Neochromis omnicaeruleus "Makobe"
by Todd Raysby - 07/02/2013; updated 10/19/2013
by Todd Raysby - 07/02/2013; updated 10/19/2013
I have read that Neochromis omnicaeruleus "Makobe" tops out around 4" in length, but I have seen posts suggesting something in the 5" plus range. I can't say for certain, yet, as mine are currently about 2.5" long. This species is an algae grazer. As a result it is very territorial because it has plenty of competition for its preferred food source in the wild. Feeding mainly a diet of veggie flakes will work well, with an occasional high-protein treat. Vegetables such as peas, kale, and zucchini can be added to the diet for additional variety.
Above: A young WB male.
Interestingly, the Makobe location variant has numerous color forms. Standard colored males have an overall blue sheen with some very slight red spangles in the fins and faint black barring on the flank. They also sport jet-black ventral fins. Males can also be found with a white-blotch (WB) pattern. These WB males look very impressive when they display the blue sheen over the black and white base color. Very minimal red coloration can be found in the unpaired fins of some of these males as well. The females of this variant tend to be of the WB pattern, with black markings over a white/olive base. There are also standard colored females, which I assume have the olive coloration displayed by juvenile males. I haven't seen them yet, so that may be inaccurate.
Above: A white-blotched (WB) female. They are really more olive than white; I don't know who comes up with these designations.
My understanding is that the males of this species will be highly intolerant of one another. I have two males and two females in a 75 gallon aquarium with a mixture of other young cichlids including Neolamprologus leleupi, Pseudotropheus demasoni, Pseudotropheus sp. 'acei' "Tanzania Black", and some orange-blotch peacocks. To this point the N. omnicaeruleus have dominated the tank, but have been fairly accommodating to one another. I have seen almost no fin damage. Granted, my fish are captive bred specimens, and that usually means a little less aggression. Also, having been raised from an early age with most of their tank-mates, they haven't shown any tendency to get too nasty. They do like to chase, but the number of fish spreads out the effects sufficiently.
Neochromis omnicaeruleus are mouth-brooders who spawn in the typical Hap fashion. The male will clear a place in the sand and entice a female over with his beautiful display of flashing fins and eye-popping colors. At the same time he will chase any other fish from the vicinity, often having to corral the female again. Once the male is satisfied he will draw the female into his clearing and the two will circle one another with the male leading the way with a splayed anal fin, displaying his egg spots. He releases milt, while the female releases an egg or three at time. She will circle back and scoop the eggs into her mouth, capturing some of the milt in the process. Meanwhile the male will again clear the area of any bystanders. The process continues in this fashion until the female has released all of her eggs.
Male Victorian cichlids are typically pretty hard on their females, but given enough space and places to hide, the female can be left to incubate her mouthful of eggs in the main tank. If your goal is to produce as many fry as possible, the female can be stripped of her eggs by gently cupping her in your hand within a shallow bucket of water and using some sort of utensil - I have a plastic dowel that has a dull point at one end - gently forcing the female's mouth open until the eggs are all released. The eggs can then be tumbled using an air stone until they become free-swimming somewhere around twenty days later. I prefer to allow my females to hold for at least 14 days before I strip the fry, which are generally close to fully developed by this stage, usually with a fat yolk-sac for a belly. No need to feed the fry until their yolk-sacs are gone. They can be raised on finely crushed flake, but most fry do better if started on live foods such as freshly hatched Artemia (brine shrimp) or micro-worms. If at all possible, place the female in a separate tank where she can rest and recuperate after the stressful few weeks of incubating her offspring. Placing the female directly back into the tank with the male could lead to a second consecutive spawn which will leave the female without food for far too long. Avoid this.
These renowned aggressors are absolutely gorgeous and can be managed with the right tank and the right cohabitants.
