Lateral Line February 2007.pub - Hill Country Cichlid Club

Volume 2, Issue 19 February 2007 

Inside This Issue 

DIY Aquarium Background 

Texas Event Calendar 

Species Profiles: 

—Apistogramma 

sp. Rotpunkt 

—Yssichromis 

sp. "blue tipped"

The Lateral Line Page 2 

BAP Report 

January was a cold month for us South Texas Natives and even 

though there were few BAP reports, they all carried achievements 

with them. 

February 15, 2007 

INSIDE THIS 

ISSUE: 

Apisto. sp. Rotpunkt 3 

DIY Background 5 

Yssichromis sp. “blue tip” 8 

Duc's (Bassic) entry of Neetroplus nematopus was a 1st of species 

spawn. The total points (205) with this spawn entitled him the 

"Advanced Breeder" award. Congratulations Duc on both the 1st of 

species and "AB" award. 

Robert (Ripple) entry of "Christmas Fulu" came at an appropriate 

time of the year. The Xystichromis phytophagus common name indicates 

the brilliant colors of this fish during breeding. Not only a 

pretty fish but is listed on the "Endangered Species". Congratulations 

Robert on your entry and for contributing to the welfare of future 

generations of this species. 

Congratulations to Greg (Mokkers) who advanced to the "Breeders 

Award" level for breeding 5 different species. Greg now has 7 entries 

which total 120 point moving him closer to next level. Congratulations 

Greg, keep up the good work. 

Another member reached a new level in the BAP with his 5th entry 

that entitles him to the "Breeder Award". Congratulations to Eric 

(EAKF) on this achievement and continued success with your fish in 

the future. 

Cover Photo: 

Neolamprologus 

tretocephalus 

By Dave Hansen 

Because I was excited for David (Dockusan) accomplishment of 

Breeder of the Year for 2006, I overlooked another accomplishment 

of his. His last report for 2006 placed him over the 400 point level 

which entitles him to HCCC Accomplished Breeder Award. Congratulations 

on this achievement Doc and keep them coming. 

■ Jim Beck


Species Profile: 

Apistogramma sp. Rotpunkt 

Apistogramma sp. Rotpunkt is a substrate 

spawner native to the Rio Orinoco valley, 

Venezuela. The climate is sub-tropical with 

temperatures in the mid 70's to 80's and native 

waters for this fish are pH of 6. I obtained six 

1/2 inch long fish from a fellow hobbyist last 

year. Males achieve a size of 3 inches and are 

pale yellow to gold with powder blue markings 

around the jaw and a black horizontal stripe 

laterally equidistant. Females achieve a size of 

2 inches and are pale yellow to electric yellow 

with black vertical barring especially when 

agitated. They also have an exaggerated black 

stripe on the leading of the pectoral fins. Males 

have this as well, but they have long trailing 

edges that are a light peach tone. 

The fish bred for me in a 15-gallon tank, which 

contained medium blasting media and was 

planted with java fern and somewhat of an algae 

mat. The tank was filtered by an Aquaclear 

hang on back filter running with one sponge 

and one sock full of peat moss pebbles made by 

Fluval. I performed weekly water changes 

roughly 40% of the tank volume. I used fluorescent 

lighting for a duration of 14 hours each 

day. I fed the fish flake food as a staple with 

supplements of bloodworms, blackworms, and 

brine shrimp. 

When spawning, the blue color of the male 

intensifies and he wants to display his plumage. 

The females change to a bright yellow and the 

black vertical bar markings fade a bit. They 

seem to breed in caves. I've spawned them in 

PVC elbows buried in the gravel, and I have 

several inverted clay pots with 3/4" holes 

drilled in the side. After low pressure systems 

move through, cold water (several degrees up 

to 15 or so), preferably rainwater should be 

added to the tank to attempt to induce spawning. 

You're trying to simulate a flood in the 

river, so I usually feed worms or other high 

protein items for a few days prior at the minimum, 

and then perform a water change with 

the colder water. 

The pair laid approximately 25 or so eggs. 

After spawning, the female retreated to a hiding 

place for the fry (her clay pot). She ferociously 

attacks anyone who dares come near 

save for the male she spawned with, and even 

then she is wary. She is quite the doting 

mother taking the kids on "walks" about the 

tank and herding them back to the safety of 

the cave. Due to her ferocity, this is when I 

believe the female aggression issues come 

about. After a while the fry get to be big 

enough no one else in the tank will eat them 

and the survivors are left alone. They tend to 

be quite boisterous at the front of the tank 

prior to reaching maturity. I actually left the 

tank alone and let the mom take care of the 

kids, and had 10 or so from each spawning. 

