Egyptian Mouthbrooder

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Lower Nile Basin (Egypt, Sudan) and vast range of East Africa (Lake Victoria). A true survivor: tolerates muddy ditches, oxbow lakes, warm and stagnant pools among papyrus roots, muddy swamps and small tributaries thickly covered by vegetation or floating water lilies.

Taxonomy and Morphology: A true classic (once known as Haplochromis multicolor). It has a stocky, robust but aerodynamic body and a strongly rounded head (similar to a tiny tank), with a large mouth suitable for swallowing debris and offspring for defense. Rarely exceeds 8 cm (3.1 inches) in the aquarium (females stop at 6 cm). It features visibly wide and shiny scales.

Social Behavior: The "Brawling but tolerant Dwarf". If placed in adequate tanks (>80 cm / 32 in) it is completely peaceful and busy inspecting rocks and leaves. However, males are highly intolerant of male conspecifics in cramped spaces, engaging in furious lethal hand-to-hand combat for territorial dominance. Forms small unstable harems (1 male and multiple females).

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Kaleidoscopic male. The name "Multicolor" is well-deserved: under the right light and in display, an apparently bronze/sand colored body explodes simultaneously in AZURE, EMERALD GREEN, and GOLDEN YELLOW iridescent scales, with a red spot on the operculum and fins asymmetrically dotted with neon blue, orange and lacquer red (especially the edge of the anal and caudal fin). The female, wise and mimetic, is of a uniform sand-gray or dull green, useful for hiding on the bottom during brooding.

Aquarium Setup: Demands the "Aquatic Jungle". Minimum 80 cm (32 in) tank to manage a dominant male. Adores chaos: intricate piles of crooked woods, thick thickets of Hornwort or Vallisneria, smooth flat rocks, overturned half coconut shells. Sand is essential because it digs slight pits to lay eggs. A lot of floating shade and zero direct and ruthless light.

Diet and Feeding: Opportunistic Omnivorous Micro-Predator. Takes no prisoners: is a voracious devourer. Excellent the use of high quality base flakes and micro-granules, but chronically needs live or frozen binges (large Brine shrimp, blood red chironomus, daphnia) to trigger the reproductive instinct and ignite the male's rainbow iridescences.

Water Quality: Legendary hardiness. Incredibly survives large thermal swings (can overwinter indoors at goldfish temperatures, 20-22°C / 68-72°F, and then enjoy the hot summer 26°C / 79°F). Very tolerant of chemistry: accepts medium hard or hard water (GH 5-18) and pH variable from 6.5 to 8.0, easily thriving in conditioned tap water. Sensitive only to toxic ammonia spikes from inadequate filters.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Aquarium model: "Tolerant Asian or Riverine tank". Must be matched exclusively in Harem (1 Male, 3/4 Females to dampen the asphyxiating reproductive pursuit). Excellent roommate with large and robust Characins (Congo Tetra, Phenacogrammus) or medium-sized Cyprinids swimming on the surface. Not recommended to put it with other dwarf cichlids or Corydoras in small tanks, they would be brutally targeted in the reproductive perimeter on the bottom.

Aquarium Breeding: Miraculous oral incubation (Maternal Mouthbrooder). Spawning takes place in a small sanded pit frantically prepared by the iridescent male. The circular rite occurs, eggs laid and swallowed. The courageous little mother will spend 12 to 16 days walled alive in hidden ravines, with sealed mouth, eating absolutely nothing until, miraculously, she spits out 20 to 50 formidable giant young ready for brine shrimp nauplii and already self-sufficient.

Risks and Diseases: Bomb-proof fish but at risk of "Killer Stress". If forced with another male in less than 100 liters (25 Gal), they will fight with shoves and deaf decapitating bites until the rapid and inexorable death of the defeated, forced to crawl to the surface torn infected apathetic ruined dying faded tired terminal from necrotic starvation.