# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Cichlids >  Pelvicachromis taeniatus 'Moliwe'

## Emokidz

About four months ago, I had the opportunity of obtaining a pair of west african cichlids, Pelvicachromis taeniatus 'Moliwe'.

Two months into their keeping and after they made the tank their home (moving almost half the substrate around), they spawned in one of the many caves I had put into the tank. The parental behaviour of this species, as well as mostother pelvicachromis variants, is simply amazing! The parents herd the young from place to place as they graze on food and algae. The fry don't seem to school as tightly now though, now that they are older... Teenagers, I guess...  :Laughing: 

Here are some pictures (some quite badly taken though):

The pair


Male


Female


Fry (2 weeks)


Fry (1 month)


Fry (2 months; now)




Thanks for viewing!  :Grin:

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## mobile2007

Very nice pair of w.africa cichlid you got, they have very nice color. Also, the photos of the fries are well taken, can see the whole bunch of fries swimming together.

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## apisto31

Congats bro. This is indeed a very nice fish. Looks like you've got good numbers of male and female in your fries. Cheers

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## stormhawk

Nice fish Bernard. I saw these in a cramped tank at C328, but the pair I saw, was in fright coloration and stressed by the cramped conditions in that puny Betta tank. Are the parents aggressive towards other fish outside of the breeding period?

On a side note, this locality also has one very beautiful killifish.

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...opleure-Moliwe

In the thread, the male does not show his full potential. I believe there's a few other highly colorful Pelvicachromis sp. in the market too.

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## Emokidz

Thanks Jianyang. Outside the breeding period, they coexist peacefully with their tank mates. In my case, 6 Parosphromenus. During the breeding period though, the female is very aggressive to anything other than her fry. Killed 5 Paros and the male. And that was in one night alone. Woke up to see a war zone in my tank. Zzzz. 

Those killifish are nice by the way

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## Shi Xuan

Hi Bernard,

Nice to see some interesting fish breeding projects you have going there. Cichlids are highly devoted parents & territorial fishes in nature, so I guess the best bet to avoid a blood bath is to separate the pair from the rest of the fishes as soon as possible. 

I've been looking for this species for some time, patiently of course :Grin:  nonetheless, I didn't manage to find any during my trip to C328 yesterday *BUT* I was definitely delighted to find Centromochlus perugiae. :Very Happy:

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## Emokidz

Hi Shi Xuan, thanks for the compliments. They are indeed fascinating fish to watch. I haven't seen 328 carrying them in my recent visits though.

Yup, I should have separated the male. Well I guess we lear new things everyday.. Haha.

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## Emokidz

> Congats bro. This is indeed a very nice fish. Looks like you've got good numbers of male and female in your fries. Cheers


Thanks! Upon digging up some old threads, I realised that you've kept them too previously. My knowledge on cichlids is still quite limited, so do help me out on this point. How are you able to distinguish the genders of the fry? Is it the head profile?

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## stormhawk

Probably the dorsal spot pattern.

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## Emokidz

That was what I was kind of wondering about. Because all their dorsals look the same. Black rim, orange tinge, spot at the end.

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## bernie

I saw them being sold as "dwarf cichlid" at Aqua Empire and another farm at Pasir Ris last month. Not too sure if they are the same species, but its very cheap. The color of those fish at the shop were not asvibrant, maybe due to the tank condition or they are not of the same species.

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## Emokidz

They could be the similar looking common krib, pelvicachromis pulcher. Also wonderful fish to keep.

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## ahhian

> Thanks Jianyang. Outside the breeding period, they coexist peacefully with their tank mates. In my case, 6 Parosphromenus. During the breeding period though, the female is very aggressive to anything other than her fry. Killed 5 Paros and the male. And that was in one night alone. Woke up to see a war zone in my tank. Zzzz.


the same thing happens when my kribensis pair spawn as well. The female almost kill the male, except that mine is luckier and managed to survive with tattered tail.