The fry were a yellow-tan in color and about 5 

millimeters long and looked like a pair of eyeballs 

with a tail for the first week or so. 

The fry didn't require any special care on my 

part. I left them in the 20 gallon tank with the


parents and they did great, with minimal losses. 

Once the female released the fry from her care, 

she did not exhibit any tendency to exhibit any 

favoritism toward the fry. I started the fry off 

on crushed flake and ground freeze-dried 

bloodworms. The fry grew moderately, and 

now 4-5 months later they are ¾ of an inch 

long now, and starting to color up. 

These fish are very active prior to spawning. 

They tend to just frolic about the tank freely. 

Once the spawning begins however, the females 

turn a canary yellow, and take on a 

highly defensive status around their home of 

choice. These fish breed in a harem-polygynous 

manner, which consists of several females locating 

small caves to reside in with the dominant 

male protecting the territory, actively driving 

away intruders. 

I really enjoyed keeping these fish. They provide 

a lot of spunk in a small easy to keep size, 

and have very interesting habits, especially as 

parents. For their reputation as being difficult to 

keep I found quite the opposite to be true. I 

would definitely recommend this species to 

other fish keepers looking for an interesting 

group of fish while staying in a size constraint, 

Dave’s Rare Aquarium Fish 

a proud supporter of the HCCC 

5121 Crestway Drive Suite 300 

San Antonio, TX 78239 (210) 599-9444 

Member discounts 

www.DavesFish.com 

but I wouldn't hesitate to put them in a larger 

tank in order to see the expanse of territory 

they will command if allowed to. While it's 

probably not best suited to the beginner, it 

would be an excellent choice for an intermediate 

level hobbyist. 

Be prepared to deal with very aggressive females 

at spawning time and offer lots of cover 

both at the bottom and top of the tank. In the 

wild these fish are found in leaf litter and debris 

and seem to enjoy it in the aquarium as 

well. I also found that they are not too picky 

about the water quality with regard to nitrates. 

I actually think most fish thrive more on consistency, 

then quality, and that the stability 

thru neglect of the tank conditions can actually 

provide a suitable condition for spawning 

if they are well fed and the pressure drops. 

Due to their habitat in leaf debris and plant 

leaves, these are probably not the best choice 

for someone who desires pristine clear water 

looking tank. My dominant female beat up 

both males and females on a regular basis, and 

even killed off a couple of males that were 

several times bigger than she is on several 

occasions, so be prepared to deal with a death 

or two. Remember this is still part of the life 

cycle. The rotpunkts will give you lots 

of ups and downs like a roller coaster, as 

they breed, and entertain family life, and 

then have squabbles that can end in the 

sudden death of a beloved family member. 

All in all this is a most interesting 

species worthy of keeping. 

■ Eric Foreman


DIY Article: 

Aquarium Background 

The supplies you'll need are styrofoam, knives, 

a blow dryer or heat gun, Quikrete Mason Mix 

Cement, Quikrete Concrete Acrylic Fortifier, 

cheap 2" paint brush, 100% silicone caulking, 

and Concrete paint (optional). 

The first step is to cut the styrofoam to the size 

that will cover the back of the aquarium. I put 

tape down on the garage floor to the dimensions 

of the tank so I could set up the background 

there. Plan for the styrofoam to be in 3 

pieces. If you don't, the complete structure 

won't fit into the aquarium (for larger aquariums) 

because of the cross bar in the middle. It 

helps if you cut these 3 pieces in a puzzle-like 

fashion so they'll lock together in the tank. 

They can be cemented together at that time 

with the 100% silicone caulking. 

River City Aquatics 


Member discounts: 

20% off livestock 

10% off dry goods / 10% off aquariums 

12108 Roxie Dr., Suite D 

Austin, TX (512)219-7200 

Next, using silicone caulking, glue smaller, 

miscellaneous pieces of styrofoam onto the 

larger pieces so that you have 3 large sheets 

with 1-2 layers of smaller pieces on top. Next, 

you'll need to cut holes in the styrofoam in 

order to make it appear like a rock formation. 

