Pic Credit: www.cichlidworld.com
Scientific Name : Paratilapia polleni

Common Name : Polleni, Midnight Cichlid

Country Of Origin : Madagascar, Africa

Size : 25cm, 10inch

Diet : Will appreciate a balanced diet consisting of vegetable matter(spirulina) and live/frozen foods such as Bloodworms and Brineshrimp. Supplemented with granules or pellets, Polleni will thrive best.

Tank Zone : Mid-Lower Tank

Sex : Very little difference between Males and Females, however the males will grow larger and have chunkier bodies.

Temperament : Mildly aggressive. Not usually concerned with tankmates except in cases where another male is present.

Breeding : Polleni are of the Substrate spawner type of cichlids, the pair will dig a hole or depression in the substrate, and the eggs will be fertilised and protected in the hole. Fry are well cared for.

Tank Setup : Fine Gravel or Sand is preferred by these Cichlids. Providing some cavework will also assist the fish in settling in faster. The middle of the tank should be left free of obstacles to provide some swimming area.

Temperature : 24-28°C,75-82°F

PH : 7.5-8.5

Hardness : 6-15° dGH


Optimal Water Parameters :

Temperature: 26°C (78°F)
pH: 8
Hardness: 12°dH


General Information
Polleni are often mistaken with their similarly coloured cousins (Bleekeri), the defining difference between the two is that Polleni have finer and many more spots. They also are more black in colour. Surprisingly, Polleni do well with South American Tankmates and well with African Cichlids, tankmates for Polleni include: Oscars, Red Jewel, Kribensis and Tilapia zilli.

Breeding Info
Privacy and stable water conditions are essential for successful spawning. Breeding can be induced by performing short-intervalled waterchanges of cool water.

Comments
A beautiful and relatively uncommon cichlid to the hobby, Polleni are often compared to Oscars for their immense personalities.

Here's so picks of my 5" polleni