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## Shi Xuan

I got the opportunity to see a pair of Pelvicachromis taeniatus cramped in a small betta tank on the shelf at C328 today, besides the ones I saw at your house. The pair even comes with a type locality but I couldn't figure it out because it was badly scribbled. Definitely not the Moliwe nor the Nigerian red but some other locality that I'm not aware of. 

I believe it's rare for the pair to be tagged with a population name, considering that most fishes seen at LFS, are commercial imports, as I find. 

I would have tried my luck with the pair, but dropped the idea as I'm running out of space.

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## stormhawk

The locality is Bandiwouri, at least for the pair at C328.

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## Emokidz

> I got the opportunity to see a pair of Pelvicachromis taeniatus cramped in a small betta tank on the shelf at C328 today, besides the ones I saw at your house. The pair even comes with a type locality but I couldn't figure it out because it was badly scribbled. Definitely not the Moliwe nor the Nigerian red but some other locality that I'm not aware of. 
> 
> I believe it's rare for the pair to be tagged with a population name, considering that most fishes seen at LFS, are commercial imports, as I find. 
> 
> I would have tried my luck with the pair, but dropped the idea as I'm running out of space.


I think all types of kribs are really nice fish to have. AMong my favourites are Kienke, Moliwe, Dehane and Nigerian Red.

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## Emokidz

Popped by c328 today and happened to see the bandi wouri pair. The current conditions and lack of proper feeding are starting to show with them slimming down. Nice colors though, and still healthy! I'm guessing that they would colour up nicely in a well maintained tank. That's if someone manages to pick them up before they start wasting away. But at the current price tag, I'm guessing that won't be easy.

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## stormhawk

The tank doesn't show their true looks so it's a pity. Did you see the 5 shellies crammed in one small tank?

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## Emokidz

Yes. I think you're very right. Judging from that pair of pelvicachromis's fins, though faint in colour, I'd reckon their colours would be stunning once conditioned. Would have gotten them if I had the capital and tank space. In the end, the only thing I got was half a bag of bbs, shared the other half with a friend. Haha. On the other hand, I did see the few ocellatus shellies on the betta rack too - concentration camp style. Quite poor thing. Micropoecilla picta still there too, but all males. Sad. Dropped by GC after that to browse too.

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## stormhawk

Other day I was there, the BBS was already dead floating in the bag. Yeah the shellies were poor things. So the Bandi Wouri at C328 are a proper pair? I thought both were males.

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## Emokidz

I think they should be. The one of the left should be female and the one on the right, male. Unless the left one is a sneaker... I think it's a female though, from its rounded pelvic fin edges and pinkish-red lateral spot. Just much thinner currently due to a lack of good food. Could be wrong though. Then again, even if they were a pair, we can't tell if they are compatible too. Have to leave that to luck. Haha!

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## Emokidz

Just dropped by c328 today. The tefe is gone. Bandi worki still there. But now there's a Nigerian red pair too. Haha.

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## bernie

Back to this topic, my young mother and her fries. http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/...e/d838366d.jpg

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## stormhawk

Looking good Bernie. I think the biggest problem with these fish is that they look too similar to the common Krib, which happens to be pretty hard to come by now.

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## Emokidz

> Back to this topic, my young mother and her fries. http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/...e/d838366d.jpg


Wow! I miss those times when mom used to sherpherd the fry around the tank. Great looking female you have there.

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## Emokidz

A little update on the little guys (and girls  :Roll Eyes: ).
They are starting to colour up now and have reached, on average, 2.5 - 3cm. With the largest ones being 4cm thereabout. The large ones dominate the caves and constantly hide in the hard to reach corners though. 

One of the more dominant males which started colouring up just recently.

Colours on some of the more dominant males starting to show...



There's a good mix of males and females too.. Females colouring up nicely with the purplish-red laterals.

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## Shi Xuan

Alluring fishes you raised there. :Smile:  I like the first three photos, especially the third one, which shows the colors and patterns on the caudal rather clearly. BTW, there's another species which is as beautiful, as I find, that is Pelvicachromis subocellatus, especially for the odd color pattern on the female's flanks, though I haven't seen any in the LFS before. 

