Fish With Red Eye: Profile Of Aulonocara sp. “Eureka”

Aulonocara sp. “Eureka”

Aulonocara “Eureka Albino” pictured.

• Common Names: Eureka, Eureka Red, Eureka Albino
• Location Collected From: There is an Aulonocara “Eureka” found in Lake Malawi but lacks a lot of the red coloration of the aquarium bred strains of “Eureka”.  The “Eureka Albino” is an aquarium-produced strain.
• Approximate Size: Males reach a size of about 5 inches with females staying smaller.
• Food: Not picky.  They will eat just about anything from flake, to pellet and even frozen or live foods.
• Water Conditions: They like to have a pH between 7.6 and 9 with a temperature between 76 and 82 degrees.
• Breeding Behavior: Mouthbrooder.  The males will chase the females and other fish while defending their territory.  My male Eureka Albino was very aggressive towards the females and often had to be separated so that the females weren’t constantly being chased around the tank.  Most of the time my male Eureka Albino male was only in with the females when they were ready to spawn.   As soon as they were done spawning I would separate the male into his own tank again.  My 2 – 2.5 inch Eureka Albino female held for 18 – 24 days and produced 10 fry.  They like to have rocks and caves to hide in.  Due to the risk of crossbreeding, this species and all other species of Aulonocara should be kept in separate tanks.
• Care of the Fry: The fry should be fed several feedings a day.  They can be sensitive to water conditions and slow-growing.
• Tankmates: I have seen them kept with Labidochromis caeruleus, Labidochromis sp. Hongi, Psuedotropheus lombardoi “Kenyi”, Cynotilapia afra, Neolamprologus leleupi, and Cyphotilapia frontosa.

Further Reading

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• Water Parameters For Freshwater Vs Saltwater Fish Aquariums
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