Masked Julie

In 1959 Masked Julie was described by Matthes. It prefers to live in hard water. It was earlier believed that this fish is susceptible to water changes but now it has been proved that it is not affected by weekly water changes. It relishes eating zooplankton and bethnic inverts that are found in the growth of algae in the wild. More about Masked Julie is harmonized in the following lines.

Habitat

Its habitat is East Africa. It is found near the north-western coast of Lake Tanganyika.

Breeding

It should be ensured that there are ample rock caves and rock work in the tank as they are cave spawners. Eggs are usually laid on the roof and are guarded by both parents. Add baby Brine shrimp to the tank as food for fry.

Description

Although transcriptus is territorial; it generally shows remarkable tolerance towards its older fry which are often allowed to remain close to their younger brothers and sisters. Other members of this attractive genus are dickfeldi, J. marlieri, J. ornatus and regani.

Physical Characteristics

Body shape of masked Julie is elongated. The color of the body is from yellow-white to golden-yellow. Lateral stripes, brown-black in color run through the body. Usually, these stripes are incomplete or broken. The pelvic fins are yellow colored. There are various little differences in color patterns of this fish. Each and every one is attention-grabbing. The variations in these patterns depend upon the region in Lake Tanganyika which Masked Julie inhabits.

Tank Set Up

The tank must be of 24 inches or 60 cms which has the capacity to hold 15 gallons or 56 liters water. To form caves and crevices; put pieces of clay pots and porous rocks. Plants provide cover for the newly hatch fry. Fry can be prevented by getting stuck in the big gravel by using sand or very small gravel. Weekly 10%-15% of water changes should be done.

Social Behavior

Masked Julie is a good choice to be kept in a community cichlid tank. It can easily be kept as single, in one or several pairs. Towards the same species, they are peaceful but they are intolerant towards their own offspring. They can also be kept with other Tanganyikan cichlids of same size.

Care

They do well in freshwater or brackish fresh water. Add 1 teaspoon salt per 11 gallons of water. This is a natural remedy for wounds, slight fungal infections and film over the eyes of fish which is in transit. If water is of poor quality and stale, Masked Julie becomes vulnerable to typical fish ailments. By doing regular water changes, avoiding overfeeding, overcrowding and feeding your fish properly will keep them in best of their health.

It is wise to keep nonspecific varieties and similar species separately so that hybrid strains can be prevented from entering the trade. In this way, the true color forms will not be lost. There are some varieties of Masked Julie which can have similar color pattern as their close relative-the Marlier’s Julie. Masked Julie is timid to certain extent and likes to stay in rocks towards the back of aquarium where it darts out for food. The above account must have helped you in knowing about Masked Julie; now it would not be difficult for you to have it as your pet and take good care of it.