Keep them going, whatever it is, Pelvicachromis are nice cichlids to have around. :Smile:

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## Emokidz

Haha.. Yea, I can't wait till they fully mature and develop. Wow, the colours on those other pelvicachromis are really nice. Problem is, even if the LFSs do bring them in.. I don't have any more space  :Crying:

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## Emokidz

I guess the pictures posted previously do not capture the subtle beauty and colours of the fishes. Afterall, they are all crammed in a grow out tank. Hence, I gave taking photos of these fish a second go by transferring a few of them to my planted tank. Not surprisingly, they immediately colour up and appear to be much happier with all the new-found swimming space. Though I must admit that the new pictures are still far from acceptable (by the standards of any self-respecting photographer), I'm still quite happy with them - considering the huge improvement from my last attempt and the fact that they were captured using an 8-year old sony T30 cybershot digicam (which has 2 rows of dead pixels).  :Knockout:  I should really invest in a DSLR soon...  :Embarassed:  

A little blurry, but do enjoy...











Thanks for viewing  :Smile:

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## Shi Xuan

Looking from these photos, those fishes I've seen previously at your house have grown considerably. They are quite beautiful, considering the fact that you took them with an 8-year old sony T30 cybershot digicam. Anyway, are you going to spawn them anytime soon?

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## Emokidz

Yes they have really grown and are beginning to reach their full potential. Probably not going to breed them any time soon. I'll just let the rest of the juveniles grow up for now.

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## stormhawk

The colors are really beautiful.  :Well done:  Are you intending to try the other species Bernard?

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## Emokidz

Thanks Jianyang, I definitely will if I can find them around at a reasonable price. The only other ones I've seen are the Bandi wouri pair and Nigerian red (which I think the female had hole-in-the-head) at C328. Really interesting group of fish, in my opinion.

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## stormhawk

They had Nanochromis dimidiatus locally at one point but I didn't get any since you can't exactly sex fish that are exhibiting stress colors.

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## stormhawk

Bernard, managed to finally get some pics:





The pics don't do justice to them. For some reason, they are shy, maybe because the lights are quite bright. In any case, one of the females is the most adventurous one.  :Grin:

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## Aquanoob

Stormhawk, where is this 2 picture taken in which LFS or you are keeping them?

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## doppelbanddwarf

Very nice fishes bernard. All well fed and plump. Wouldn't they dig up your planted tank?

On a side note, I think one of the most interesting female breeding colouration among Pelvicachromis taeniatus variants have to be the "wouri" variant. I lost a wild pair some time ago and would grab at the chance to get that variant again.

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## stormhawk

Aqua, I took the photos in my community tank, where the group of 3M/4F currently reside. They co-exist peacefully with my other fishes. Occasionally some skirmishes with the Rams but nothing violent. They are quite shy. Only the females will come forward to feed openly. The males take time to move out. They dart back into the plants if I make any sudden movements.

I got them from Bernard at GC after the shrimp talk by Silane. They were in excellent health. For those who are keen to purchase them, get them from Bernard. Rest assured of the quality and vitality.

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## griffinkid

Indeed! They are the stars in my planted tank as well. I think they are one of the most colorful variants of the p. taeniatus. If you want a stunning fish with lots of characteristics- this is what you need  :Smile:

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## bernie

A video speaks a thousand words for this species. 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p88xZhi...?v=p88xZhi70m8

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## Emokidz

Yup, Bernie's videos show the adults when their finnage develops more fully, with males having their dorsals and ventrals all the curvy and pointed. I think their colours and finnage will continue to develop, seeing that the outlining of their fins are still silvery and colouring up. Particularly the female, who's dorsal becomes a striking metallic orange. I think you guys give me too much credit though, a reason why they look so good is most probably due to the high water quality in your tanks too - where any fish will show their full potential.  :Smile: 

But the interesting part is always seeing how they develop and grow! And yes, they eat a lot. Which is fine with me since the female looks so cute when she's well-fed and rounder.