You could even create some caves and tunnels 

if you wish (this is where a smaller knife 

comes in handy). I used an electric 

kitchen knife to cut the styrofoam pieces 

to size and desired shape. Make sure you 

allow places for filtration and other tank 

accessories when designing your background. 

Once you have your basic shape cut and 

crafted, you can heat the surface using 

either the heat gun or blow dryer in order


to smooth out the styrofoam's sharp corners. 

The knifes can also be used for this while cutting 

the styrofoam pieces to size. This and all 

subsequent steps should be done outside or in 

another suitable, well-ventilated area. 

development of the rocky look. Mix the cement 

following the mixing instructions on the 

cement bag, and then add some more cement 

powder until the cement will hold it's shape. 

Then, using 

your hands, 

apply the cement 

all over 

your background 

until it 

has your desired 

shape 

Once complete, 

allow this layer 

to cure for at least 48 hours. 

Once you are happy with the three individual 

styrofoam pieces, it's time for the cement. I 

cemented my three styrofoam pieces outside of 

the fish tank completely. You could install your 

styrofoam now and do the following steps with 

the tank laying on it's back. I followed the instructions 

for mixing on the cement bag, but 

then added the Acrylic Fortifier per the directions, 

and then added additional water until the 

cement was very runny. I applied this layer 

using the paint brush to ensure a complete 

layer over the styrofoam. This layer's function 

is to bond with the styrofoam and provide 

a surface for the remaining cement to 

bond to. Coat each of the three large pieces 

and then allow it to cure for at least 24 

hours before continuing. I coated the back 

surface of my background with this layer, 

but it is not necessary. 

The final layer provides the finishing touches. 

Amazonia International 


Member discounts: 

20% off Fish & Live Plants 

10% off Tanks, Stands, Eheims & Eclipses 

25% off Filters & Powerheads 

The second layer is where you will get the 

bulk of your cement forming and further 

4631 Airport #116 Austin, TX 

(512) 451-0958


If you want to add concrete paint, this is the 

time to do it. Mix the cement so it is runny and 

can be applied with a paint brush. Then, coat 

the entire background with this layer. While 

doing this, you need to decide if you want a 

smooth look, or a rough texture. You may need 

to adjust the mixture in order to get the right 

look. I went with the 

rough texture, so I left 

my final coat runny, and 

applied it with a brush 

over the rougher second 

layer. If you wanted a 

smoother texture, you 

would need to make it a 

little less runny, and apply 

it with hands or 

brush to get the right 

look, filling in the gaps 

on the second layer. Once complete, allow this 

layer to cure for at least 48 hours. 

Follow these next guidelines regardless of 

when you're putting the background into the 

tank. You need to coat the back of the styrofoam 

heavily with the silicon. Use it all up. The 

buoyancy of the styrofoam needs a lot of silicon 

to hold it down. Obviously, add one piece 

at a time, apply the silicon right before putting 

the piece in the tank. It helps to set the pieces 

up outside of the tank to make sure you have 

everything right. Once all pieces are in the 

tank, you need to allow at least 24 hours for the 

silicon to cure. To be safe, wait the time specified 

for a total cure on the silicon itself. It must 

be totally cured before adding water, otherwise 

the silicon may give way. 

Once you've added water, setup a pump to 

circulate the water. Check the pH after the 

first day, it should be elevated. Perform 50% 

water changes every 2 days or so for at least 2 

weeks. If the pH was elevated, wait until it is 

consistently back at your normal level. In my 

opinion, it's better to be safe. My tank actually 

had water in it for a month before I added my 

first fish. 

At this point, your tank is ready to go! Your 

fish will enjoy the caves and other features 

you've added for them. 

■ Paul Barber 

AquaTek Tropical Fish 


10% off Fish 

8023 Burnet Rd. # 1 

Austin, TX 78132 

(512) 450-0182


Species Profile: 

Yssichromis sp. "blue tipped" 

The genus name Yssichromis is Greek based in 

"yssos" meaning javelin or arrow correlating to 

the elongated slender body shape exhibited by 

these cichlids. These are usually smaller fish 

with pointed (arrow shaped) heads with a low 

straight or slightly convex cranial slope. The 

outer rows of both jaws are made up of unequally 

bicuspid teeth foremost, and tricuspid 

towards the rear. Small tricuspid teeth make up 

the inner rows. The lower jaw extends beyond 

the upper similar to Prognathochromis 

(Tridontochromis) species. The premaxillary is 

not as obvious as the fore mentioned species. 

