Love at First Sight-The Buffalo/Lionhead/Lumphead Info/help

[Dracoz]

HI Guys

Have just seen the Buffalo adult at one of the LFS, and guess what! I love them so much that I am having trouble to get them off my head all night!!

Trouble is i have minimal experience with any of the African Cichlids at all!

Anyone is this forum has experience of keeping this cool fellow?

Any special requirement for them? Tank size? setup? whole nine yard really? I believe that they need high flow moving water? Water condition etc? Have read a few article online and would be great if i can get some local knowledge of keeping this species.

Would a 60x45x45, BB tank with few rock caves big enough to keep may be an adult pair? or should i go 95x60x60 may be run on a FX5(both filtration and water flow sorted) 2nd option comes with a price tag tho with all new equipment needed.

They all come in grey colour?

Any info/help is welcome and much appreciated.

Many many thanks!

[ryanjury]

Lionheads are cool fish alright.. Before you go and shell out the big $$ at the petshop see if any local breeders have them, IMO the petshop prices are very high..

Unsure if you would get sexable ones but you could start in a 2ft tank, grow some out and then see what happens.. I saw a breeding pair with a heap of babies yesterday in one of those little jebo tanks and they were sweet.

LOL An FX5 on a 3ft tank would be wicked but probably a bit of an overkill, if you can afford it no reason not to though, at least you would have something that can do alot bigger tank for later on.

As for conditions etc, most people keep them in with their malawi's but some of the purists setup specialist congo tanks, they seem to breed in both (and also barebottom) conditions so either way they're happy.. I have only seen them grey but haven't done any research into any other colours.

[Dracoz]

Ryanjury

You didn't mean the 38L Jebo tank, did you? I thought they need lots of space? wow...a pair with babies in that smaller tank

Am still trying to read as much as possible with this cool fellow(talk about homework). Love them but don't wanna kill them coz of me not doin it right or not knowing enough.

cheers

[herefishiefishie]

I have kept them in cichlid display tanks at work & home. I know a few people that have bred them. Seem pretty easy.

Be best to buy 6, raise them up. As they pair off, get rid of the others.

Heres some reading from where I used to work,

http://www.wetpetz.com/humphead.htm

& another site

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1353

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/s_casuarius.php

Frenchy

[coelacanth]

I used to have a breeding pair in a 2ft tank with just an undergravel filter and lots of rocks. They don't grow very big, breed easily, and are easy to sex. Only come in the grey colour. In the wild they live in swift-flowing cool waters, so keep them at about 22-24, but lots of water movement isn't really necessary in a tank (but it certainly won't hurt).

[livingart]

have 2 living happilyy in the big malawi tank, would have been lucky to be 2 cm when i got them

now about 4 - 5 cm and happy as larry in there

they sit on a rock and stare at you for ages, funny faces

[evilknieval69]

Got any to sell me Mark? Got a 3 footer that will be empty soon

[Dracoz]

Thanks heap with the info...

and yeap i love their facial/look..and the way they look at you, funny but cool.

Are they fast growers? Water Parameters? PH? lifespan?

Have read a few site but kind a mixed suggestions.

Do they need hard water or soft? PH neutral ok?

Do we need agronite? Crushed marbles? to buff the water up?

one site i read, with the chart info provided pretty much the same to my discus setting? Weird?

Many Thanks

[coelacanth]

the Steatocranus spp don't come from the Rift Lakes, so don't need (or probably even like) hard water. Just normal aquarium water is fine, same as for any community-type fish. They grow at a reasonable pace (not too slow). Don't know about lifespan, but I'd guess around five to ten years?