2 Juvie P.Caudi inside their cave at the age of 4mnths, approx. 11/4" in length.
P. Caudi's are dwarf cichlids from Cameroon, West Africa. They are said to be found in soft waters with a PH below 7.0. Their max growth is said to be 10cm. with a basic body color of grey. They prefer cooler temps in the range of 21-24 C. If kept in warmer temps they become prone to disease and their life span is shorten. They are cave dwellers and sand sifters. Their diet consists of algae, Aufwuchs and sometimes insects and shrimp eggs. This info is from an excellent book called " The Cichlid Fishes Of Western Africa" written by Anton Lamboj. There is not much written on this particular species as this cichlid has not become popular in the US.
Growing up in my tanks - When I first aquired these cichlids they were very small fry. I fed them live baby brine shrimp, microworms and crushed tropical fish flakes. The breeder I bought them from said they were slow growers. He also informed me that the parents were F1 and spawned in a PH of 7.4. I immediately acclimated the fry to my water parameters - PH 7.2, dGH 6.8. They were introduced into a 10gal. established tank that housed snails, small female betta and corys.
Behavior as I see it in my tanks - The P.Caudi has the typical cichlid behavior akin to German Blue Rams. At times they show aggression within their group, but seem to get along with the corys and the betta. They are very inquisitive of the goings on in their tank and generously share their caves with other fish (corys). Most times they are busy sifting thru the sand in search for food. Their main diet is: Live blackworm and brine shrimp, frozen brine shrimp, bloodworms, algae wafers and tropical fish flakes. They also have taken a liking to leaf spinach.
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