Pseudotropheus saulosi Care and Breeding: A Dwarf Mbuna Cichlid!!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Here are some videos that highlight fish that can be stocked with Pseudotropheus saulosi: Pseudotropheus acei: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2LIaJJmrtF7rNk Metriaclima estherae: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKrWn2tnqt-artk If you want to see more behind the scenes stuff, exclusive videos and support the channel consider becoming a member! kzbin.info/door/YVN7EN0ALL6CE4U7NpMUTAjoin Also, our new shirts can be found at: www.primetimeaquatics.com/merch For the latest in the fish room check us out on Instagram primetime_aquatics

[@patriziabeaucage258]

I've had a 55 ready and waiting for me to decide what to put in there, ive been going back and forth with a yellow lab demasoni mix because of the color combo and this video just made it easy for me. Love the color these guys will bring to the tank! Keep up the great work, love the videos

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Ya, stay away from the demasoni - very aggressive.

[@Joshua-mv5zp]

I love this strain of fish. I truly believe these fish are underrated in the cichlid community.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Me too! They are awesome looking.

[@kalbekanani2279]

I understand why this mbuna is one of your favourite. My male is slowly changing colour and everyday it changes a bit. That's crazy to observe. This fish is changing from bright orange to dark blue! I really recommend to have those at a fry stage and see them change over the time

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

It is fun to see these guys change!

[@tyturman149]

Your the man Jason! Best part about these fish are the two colors!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Ty Turman I love that about some mbunas!

[@The_Robert.Fletcher]

I love the tank setup with the flagstones it's got the feel of a sunken city. The fish really enjoy it with so many nooks and crannies to hide.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Robert Fletcher Thank you! I enjoy watching these fish in that tank. 😀

[@Cichlid_4_ever]

I’ve found they love zucchini and cucumbers as well!! Great for the diet and I feed it fresh from the garden without blanching. And just poke a fork in it and throw it in!!

[@CB-fn3me]

They also love fresh Roman Lettuce and eat Duckweed.

[@robertmulrenan8140]

Also what dither fish would u add with the Saulosi, yellow labs, Rusty, Acei and red zebra’s? Thanks again

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I might not add any since it’s an mbuna tank. Once things are settled they won’t be shy. 😀

[@sookiesmith5457]

Thank you for the video. This is my personal dream cichlid to own, but haven't had the luck of finding them. Maybe one day.

[@ItsWats777]

Have you found them? I cannot find them anywhere!

[@sookiesmith5457]

@@ItsWats777 Nope, never have. I pretty much have given up hope of ever finding them.

[@leohernandez554]

If you’re in the US there are some breeders you can find online. I know Mikes Cichlids and Dave’s Rare Aquarium Fish have them. I have 15 and wanting to breed them and basically give them away to get them into the hobby since they’re not commonly found. These are my favorite fish out of all the ones I keep.

[@tiffanyclark-grove1989]

Bingo! My assorted juvenile cichlid is a Saulosi! I have been trying to figure it out before I added anything else to the tank. I think it’s important that people notice they are a different color as a juvenile than when they are an adult. That’s why it was taking me so long to identify mine.😄

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

They are hard to find so congrats!

[@tiffanyclark-grove1989]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Well, I was wrong😄Turns out he is a Kenyi, which I think is pretty common. Sounds like he will be moderately aggressive. He was blue when I got him..but he is turning yellow

[@dennisruedel]

Great spotlight Jason! I just happen to have an empty 40 breeder that I am looking to do something with. Thanks for sharing. My Multies are still doing great 👍.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Denny's Aquatics Great to hear!

[@tomi327]

Amazing video, i wish that AquaTK will be as good as Prime Time one day!

[@crazyaboutafricancichlids1612]

Very cool fish. Very nice. Great video thanks for sharing.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Joseph's Aquarium Thank you!

[@darrylmoore5847]

Great video as always. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of these beautiful fish.

