Emperor Cichlid Red Flush - Aulonocara hansbeanschi Red flush

From the sandy transition zones of Lake Malawi comes the colorful Emperor Cichlid "Red Flush", which is counted among the so-called Nonmbuna and is also known as Aulonocara hansbaenschi Red Flush. They can be found in depths of up to 30 meters and can also show various different color forms depending on their location. Among cichlid fans, the Red Flush is a favorite to keep and breed.

Like all Aulonocara species, the A. hansbaenschi Red Flush has a high back, as well as a pronounced caudal peduncle, yet has narrow sides. Probably due to its origin in rocky areas, where it squeezes into narrow crevices to find food and sucks it in with its bulging lips. It also chews through the substrate for invertebrates and filters them out of the sand. In the aquarium this can be observed nicely, when it delivers the sand in places also to the gills again. Purely morphologically the fish can be kept apart by their fins: The males have more pointedly extended long dorsal fins, that of the females is rounded. But also the final size of 10 cm for the females and 13 cm for the males is clear. Occasionally the animals can become clearly larger with too well meant feeding, why in any case a balanced nutrition is to be paid attention to.

With larger live food or frozen food, as well as with a temperature adjustment to 27 °C the A. hansbaenschi Red Flush can be brought in the mood. The preferred keeping is in a harem, i.e. one male with several females. Depending on the size of the aquarium, another male can be kept with correspondingly more females.  The female lays her eggs in the aquarium and then picks them up with her lips in her mouth. The male, ready to mate, presents her with the egg spot on his anal fin. As soon as she snaps at the supposed egg, he releases his sperm and fertilizes the clutch in her mouth. After about 3 weeks the first larvae hatch, still protected by the mother, the young seek her mouth as a place of retreat. After the free swimming the young fish are independent and feed already freshly hatched Artemia nauplii and other very fine live food, but also dust food for young fish such as NatureHolic YoungFeed, which we carry in our store.

The aquarium for the great Red Flush should provide at least three hundred liters ready, although a larger volume for these comrades is certainly always advantageous. As in their habitat, the bottom should consist of a layer of sand that they can chew through. Plants, however, are likely to be dug up and also eaten in the process, which is why the most suitable plants in their aquarium are the most perch-like Anubias, which can be glued to rock formations. The latter are also indispensable, also with stones should be created a good infrastructure, which is of course protected against overturning. Smaller caves and other stones serve not only as territorial markers, but also as privacy screens. The colorful comrades prefer a very good water hygiene, so the interval water changes and also the installation of a good filter system is mandatory, because by the reasons in the bottom ground in places a lot of substrate is stirred up, whose suspended particles should be filtered out. Your aquarium water should be soft to hard and show a pH-value between 7-8,5.

The Aulonocara hansbaenschi Red Flush can be socialized very well with emperor cichlids or others coming from similar water parameters. Mainly other peaceful Nonmbuna are suitable. Mbuna species should rather be avoided because of the different feeding habits. With large ravenous appetite for invertebrates such as dwarf shrimps and other smallest crustaceans these should better not be maintained together with the fancy comrades, since they end in all probability as snack.

As carnivores, the Red Flush Cichlids can be fed relatively easily with the most common foods for carnivorous ornamental fish available in the trade. They accept dry food, flake food, but also granules or sticks and pellets without any problems. You can spoil them with live and frozen food from time to time, so that their menu does not become too one-sided. For this purpose, white midges, but also forage or sand shrimp are just as suitable as smelts, fish fillets or daphnia.

Our food recommendation: NatureHolic Cichfeed is a great staple food for all carnivorous cichlids in the aquarium, perfectly meeting their dietary requirements. The tasty pearls are very well eaten even by larger cichlids. Thanks to their soft texture, NatureHolic Cichfeed food pearls are gentle on the mouth and can be eaten very well by the fish.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.