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## Emokidz

> Very nice fishes bernard. All well fed and plump. Wouldn't they dig up your planted tank?
> 
> On a side note, I think one of the most interesting female breeding colouration among Pelvicachromis taeniatus variants have to be the "wouri" variant. I lost a wild pair some time ago and would grab at the chance to get that variant again.


Hi Chongyu,

For me, the only time they rearranged some stuff was when they were breeding. Otherwise, they behave very differently from cichlids like eartheaters or shellies - hardly touching the substrate.
Are you referring to the 'bandi wouri' variant? Recently C328 has been bringing them and Nigerian Reds in. Some are healthy, but occassionally there are others that seem a bit lethargic/sunken stomach or suffering from hole in the head (probably due to prolonged stress and sub-optimal conditions). But I agree, they look nice too. 

The breeding colouration of moliwe is also a sight to behold. I never managed to get a photo that did it justice. But the female's body and pelvic fins turn blackish-purple and a large and round iridescent patch appears on the sides. Like an Opal.

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## doppelbanddwarf

No the "wouri" variant is different from the "bandewouri" one. The female actually turns kind of black except around the belly region. The breeding colouration can be seen in the third photo in the url below:
http://www.aquatic-photography.com/f...uot-Wouri-quot

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## stormhawk

My TDS in the community tank is at 500+ last I checked, and they're happily munching away. I see the displays between the female and the male. 2 of the females have established their territories. The best part about having them is that the males are not keen on skirmishing. They just go about grazing everywhere. The way their mouths are directed and the shape leads me to think that in the wild, they are grazers on rock, sand and gravel, with a semi-sifting habit. The ones in the tank now, they do the same "earth-eating" move as the apistos do. So far they don't dig and I doubt they will.

Like Bernard told me, they are constantly hungry and that is true. They graze on everything, even on the apple snail shells!

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## Emokidz

Yup, that's the sort of look in breeding attire. 

Here's the moliwe in normal colours:


This is a photo of one of the daughters in breeding colour. No editing done on this picture, when lights were off.


Both pictures were taken by Griffinkid, with the female he currently has.

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## stormhawk

http://www.lem.net/alf/css-westafr.htm#wouri

This page shows some variants, namely Wouri, Moliwe and Myuka. Last locality is also spelt as Muyuka in some sources. To know if the "Bandiwouri" is the same as "Wouri", just look at the pattern on the tails of the males.

I think the Moliwe is still the nicest variant.

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## bernie

The female being becoming bright purple aside, what astound me most was the way the female rattles during courtship. The dark color and her lips really looked like an African species to me

I actually wanted to sell them all off but no one wanted to take both the parents and offsprings. 
Bernard maybe we can just do fries exchange later on?

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## doppelbanddwarf

The wouri variant females are significantly different from those of other variants of taeniatus IIRC. 

Saw your sales thread bernie very reasonable price. I would have gotten them if I had a tank to put them. I think as stormhawk mentioned before the demand is probably low as they look pretty similar to the common Pelvicachromis pulcher.

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## stormhawk

Our locally available Kribs are not very good looking. Most of them I see have lost their spotting in the fins and colors only showing during spawning time. At least these taeniatus are spectacular in their own right, even with F2/3 fry.

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## Emokidz

> I actually wanted to sell them all off but no one wanted to take both the parents and offsprings. 
> Bernard maybe we can just do fries exchange later on?


Sure! I'm always open to exchange to expand the gene pool. Inbreeding is never good - and I don't quite like the idea of crossing the son with their mother or sister...  :Knockout:

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## Emokidz

Managed to get some decent shots of the female's breeding colouration:


This one would have been great, but she chose to hide...

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## stormhawk

Intensity of the belly is amazing. None of the females in my care are showing this. They spend the whole day eating with the males not very interested even though one or two of the dominant females are doing the jerky thing in front of them.

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## Emokidz

Could probably have to wait till they take on this colouration. 2 out of the 5 females I keep in my planted tank display this. The rest just look normal and purplish. Given time, I think they would eventually display it as the ones I have started to some time after I placed them in the tank. But I think the purple ones are cute in their own right. Like they ate a grape or something...

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