[@davidvan457]

Thanks this was so helpful I have baby’s and there are no decent videos on this species! Thanks!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

David Van Congrats! Good to hear. 😀

[@shelbycombs4320]

Great video as always! I have a question for you, I saw this species in another video some months ago, it was just one of quite a few tanks owned by the caretaker and was only briefly highlighted in the video but the Saulosi cichlids have captured my attention ever since. I have a 75 gal that I am setting up, my original plan was a planted angelfish community but these cichlids keep popping into my mind. I've been doing some research and it seems like they would be good for someone who has never kept african cichlids before like myself, my question is how many would you recommend in a 75 gallon tank and what type of cleanup crew is safe with them?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

You could easily do 20-25 in a species only tank. I like keeping them with bristlenose plecos. Have fun!

[@shelbycombs4320]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Great, thank you!

[@bornfree3963]

Thanks for sharing your experience Jason！I think I will get a few if they're available in my LFS. haha...

[@tmartin2347]

Great video! I'm starting a 75 gallon pseudotropheus saulosi tank shortly, them with synodontis lucipinnis. How many saulosi would you start with? i'll be buying them as 1-2" fish unsexed.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

You could start with 12-15 easily

[@mbaker1295]

Funny Cory from Aquarium Coop was just showing these cichlids on his channel

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

They are cool fish!

[@monsterfishgal]

Beautiful fish going keep eye out for them. Love Your videos so very informative. Learned alot from watching them.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Lori Venker Thank you! Appreciate you watching.

[@skillzlibat]

Do you know any online store that sell saulosi? Cant seem to find them specifically

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

They’ve been really hard to find lately

[@gore1]

As always, great stuff!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Gore Thank you!

[@aquariumhacksbymarcus5653]

Great Video I just ordered some from Tampa BAy Cichlids They will go in with my Acei's Yellow Labs And Rusties! IN a 75 Gallon

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

That will be a nice set-up!

[@dennyclose6635]

Great video Jason! Thank you for sharing! Fish look awesome :)

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Denny's Fish Tanks Thanks!

[@CivicGang24]

Great information. I have a 40B and would like a mix of mbunas that are semi aggressive but also peaceful at times and doesn’t get any bigger than 4”. Can you recommend a stock that would work out ? I would like different colors in the tank instead of just the 2 in this video. If it’s possible please let me know. Thank you.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I have combined these with rusty cichlids and it works well.

[@jeffkoons1538]

Tops as usual, good looking fish what was swimming at the top of the tank about the 506 mark

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Jeff Koons The only fish in there are the Saulosi. Thanks!

[@AshBDashSmash]

I have a species only tank of these guys, and I just had my first batch of fry from two holding females! I'm extremely excited to see their growth. I love this species of mbuna; their colours are gorgeous. I know I should wait until the fry are bigger than the adult's mouth before adding them to the main tank, but do you have an estimate about how many weeks old that may be?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Ash.B. Dash.Smash It might be a 2-3 months before you would add them back. Small enough to be no threat and large enough not to get eaten. Good luck!

[@dtechvinnie]

That blue one with stripes that's the one I have in my tank that keep on breeding! Are they called the Red Zebras?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Either saulosi, kenyi or demasoni most likely?

[@dtechvinnie]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics they start a blue color but most of them change color

[@jhenry489]

Hi Jason, some of my female saulosi’s get black spots on them. Do you have any idea what that is? PH, GH, Temp all good & fish are happy and breeding, just unsightly spotting. Thanks 🇦🇺 🐟

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I haven’t seen that before?

[@Xavierkmx]

I’m not new to cichlids but I am to the saulosi. I’ve gone across various sources on the internet asking how many of these in a 50 gal, the answers are too wide range, do you have an answer? maybe per gallon or just for my 50 gal.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I would start with one male and 3-4 females.