Neochromis omnicaeruleus are mouth-brooders who spawn in the typical Hap fashion. The male will clear a place in the sand and entice a female over with his beautiful display of flashing fins and eye-popping colors. At the same time he will chase any other fish from the vicinity, often having to corral the female again. Once the male is satisfied he will draw the female into his clearing and the two will circle one another with the male leading the way with a splayed anal fin, displaying his egg spots. He releases milt, while the female releases an egg or three at time. She will circle back and scoop the eggs into her mouth, capturing some of the milt in the process. Meanwhile the male will again clear the area of any bystanders. The process continues in this fashion until the female has released all of her eggs.
Male Victorian cichlids are typically pretty hard on their females, but given enough space and places to hide, the female can be left to incubate her mouthful of eggs in the main tank. If your goal is to produce as many fry as possible, the female can be stripped of her eggs by gently cupping her in your hand within a shallow bucket of water and using some sort of utensil - I have a plastic dowel that has a dull point at one end - gently forcing the female's mouth open until the eggs are all released. The eggs can then be tumbled using an air stone until they become free-swimming somewhere around twenty days later. I prefer to allow my females to hold for at least 14 days before I strip the fry, which are generally close to fully developed by this stage, usually with a fat yolk-sac for a belly. No need to feed the fry until their yolk-sacs are gone. They can be raised on finely crushed flake, but most fry do better if started on live foods such as freshly hatched Artemia (brine shrimp) or micro-worms. If at all possible, place the female in a separate tank where she can rest and recuperate after the stressful few weeks of incubating her offspring. Placing the female directly back into the tank with the male could lead to a second consecutive spawn which will leave the female without food for far too long. Avoid this.
These renowned aggressors are absolutely gorgeous and can be managed with the right tank and the right cohabitants.
*** Update 10/19/2013: Over the course of time my two males became less tolerant of one another, though there was still little in the way of physical damage. The once dominant standard blue male I had eventually took a backseat to the white-blotched male. The standard male then took on a sub-dominant olive coloration. I traded him with a fellow enthusiast for two additional females. In a larger tank, perhaps 6-foot or longer, two fully colored males could probably be kept together, but in the 4-foot 75 gallon, there was only enough room for one king. There is a lesson in this for those of you who are new to the hobby, or are just getting into cichlids: observe your fish and react accordingly. I could have kept both males, but one of them would always be on the losing end of the struggle for dominance. That oftentimes ends in death or, at the very least, a miserable existence. I took the initiative and found a new home for one of the fish, and now both of them can be kings.
*** Update 11/18/2015: When my N. omnicaeruleus Makobe grew to around four inches plus they did become quite aggressive, particularly with one another. The females did not do anything to bother the male, but they chased and nipped one another relentlessly, though without any deaths. I lost my blotched male to an unidentified infection. He stopped eating and wasted away. I originally believed he might be holding eggs as I have seen a male Neochromis greenwoodi do. That was not the case. I sold the remaining females and fry, but I still have a warm place in my heart for these beautiful Victorian cichlids.
Also, I have learned that there are actually two distinct populations of Neochromis omnicaeruleus at Makobe Island. The second population - referred to as Makobe II - has males with a similar color pattern to those of Makobe I, but females with an orange and black blotched coloration instead of the olive and black females of Makobe I. I am interested in obtaining small groups of both, but will have to wait until I have room for them. I have seen them both listed on the stock list of Dave's Rare Aquarium Fish.
*** Update 11/18/2015: When my N. omnicaeruleus Makobe grew to around four inches plus they did become quite aggressive, particularly with one another. The females did not do anything to bother the male, but they chased and nipped one another relentlessly, though without any deaths. I lost my blotched male to an unidentified infection. He stopped eating and wasted away. I originally believed he might be holding eggs as I have seen a male Neochromis greenwoodi do. That was not the case. I sold the remaining females and fry, but I still have a warm place in my heart for these beautiful Victorian cichlids.
Also, I have learned that there are actually two distinct populations of Neochromis omnicaeruleus at Makobe Island. The second population - referred to as Makobe II - has males with a similar color pattern to those of Makobe I, but females with an orange and black blotched coloration instead of the olive and black females of Makobe I. I am interested in obtaining small groups of both, but will have to wait until I have room for them. I have seen them both listed on the stock list of Dave's Rare Aquarium Fish.