The eyes of Yssichromis species are comparatively 

larger than most other Haplochromines. 

Most Yssichromis are considered zooplanktivores. 

Until the late 70's this representatives 

from the genus were abundant in many portions 

of Lake Victoria. With the up serge of Lates 

niloticus in the 1980's, Yssichromis numbers 

dropped off dramatically. In the early 1990's, 

various Yssichromis species began to appear 

once again in samplings. Numbers of some 

species (Y. laprogramma) were more abundant 

in the mid 90's than initial estimates in 

the 70's (Goldschmidt 1990, Seehausen 1997). 

Usually thought of as an open water schooling 

fish (comparative to the Cyprichromis species 

of Lake Tanganyika) some Yssichromis found 

refuge from the Nile perch by blending in 

with large schools of cyprinid (Rastrineobola 

argentea). 

Yssichromis sp. "blue tipped" was discovered 

in 1992 by Yves Fermon and Olivier 

Berthelot off Rusinga Island Lake Victoria. 

This schooling species feeds upon zooplankton 

and will also take small insects in the 

wild. Maximum size is near 10cm for males, 

slightly smaller for females. The body shape 

is slender and elongated with a straight cranial 

slope. The lower jaw extends slightly beyond 

the upper. Subdominant males have a dull 

red-purple back with a lighter tan colored line 

directly under the dorsal fin. The flanks are 

light lime-green with dotted with dark blotching 

along the mid body. The blotches run 

along, and are part of very faint vertical bar- 

Darby’s Tropicals 


10% off Livestock & Plants 

5514 IH 35 South 

New Braunfels, TX 78132 

(830) 625-1122


ring. The abdomen is light brown. Two dark 

blotches on the caudal region are joined by a 

thin black bar running between them. The caudal 

fin is translucent. The dorsal has a light 

blue coloration. This is where the descriptive 

name was derived. The anal fin is also clear 

with two well defined egg spots dotting the 

upper rear portion. Females are mostly silver 

in color. They have the same black blotching 

mid laterally that is found in males. These 

blotches run into each other forming an almost 

continuous solid line. The pelvic, anal and 

caudal fins have a yellow tinge to them. Some 

blue can be seen on the forward portion of the 

dorsal. Dominant males sport jet-black body 

coloration. This black is so intense that when 

reflected by light, a green sheen appears. The 

dorsal fin is metallic-blue frontally and the 

remaining portion black. There is a yellow 

edging to this fin. The caudal fin is black with 

yellow edging. The yellow coloration is 

thicker at both points on the fin than between 

them. The anal fin is black at the base with 

lighter colored rays. The outer portions are 

yellow. The (usually) two orange ocelli are 

surrounded by a solid black orbit. The pelvic 

fins are black with the first ray elongated. 

Being an open water species, we house our 

group in a 65 gallon deep tank with a silica 

sand substrate. One side of this tank contains 

a small rock work structure. A few strands of 

artificial Vallisneria are situated in the middle 

of the tank. Filtration is provided by an 

Aquaclear® 300 hang on the back power filter. 

Weekly water changes of twenty gallons 

help maintain acceptable conditions. The 

Yssichromis sp. "blue tipped" are housed with 

a colony of Platytaeniodus sp. "blue neon" of 

similar size. This mixture works well as both 

species are distinct enough that hybridization 

is unlikely. The rock structure is used by the 

Platytaeniodus sp. "blue neon" as a territorial 

boundary but has little attraction to the Yssichromis 

sp/ "blue tipped". Neither species is 

overly aggressive with the other; squabbles 

are restricted to co specs. The Platyaeniodus 

sp. "blue neon" prefer to remain near the bottom 

while the Yssichromis sp. "blue tipped" 

are usually roaming the upper portion of the 

aquaria. There are occasional bluffing duels 

between the most dominant males of each 

species but these are no more than jetting forward 

in an attempt to back the other up. 

There is no physical contact or jaw locking 

that occurs. 

As male coloration darkens, one can be certain 

that spawning activity is already in the 

works. In our colony, two males suddenly 

turned jet-black with intense yellow edging to 

the fins. The next two days were spent bluffing 

one another with jetting runs at one an-


other. Both males were of equal size and neither 

gave in. Each maintained dominant coloration 

and began courting an obviously ripe 

female. As of yet I have been unable to witness 

an actual spawning but have observed the 

pre-spawning dance on multiple occasions. 