[@davegonzalez3820]

Question? I just picked up 30 of these for a 75 gallon aquarium and seem to have the same type of variant you show in your videos. Was kinda bummed as I didn’t examine them in advance and just took their word that they were in fact regular Saulosi. Seems they have a term for these called “coral reds” and they are a man made variant of the Saulosi and some type of hybrid. Females are orange and not yellow and they have broken bars or too many bars. I wanted to breed them and honestly not sure if many people would want this variety? Are you guys still having good luck with your’s? What are your thoughts of this variety as opposed the the pure strain of Chindongo Saulosi in which females are yellow?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I have never heard of that variety? I'm not sure people how are looking for these fish would want them or if they are a legitimate variation?

[@ChipFreeSpace]

When would you reintroduce the female back into the larger tank?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

If she was holding fry - I usually wait a couple weeks after she has spit the fry out.

[@giacomocascione9182]

Hi! love your videos, I wanted to ask, would 6 Pseudotropheus saulosi (ideally 2 males 4 females) work for a 60 gallon tank? Or would it be risky to keep it this understocked? I'd put in a lot of rocks to provide cover and hides. I'd also get them very young so they can grow together and I'm planning for it to be a one species only tank.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I think that could work.

[@calvindixon8873]

Very nice! Still have these?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Not that group, but I have a new group. 😀

[@calvindixon8873]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics what’s your male to female ratio now?

[@muratciftcioglu]

Can you compare saulosi and msobo magunga? They are both mbunas and also male and female colours are similar.. which one is easier to look after?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I think they are about the same. Both have great color - males are blue and females are yellow. Difference is the male saulosi have stripes where the male msobo have a more irregular patterning to their bodies. Both are great fish!

[@FlyGuy27]

Nice video. What is the best way to introduce saulosi's to a new tank? I hear some say all at once, others a few at a time. Thinking of having 3 male, 9 female, thx.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I like to add them all together. I've had the best results doing that.

[@FlyGuy27]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Thanks

[@pulsedp]

I have 5 Saulosi now about 8 months old and am unsure of Male or Female. None have any sign of blue but 3 have stripes that become visible as well as a black edge to the dorsal and pectoral fins. Watching this video I noticed one of your females shows the stripes and edging as well. I'm beginning to think I have all females. They are housed in an 85G with Acie, Cobalts, Red Zebs, OB's and Joanjohnsonae. Is there any definitive amount of time they would have turned by?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Ya, they should have turned by now if you have any males.

[@vishnujm242]

what is the difference between Demosoni and Saulosi?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Demasoni are very aggressive. Saulosi tend to be relatively mellow.

[@vishnujm242]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics appearance wise are they identical or is there any difference?

[@davegonzalez3820]

Was wondering if you have experience raising fry for Saulosi. If so, are yours born yellow or turn yellow in time. If not already yellow at birth what would you say is an average time they start turning yellow? Thanks. David

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Raised many hundreds! All are born yellow, but males start turning blue at about 3" or so.

[@davegonzalez3820]

Thanks so much. Wish I could include pics of mine. My parents look great but my fry aren’t yellow. Wondering if it’s something I’m doing wrong?

[@davegonzalez3820]

Jason, Would you say that if my Saulosi adults look good but are producing fry that are not yellow that it could be an issue regarding the genes or purity of the parents or could there be other possible reasons? Thanks so much, David

[@kristenwinter8157]

Just figured out my other fry that’s that’s these I knew the others was yellow labs still figuring out the others that are probably peacocks still no color yet.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Saulosi are some of my favorite mbuna!

[@catfishcave379]

I want to do a species tank with these; would you say 8 is the maximum for a 40 breeder? Such a simple but beautiful tank.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Catfish Cave I think that’s a great number!

[@Sancho.47]

Im waiting for my Pseudotropheus saulosi to arrive! Any recommendation on food for these fish. This would be a species only tank.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Mine have done well on Northfin Kelp Flakes, Cichlid Flakes and frozen brine shrimp.

[@GG-tc3cb]

Hey man where did you get your saulosi?

[@Brantov]

Interesting fish, very nice.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Brantov Appreciate you watching!

