses from the inside.

Wrapping the walls in Tyvek

Tyvek Wrap on the roof.

The custom steel roof is almost completed.

Featured Article

Turkana Jewels: The Other Rift Lake Cichlid

Article Contributed by Michael Melliere

When you hear the term “African Cichlid”, you likely get a very specific image in your head. If you’re anything like most aquarists, thoughts of vibrant, almost salt-water coloration and parameters often referred to as “liquid rock” come to mind. And while many species native to Africa and the Middle East do in fact come from this type of habitat, there exists an equally beautiful and often overlooked African Rift Lake cichlid habitat: Lake Turkana. And within that lake, Hemichromis exsul...a true jewel.

Known to hobbyists as the Turkana Jewel Cichlid, Hemichromis exsul is endemic to Lake Turkana. Fish in this lake have quite a different experience than most of their african cichlid relatives. Extending from Kenya up into Ethiopia, Lake Turkana is the largest permanent desert lake in the world, and is alkaline and somewhat saline in nature. However, while this lake is alkaline, it is very low in calcium. This is probably due to the fact that the lake is fed by a series of springs bubbling up from the bottom. The water coming from these springs is acidic. This acidic water is constantly reacting with the lake's minerals, thereby depleting the available calcium. Calcium levels are so low that molluscs can't survive because they cannot construct and maintain their shells, so the freshwater snails which provide homes to the shell dwellers of Lake Tanganyika are absent here. Once all is said and done, Lake Turkana eventually balances out at a pH of around 9.4 with almost no calcium...unique water parameters indeed!

So why do we as aquarists care about the fact that the water parameters start acidic and move towards a very basic pH? The wide variation in parameters present in their native habitat means that fish in Lake Turkana must constantly adjust to a variety of water conditions. Over time, this has led to nature narrowing down the species in the lake to only those who can tolerate such wide swings in parameters. For hobbyists, this is great news! This means that regardless of the water that comes out of your tap, Turkana Jewels are likely to adapt in short order.

Above: Lake Turkana in relation to the other Rift Lakes including Malawi, Tanganyika, and Victoria.

These are beautiful fish that thrive in most freshwater aquarium parameters, so you’re probably asking, “What's the catch? Why aren’t these in every fish store across America?” The first reason these fish are scarce in the aquarium hobby is that, while it is endemic to a Rift Lake, it is a lake that is quite far off of the aquarium industry's beaten path. There is no regular supply chain for ornamental fish from Lake Turkana. Because there are few species from this lake that are desired by hobbyists, there are few aquarium fish collectors visiting the lake. However, this scarcity is currently changing. Because this fish is so beautiful AND so adaptable, hobbyists are finding them rather simple to propagate and distribute. What is more, a few enterprising fish farmers have recently begun to work with this species. Within a few years, it is likely that everyone who wants to work with this species will be able to obtain it.

Another reason they are not in everyone's aquariums is due to aggression. Many Rift Lake African cichlids can be aggressive to both their own species and their tankmates, and it is also true that some Hemichromis species are "pretty hate machines." However, it is also true that cichlids are highly diversified and there are exceptions to every rule. Considering the murderous behavior of some other Hemichromis species (such as Hemichromis elongatus, the 5 Star General), H. exsul is a relatively peaceful fish. A comparison of mouth structures can offer one clue as to why. When compared to H. exsul, the mouth of H. elongatus is noticeably elongated. This long mouth is specially adapted to create suction when it opens and to give the teeth an extended gripping area, helping make H. elongatus an effective piscivore. By comparison, the mouth of H. exsul is rather blunt, helping this omnivore browse for a large variety of food items. As a piscovore, H. elongatus is much more aggressive than H. exsul.

However, this jewel is not always an angel. Many online sources claim that H. exsul is a "peaceful" jewel cichlid. While it might be peaceful compared to some of its more bloodthirsty relatives, we have had mixed results keeping them in community aquariums. The first aquarium we tried them in was a 75 gallon tank with a few bushynose plecos, some Nannaethiops unitaeniatus tetras (a peaceful 1.25" African tetra), and some 2.5" - 3" rainbowfish of the Chilatherina genus. Rainbows of this genus are very fast, agile swimmers, so we thought they would make great dither fish for the cichlids. After a few days, the rainbows began to exhibit some tattering on the fins and, with a few minutes of observation, it became apparent that the Turkana Jewels were responsible for the fin damage. The rainbows were promptly moved to a less threatening tank. However, the cichlids did not ever bother the much slower swimming tetras or the bushynose. When the cichlids began spawning, they would chase the tetras from the spawning site, but never pursued them very far and did not cause them any damage. We've also succeeded in keeping these cichlids with Synodontis catfish. So, while our sample size of possible tank mates is small, our experience would suggest that H. exsul can be kept with other species, but not with every species one might expect. In short, it would be good to have a "Plan B" tank available when attempting to integrate these cichlids into a community aquarium in case they don't play nice with their neighbors.

Above: In one of the most bazaar mutations we have seen, this male’s dorsal fin is fused with its anal fin. Perhaps an absorbed twin?

If your goal is to breed these fish, you are in luck! They are quite easy to breed. Unlike many African cichlid species which are mouthbrooders, all Hemichromis we know of are substrate spawners. Both males and females are similarly colored so sexing these fish can be tricky, but during breeding the female will plump up with eggs and will be more easily identifiable. H. exsul are great parents and will guard their spawn and fry with vigilant relentlessness. However, in the confines of the aquarium, this behavior can be short lived and the parents often end up turning on their young. If one wishes to raise these in large numbers, we recommend allowing the parents to care for the eggs and wrigglers, but then removing the free swimming fry to a separate rearing container.

These fish make a stunning addition to the aquarium hobby. Unlike many Jewel Cichlids, this one really does look like the pictures...and not just when it is in nuptial dress.

A Plethora of Plecos!

We are working with pleco breeder who raises some of the neatest L-numbers out there. Check them out below!

L173…we’ve got ‘em!!!

L173B, in the “B” version, the contrast between black and white is not as distinct.

L174 Ocelot, these and the L471 Mini-Snowball pleco are the smallest Hypancistrus yet discovered.

L471 Mini-Snowball, these stay smaller than the similar looking L201.

L136A, a nice variety of Angelicus Pleco.

L136B, another nice type of Angelicus.

L264 Sultan Pleco… one of the prettiest of the Vampire Plecos. Thanks to Terry Lecyk for the use of this photo!

L400, yet another variety of the zebra-type plecos.

L600 Leopard Cactus Pleco, these grow big and beautiful.

L046, the most famous of the zebra-type plecos.