Tilapia snyderae

[buntbarsch]

Re: Tilapia snyderae

Hi everybody, Betty asked me to help out with some information, so here I am.

You sure picked a pretty cichlid to maintain and keeping them in a species tank by themselves is the right way to do this. They are listed as vulnerable because of the location where they live. Lake Bermin is a very small crater lake in Cameron and it is the only place were T. snyderae are found. This automatically makes them vulnerable. These fish are very robust in the aquarium and need a tank at least 4 feet long with wood and rocks as decoration. I would not recommend any plants since they will become food. PH values can be anywhere between 7 and 8 and the temperature between 25 and 29 Celsius. T. snyderae are herbivores so a veggie based food will do just fine. Also fresh lettuce or spinach will disappear in no time. It would make sense to keep them in group of maybe 2 males and 4 females but I don't believe it to be necessary. A good friend had them spawn several times as a pair in a 65g. The advantage of keeping them in a group however is to spread the aggression. All in all they are a great cichlid to keep and you also help conservation efforts in doing so.

 

[Betty]

Re: Tilapia snyderae

Hey Klaus! Thanks for taking the time to stop in and give us this information.

I see you recommend a 4 ft tank if keeping a species tank of them, but I'm wondering if 3 ft would work if you were able to narrow them down to a compatible pair. Or would the male aggression be too much for the female to escape in a smaller tank? Are they more like the harem spawners that don't actually pair up?

They remind me a little of my P. multicolor victoriae and I tried keeping those in a 29 gallon, but the male was extremely aggressive towards the female and I had to separate them.

The photos of yours are beautiful!

 

[Kaosu]

Re: Tilapia snyderae

thank you so much! this is the information i have been looking for!!!

so back up goes the 40 gallon ^_^.

 

[sandnuka]

Re: Tilapia snyderae

Thanks so much for sharing! The little information I found online never compares to someone who has and breeds them regularly.... its very appreciated...... My question would go along with bettys, 4 foot tank seems very big for such a small fish, is this due to aggression?? could someone keep more than 10 fish in that size of a tank?

 

[buntbarsch]

Re: Tilapia snyderae

Tilapia snyderae grows to 2.5-3 inches in nature. However, they can grow up to 5" in an aquarium and can be quite aggressive. Hiding places for females are a must and if you keep more then one male, the tank needs to large enough for them to have their own territory. The only way I would use a smaller tank then 4 feet is with only one male and 2 or 3 females.

 

[Betty]

Re: Tilapia snyderae

Sounds like they have that typical African cichlid attitude. Good to know. Thanks.