[@DenisZ2023]

Where can I find these fish? I'm having very hard time finding them anywhere.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Maybe the Wet Spot?

[@DenisZ2023]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics thank you. Just ordered some from them. What specific food do you feed for Saulosi?

[@1980ify]

Can i keep one pair of male and female in a small tank?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Probably not - they are very active and will become aggressive in tanks that are too small.

[@MuhammadYasir-2526]

Our water hardness here is around 1050 tds. Can i keep cichlids?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Depends what the TDS is comprised of - there could be a lot of things in the water to increase it?

[@Shashankmk]

Can we keep these saulosi cichlids in community tank along with aggressive mbunas like auratus, demasoni, kenyi, red zebra, etc. which is over stocked.??

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

My guess is they would most likely be killed by the demasoni because they look so similar.

[@GrowingInterest]

They look cool :) hard to keep for me, but I have hard water though :D

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Growing Interest Thank you!

[@4417t]

When you don't want them to keep breeding if you got the right number for your tank size, do you have to have an all male tank, and thus losing both colours?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Pretty much...

[@ducand1]

The males are blue and females orange/yellow?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Yep!

[@robertmulrenan8140]

Ok with these guys with Acara’s?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I wouldn’t - acaras are too mellow.

[@robertmulrenan8140]

In a 125 Gal that’s a planted tank what would u additionally add, other then the yellow labs and Acei to go along with the Pseudotropheus Saulosi? Thanks again

[@robertmulrenan8140]

In a 125 Gal -/ Saulosi, with yellow labs, rusty cichlids, Acei , and red zebra? Good ?? How many would u suggest. And what type of plants. Thanks!

[@1heAnkou]

What would you put as a dither in a 40 breeder with Saulosi? Would several Synodontis count?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

1heAnkou You could do dwarf petricola, but I’m not sure they would draw them out too much. I’ve used larger tetras as dithers before.

[@jeanbravo9331]

Can I add a bigger Mbuna with the saulosi? Like a centerpiece fish?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Possibly - something like an acei might work, but make sure you have a back up plan just in case!

[@jeanbravo9331]

Thank you. I'll try it. Saw your live yesterday. Love your videos.

[@FridayFishFacts]

That colour really pops. Are the females always yellow and the males always blue?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Friday Fish Facts Yep! That’s one of the reasons I like them so much.

[@Jlui83]

Would red zebras crossbreed with Saulosi?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I never had that happen?

[@andyv4585]

could i do Pseudotropheus and Rusty in a 36" 65 gallon? if so how many of each and which genders would you suggest? my original plan was 3 male and 12 female Pseudotropheus but i'd really like to get some other colour in there too

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Possibly. I might start with two males and 4-5 females for each. The only thing is I would buy them small and have them grow up together. I have really good luck doing that. The problem will be it may be hard to differentiate males and females when small.

[@andyv4585]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics awesome thanks. that would fit within the 15 or so i was hoping to have. they will definitely be small and i can see having to trade some out to get the right genders. roughly how old before genders become fairly obvious? i think at this point my biggest challenge is going to be finding somewhere locally that sells pseudotropheus. unfortunately shipping live fish isn't all that common in Canada or at least where i live without some truly insane costs

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Usually about 2"-2.5" for the Pseudotropheus. The Rustys I just wait until a female is holding. : -)

[@richardwaldhouse8067]

What is a dither fish?

[@Mr.Finance]

I have an all male mbuna tank but only 1-2 mbuna's color up, the other ones have this purple esh/washed out color. My aquarium conditions are all good. Why are they like that?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Usually there is a dominant male for each species in a tank and the most of the other males try to color down a little since they are subdominant.

[@b1ade307]

Would a 5” bala play nice with 2 angel cichlids and 2 Demasoni cichlids and 2 yellow lab cichlids in a 40gal breeder?? This is my ideal set up I’ve had the bala for over 4 yrs and wanna keep him if he plays nice he is super calm has never harmed any fish mates in his lifetime but since I only have him and a same size pleco and 2 angel cichlids I wanna add the demosi and yellow labs but werry of what might happen

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

He’d probably get beat up by the mbuna?