The spawning advances occur in mid strata. 

The female roamed from one side of the tank to 

the other enticing each male to shake wildly 

presumably provoking her into mating. After 

two days, one of the males had obviously succeeded 

in winning the female over as she had a 

definite extended buccal cavity. The female is 

not harassed at all while incubating her young. 

We waited for 14 days and stripped her. She 

had 12 nearly free swimming fry. The young 

were placed in an egg tumbler for two days 

while the remaining egg sac was absorbed. 

The free swimming young are now in a 20 gallon 

tank where they are growing rapidly on a 

diet of Cyclop-eeze® and crushed basic flake. 

The fry are hardy and present no problems with 

regards to rearing. Filtration in the fry tank is 

provided by a sponge filter. Ideally, a five gallon 

water change should be done twice a week. 

I suspect that spawning occurs on the tank bottom. 

The first two occasions I had a female 

hold she was found to only be carrying small 

stones when stripped. It is probable that she 

had picked up these stones with her own eggs 

and through the process of tumbling them 

around her throat, they disintegrated over time. 

Once we changed the substrate to silica sand, 

this problem disappeared. 

Yssichromis sp. "blue tipped" ("tipped blue" as 

named by Fermon and Berthelot) is a very rare 

fish in the North American hobby. It is not 

held in the LVSSP program so it is up to the 

hobbyist to ensure its survival. Wild populations 

figures are unknown but like the others 

members of the genus, it should be considered 

at risk. 

■ Greg Steeves 

References: 

Witte, F. B. S. Msuku, J. H. Wanick, O. Seehausen, E. F. 

B. Katunzi, P. C. Goudswaard, & T. Goldschmidt. Recovery 

of Cichlid Species in Lake Victoria: An Examination 

of Factors Leading to Differential Extinction. Reviews 

in Fish Biology and Fisheries 10; p 233-241. 

Khower Academic Publishers, 2000. 

Greenwood, P. H. A revision of the Haplochromis and 

related Species (Pisces, Cichlidae) from Lake George, 

Uganda. Bulliten of the British Muesem of Natural History 

25. p 139-242 (1973: 27th June). 

Greenwood, P. H. & J. M. Gee; 1969; "A Revision of the 

Lake Victoria Haplochromis species (Pisces, Cichlidae), 

part VII"; Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) 

Zoology Series; v. 18, n. 1, pp. 1-65. 

Katunzi, E. F. B. J. Zoutendijk, T. Goldschmidt, J. H. 

Wanink, F. Witte. Lost Zooplanktivorous Cichlid from 

Lake Victoria Reappears With a New Trade. Ecology of 

Freshwater Fish 2003: 12: 237-240.


Event Calendar: 

Upcoming Events in Texas 

All of the information has been obtained from 

other club’s websites. Dates and times have 

not been confirmed. Please check with each 

clubs if you plan to attend any of their events. 

This list may not be complete so don’t assume 

every event is included here. 

February: 

February 17th 

Time: 7 P.M. 

Texas Cichlid Association—Regular monthly 

at the Clarion Hotel DFW South in Irving. 

March: 

Hill Country Cichlid Club—Date, Time and 

Location TBD. 

March 17th 

Time: 7 P.M. 

Texas Cichlid Association—Regular Monthly 

Meeting at the home of David Andrews, 3828 

Wayland Drive, Fort Worth. Phone: (817) 

291-4169 

March 18th 

Time: 11 A.M. 

Houston Aquarium Society—Spring Live 

Fish Auction. Doors open at 10 A.M. for sellers. 

American Legion Post, 11702 Galveston 

Rd., Houston. 

April: 

April 13th-15th 

Texas Cichlid Association—Spring Show 

and Workshop at the Clarion Hotel DFW 

South in Irving. Confirmed speakers to date 

include Ad Konings and Greg Steeves. 

April 15th 

Time: 2 P.M. 

Hill Country Cichlid Club—Monthly meeting 

at Jeff Johnson’s house. Details to follow. 

Lisa’s Lair Bookstore 

Online Books 

Various Discounts for 

HCCC Members 

www.lisaslairbookstore.com

The Lateral Line 

Official Publication of the 

Hill Country Cichlid Club

Lateral Line February 2007.pub - Hill Country Cichlid Club

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?