From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Marlier's Julie
Julidochromis marlieri
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C
- pH
- 7.5 – 9.5
- Min. tank size
- 110 L
- Lifespan
- 5-8 years
- Diet
- carnivore
- Care level
- moderate
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Julidochromis marlieri |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Origin: | Africa (Lake Tanganyika, East African Rift) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | moderate |
| Diet: | carnivore |
| Max Size: | 15.00 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | tropical |
| Temperament: | semi aggressive |
| Min Group: | 2+ together |
| Varieties: | Several geographic forms are traded under collection localities — Kipili, Magara, Gombe and others — differing in the size and arrangement of the dark grid markings and in ground colour. They should be kept separate, as with all Rift Lake locality forms, and they hybridise readily with each other and with other julies. The genus contains five species, and telling them apart matters when buying. J. marlieri, this fish, is the largest at 150 mm with a grid or checkerboard pattern. J. regani is similarly large with horizontal stripes. J. ornatus and J. transcriptus are smaller, at around 70 to 90 mm, the latter with a bold irregular chequer. J. dickfeldi is dark with blue-edged fins. All share the rock-hugging behaviour, the cave spawning and the hard-water requirement. The smaller species are the better choice for a modest Tanganyikan tank; this one needs the space. |
| Lifespan: | 5-8 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Medium
- Min Tank:110 L
- Substrate:Aragonite/coral sand; piles of rock with many crevices and caves
- Plant Safe:Plant-safe (few plants in Rift setups)
- Filtration:High (hard alkaline water; strong filtration)
Marlier's Julie (Julidochromis marlieri) is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is native to Africa (Lake Tanganyika, East African Rift). Marlier's julie is an elongated Tanganyikan cichlid marked with a dark grid — rows of squarish blotches over cream — and it does something worth watching: it swims hugging the rock surface no matter what the angle is, including upside down along a cave ceiling. It is the largest of the julies at 150 mm standard length. It needs hard, alkaline water at pH 7.5 to 9.5 and 10 to 25 dGH, which is unusually high even for a Rift Lake fish. The key husbandry point is pairs. Unless the tank is huge it should be kept as a pair, as adults are very belligerent towards one another. There is also an odd and useful warning: large water changes should be avoided, as they can cause a bonded pair to attack each other.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- semi aggressive
- Keep in
- Groups of 2+
- Swims
- bottom
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
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