[@b1ade307]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics that’s what I was thinking the cichlids would be lil more aggressive then the bala and pick on him 😔

[@nobvirusplayz5520]

What size do female be when they start breeding

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Usually about 3" or so

[@roycetaylor6292]

I believe I have one of these in my aquarium. However, when I bought it, it was black and blue striped and then it turned that yellow/orange color after about a month in my tank. Does that mean that it changed it’s sex? Is that common?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Kenyi will start blue with dark blue strips, but the males then turn more yellow. The fish don't change their sex, but they will change colors depending on what sex they are once they mature.

[@kalbekanani2279]

I bought 3 saulosi fry and I wanted to know if you can give some tips to know if one of them is a male. All 3 still have a yellow colour, they are about 2 inch long and one of them starts to have dark shades on him. Is that a sign? Is he a male?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

It usually is a sign when they start to get the bars!

[@August_Duwell]

Do you have any fry or juveniles currently that you would consider selling? I live in the Chicago area and go to GCCA and I think you do too?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I will definitely have some ready for the next swap!

[@August_Duwell]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Awesome. See you there!

[@antonis_geo1010]

How many saulosis in a 48-gallon breeder? I want to start with a few so the fry can grow up in the tank

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

You could start with six for sure.

[@antonis_geo1010]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics like 2 males and 4 females?

[@souradeepthakur_2650]

What are the dimensions of this tank?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

36 x 18.5 x 17

[@APIFishcare]

Would love to do a video review with you! Please let us know if you would be interested, thank you!

[@indrajeetmankame2966]

Nice. 🐠

[@VStag]

Awesome Video Thanks for Sharing FishFam NJAE19

[@fr33dumb55]

Your holding female is so adventurous lol mine usually just hangout in the back

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Second Hand Swimmer Ya, she probably wants to go to her holding tank. Haha

[@amazingaquaticsandexotics3030]

Now I'm really wishing I'd gone with these instead of the yellow lab/ demasoni combo. Demasoni are a cool mbuna but they have a ridiculous amount of aggression and are extremely shy and I'm going to rehome all but the fry and maybe 1 adult as I can't stand the constant battles amongst the 8 fish. On the bright side the fry seem to be ok with each other and school together frequently. The yellow labs were more peaceful but 4 was a terrible number so I think I'll stick with 1 adult yellow lab and the big group of fry

[@beansproutnow]

Too big for 32.5 gallon flex? I feel like I male, 3-4 females would look soooooo nice!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

With that ratio it might work.

[@thomasashe2681]

These look like kenyi cichlids.

[@hernanferialabady9415]

Greetings, wanted to know if any available for sale. Sent you an email for easier response. Pease advise

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I haven't pulled any fry in a while. I'm hoping for sometime in the spring.

[@elpaisajose]

Have 6 F1 males from wetspot I’m in Massachusetts will ship have all docs

[@WilliamSmith-dg5re]

My method is overstock and over filtrate all mbuna tanks, for best success.

[@maxhyland498]

4th

[@a2thek914]

Either these are bad quality or simply overfed low quality diet

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

They are as good as any others I've seen.

[@a2thek914]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics I will show you mine when they color up

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Look forward to seeing them!

[@AshBDashSmash]

I have juveniles around two inches long and they have similar colouring. Every picture and video I've seen online shows similar colouring as well. The interesting thing about these fish is that the colours will vary between dominant/subdominant males, and dominant/subdominant females, so you get this array of shades from both sexes. Food quality isn't the only factor to consider. I feed mine high quality food and they look like the video above, and varying shades between.

[@richardwaldhouse8067]

What is a dither fish?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

A fish that generally swims in the open waters and tends not to be fearful. It can help bring out fish that are shy.