Venustus Cichlid – Species Profile & Facts

The real name of the fish is Nimbochromis Venustus, but it is normally called Venustus or Giraffe Cichlid. It is a Haplochromine cichlid usually found in Lake of Malawi in Africa.

It inclines toward the more profound areas of the lake, where it chases smaller adolescent cichlids with a particular chasing procedure.

In the wake of spotting prey, it will halfway lower itself into the sand and act dead until the picked fish goes to inspect the “body”.

It will at that point dart out of the sand and strike. In the wild, it is known to develop to 25 centimeters (9.8 in). However, it will surpass a length of 22.5 centimeters (8.9 in) in aquariums.

These fish are commonly yellow with earthy colored blotches (like a giraffe). Males will have a blue head and other blue shadings when they arrive at sexual development.

This is a smart cichlid, a characteristic found in all the cichlids in the Nimbochromis sort.

These cichlids are unique in concerning the Mbuna cichlids, (Mbuna signifying “rock-staying”) in the way that they favor open swimming territories where the stones meet the sand.

The individuals from this family are for the most part exceptionally shrewd, secretive ruthless fish, yet each has its own particular strategy.

Venustus Cichlid Natural Habitat

The wild Venustus can develop to 25 centimeters (9.8 in). The Venustus cichlid is viewed as a peaceful fish, yet it tends towards being exceptionally forceful sometimes.

Even though it can coincide with other similarly invested species, I recommend that you keep the tank as large as possible.

The males become territorial with other fish during bringing breeding in a squeezed tank.

This cichlid has been reproduced in aquariums successfully. It is a mouthbreeder, which means the female will get the eggs into her mouth for hatching.

Sand is the favored substrate for African cichlid tanks. Since cichlids will, in general, live in sandy lakes, the sand substrate will, in general, make them more comfortable.

There are so many foods for the Venustus such as:

  • Cichlid Balanced Diet Flakes
  • Omega One Super Color Cichlid Small Sinking Pellets

Venustus Cichlid Tank Requirements

Minimum Tank Size: 125 gallons (473 L)

Adolescences should be preserved in a 70-gallon tank, but for adults, 125 gallons is recommended.

The Range of PH:  A Venustus can tolerate acidity of just above 7.0, but prefer 8.0 or higher. A sand substrate will cause them to feel most at home.

Including some squashed coral utilized for saltwater tanks can help keep the PH up. Be that as it may on the off chance that you utilize an unpleasant substrate, they will be scratch themselves because of their temperament of covering themselves.

Open space is an unquestionable requirement for the Venustus.

Rock: Yes, there can be some rocks and wood that is set towards the bottom of the aquarium to give plenty of openings to concealing spots.

They like to burrow so ensure the stones sit on the base of the aquarium, not on the substrate. They will bring forth utilizing a pit near a stone.

Plants: Yes, Plants can be included also because even though these fish will tunnel, they don’t upset them.

They will eat the leaves of some freshwater plants; however, they won’t eat the more durable plants. They likewise will generally burrow, so the plants should be moored.

Provide a large tank for these fish, which is even more important if you’re intending to keep other fish with the venustus.

This fish alone will take up more than 50 gallons of water, and if you want to keep it with other venustus fish, then you can expect that number to double at least.

Venustus Cichlid Water Conditions

The Venustus Cichlid (Nimbochromis Venustus) normally stems from the fundamental waters of Lake Malawi.

This African Rift Valley individual from the logical family Cichlidae is normally piscivorous (basically expends fish), and arrives at a length of up to ten inches. Consequently, it is basic to guarantee enough living space (100 gallons, or more).

Favored Water Chemistry: Basic (7.2 to 8.6 PH), water hardness (10 to 18 dGH), 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The Venustus Cichlid will normally become territorial whenever kept up in an aquarium of excessively minimal size. Temperature: 72-82°F (24-28°C)

  • Water Temperature: 72.0 to 82.0° F (22.8 to 27.8° C)
  • PH: 7.7-8.6 – the range of PHP that Venustus can tolerate is should not be above than 7.0, but prefer 8.0 or higher.
  • Hardness Range: 10 – 15 dGH
  • Filtration: Strong
  • Salt should not initiate in their natural environment, but keep levels below 10% the specific gravity should be less than 1.0002.
  • Water Movement: Moderate

Venustus Cichlid Diet and Feeding

You should feed your Cichlids 2-3 times each day with smaller meals.

