Bart's Tank

Bart was purchased around Dec 30th, 2006.

I had been wanting to venture into a salt tank for a while, but still did not have the money to invest in a proper setup. Instead I decided to setup a small cichlid only tank and attempt to mimic a salt tank in looks with the sand and color of the fish. It turned out ok, but not like I had hoped.

Over time I grew to really enjoy Bart. I learned quite about Cichlids, their habitats, how smart they are and enjoyed his antics and ability to recognize me.

I hope to upgrade the tank one of these days to include a natural rock habitat with a few other mbunas to keep him company.

Bart currently lives in a 5 gallon bowfront, later moved to a 10 gallon hex (my first tank) and just recently moved back to the 5 gallon again due to me needing the 10 gallon hex for my new salt water setup.

Bart is well over a year old now and doing quite well. He has nearly reached his full adult size of 4".

Bart's First Tank - 5 Gallon Bow Front

Bart's New 10 Gallon Tank

4/14/08

Bart outgrew his 5gal. I only noticed this after converting my 10gal hex to saltwater and moving him back to his old 5gal. He had grown to full size and needed more space to swim.

I found a 10gal w/hood and light fixture for $20 on sale at Petsmart. I cleaned about 10lbs or so of sand and added the remaining river rock and quarry rock to the tank as well as the other equipment that was in the 5gal.

Bart was pretty upset about losing his jar he has been in for a year or so now. He got used to the rocks quickly though and seems much happier at home in a more natural habitat. His natural home are the rocky shores of Lake Malawi in Africa.

The sand was completely level and he dug out what you see in the photos in a matter of days. First he would swish his tail where he wanted to dig to loosen the sand, then he would shovel it out a mouth at a time and spit it out in a big mound. He is trying to dig a cave under one of the rocks.

Miscellaneough Observations

Bart loves to dig. My substrate is sand and in a single afternoon, he will have dug around his hiding place completely, causing it to fall into his newly dug hole. He can be seen spitting out mouthfuls of sand below:

Quick Facts

Scientific Name(s): Labidochromis caeruleus

Common Name(s): Electric Yellow Cichlid, Yellow Lab, Yellow Labidochromis

Family: Cichlidae

Species Type: Lake Malawi African Cichlid, Mbuna

Maximum Size: 4"

Life Span: 10 years

Natural Habitat: Lower rocky shelves of Lake Malawi

Minimum Tank Size:

Tank Region: All over, hides in any rocks or other cover.

Water Temperature: 75-82*F

Water Chemistry: Hard water, dH of 10-15, pH: 7.5-9.0

Diet:Small crustaceans and insect larvae, will accept most aquarium foods. More omnivorous than many mbuna, but the diet should still include a strong vegetable component.

Behavior:Mildly aggressive. Put with other african cichlids.

Sexing:There is no obvious colour difference between males and females, but males may show more black on the fins, particularly the ventral fins. They may also exhibit a brownish patch in the area between the eye and mouth.

Breeding:Prolific mouthbrooder. Does not need any special layout for breeding, but a 1M to 4F ratio is best.

Inhabitants

Equipment

Recent Updates

[04/14/2008] Bart moved to his new tank today. The 10gal hex he was living in got turned into a saltwater tank. He is not much happier with more room to move and a more natural habitat to live in.

[Early 2007] Bart moved to the 10 gallon hex tank

[12/30/2006] Bart was purchased and moved into the 5 gallon bow front tank.