Aquarium Diet: Brine Shrimp, Ghost Shrimp, Black worms, Carnivore Pellet, Spiraling, Feeder Fish.

You can attempt things like banana, yet don’t leave it in for long, melon is another, peach and so forth, in their regular habitat clearly some natural product gets into the streams/waterways and I know for herbivorous fish, they do touch on a lot of organic product, yet as I state don’t leave it in for long and just put little mouth size bites.

If you come up short on fish food, you can take care of the feeding with bubbled vegetables, peas, or little bits of fish like white fish or shrimp.

It’s smarter to choose freeze-dried food instead of living food to keep away from the opportunity of moving diseases to your goldfish.

While an assortment of enormous, sound cichlids can undoubtedly go seven to 10 days without fish food, an aquarium loaded with infant fish should be taken care of following a day or two.

Venustus Cichlid Tank Mates

The Venustus can get aggressive. We need to set up a 60 female network tank with an assortment of cichlids.

As referenced previously, the Venustus cichlids are viewed as tranquil network fish, however, they have high propensities of being forceful predators.

Similarity: The Venustus Cichlid (Nimbochromis Venustus) is commonly good with other semi-forceful African Rift Valley Cichlids (Haplochromis, and Aulonocara).

They are additionally regularly good with the Synodontis catfish species, of comparative size

As indicated by aquarists and specialists, inappropriate lodging and dispersing in the tank may prompt aggressive conduct in the fish, which may bring about the fish showing its forceful qualities.

I would recommend keeping one male venustus cichlid with several females in the tank. Firstly, males will get aggressive towards each other.

I would also not advise you to keep this fish with peaceful cichlid species, either. They will get aggressive towards them and might even harm them.

Instead, I encourage you to consider other fish species. They are likely to coexist peacefully with the Clown loaches, as these fish are large and strong enough to protect themselves.

You can consider catfish, too, especially feathering catfish, bristlenose catfish, or cuckoo catfish.

Other fish to consider as tank mates for venustus cichlids are other cichlid species of the same size, plecos, ghost knives, gouramis of larger sizes, and sharks.

Venustus Cichlid Breeding

The Venustus cichlids have a polygamous nature so the male will mate with many different females.

As the eggs are ready to be spawned, the female cichlids will release their eggs on level places such as rocks and stones.

You ought to be mindful so as not to put these rearing locales near any solid water streams – these eggs can be taken away by water.

The best way to grow the fry is to keep them together in groups. I recommend you that you keep up to 8 juvenile cichlids together in the same tank so that they develop at the same time.

It is typical to see females carry the eggs in their mouths – this breeding pattern is observed with many other cichlid species, too.

But the number of eggs the female can carry in her mouth is enormous – up to 120! And it’s also fairly typical to see the female carry the fry in her mouth where the fry develops and even grows for up to ten days.

Despite this behavior, I recommend that you keep the eggs in a separate tank for 14 days since they get spawned.

This will give them more time to grow and develop better than they would in the female’s mouth.

Conclusion

The Venustus is an astonishing fish with various range of blue colors with a combination of other colors. It is different in its habits.

It looks very attractive in the aquarium and looks splendid in it. It is a little difficult to care but this article helps to treat it easily.

Here everything is discussed about the Venustus cichlid, which will help to take care of the fish. T

Everyone wants to keep this fish in their aquarium so that now you can keep it easy when you know about the habits and nature of this popular cichlid species.

avatar Noah
I’m Noah, chief editor at VIVO Pets and the proud owner of a playful, energetic husky (Max). I’ve been a volunteer at Rex Animal Rescue for over 2 years. I love learning and writing about different animals that can be kept as pets. read more...

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