# Natural habitat ~ bright or dark?



## toffee (Feb 11, 2006)

I read that in Frontosa's natural habitat, they stay in 100ft deep water and only swim up to shallow water during dawn to surprise attack other fishes. Then they return to deep water once they are done with their hunting.

Is that true?

If so, should one assume that they prefer darker environment as it can't be that brightly lighted 100ft+ down? Any drivers that had visited lake Tanganyika?


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

Yes this is very true thhat is one reason they cost so much. It takes them 3 days to decompress the fish so they can get them to the surface. This is why most people with fronts ether leave the lights off and or use actinic lighhts. I use one with a 50/50 light and just chanded my tank to give them more caves and there color is wow check out my post titled what you think about my kitumba tank


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## toffee (Feb 11, 2006)

decompress the fishes? I thought that fronts swam up to the shallow depth daily at dawn to hunt for food.

I have keeping my tank dark, the fronts didn't seem to mind. I wonder if they will do well in a mostly covered pond?

Can't find link to your kitumba tank


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

Yes, there is a nice artical on fronts in the library section check that out to. And hhere is the link

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=232090


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## Ron R. (Oct 21, 2003)

I use a much different approach than most frontkeepers. I like to see and enjoy my wc moba colony. I have a 180g 6 foot tank with 2 36" Marineland Double Bright LED fixtures. They sit directly on my glass tops. I also have a double set of moonlights by Digikits on my glass tops.










The Double Brights replaced 2 48" strip lights with 2 tubes each. I ran 50/50 tubes in each light. They overlapped in the middle part of the tank.

I run my LED's and moonlights on auto-timers. Here is my current lighting schedule:

6am-6:30am: Moonlights
6:30am-8am: LEDs
12noon-1pm: LEDs
7pm-10pm: LEDs
10pm-12:30am: Moonlights

I get to see my mobas in the morning before I leave for work and in the evening hours. The moonlights really light up the tank as well.

My mobas are not bothered by the lights. They don't scatter when they come on. I believe consistency is key (lighting, water changes, water quality, food....).

My wc moba colony is healthy and produces fry pretty regularly so I believe I am providing a good environment for them. I've had this group since 2005.

Here are a few pics of the colony:









pic with my older lights









another shot with the older strip lights









hanging out under one of my diy floating nurseries


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## toffee (Feb 11, 2006)

Nice setup Ron, how many boys/girls? How often do they sprawn? Being mobas, I assume you can sell them for over $10 each. If they sprawn often enough, they can pay for all your morning coffee


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

Wow ron nice group you have there I have a 4" light strip with 2 50/50 that I turn on for pics other then that the room light is enough for me


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## Ron R. (Oct 21, 2003)

toffee said:


> Nice setup Ron, how many boys/girls? How often do they sprawn? Being mobas, I assume you can sell them for over $10 each. If they sprawn often enough, they can pay for all your morning coffee


9f/1m. They spawn every 2-3 months. Pricewise, I sell them for $30 to $40 each at 1". I have a wc moba momma that's jet-black and her fry are exceptional with the richest blue coloration and solid black bars (no mooning) that you look for in quality mobas. This is just a hobby for me and if I could I would keep all the babies this group has produced over the last 5 yrs.


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## toffee (Feb 11, 2006)

Ron R. said:


> toffee said:
> 
> 
> > Nice setup Ron, how many boys/girls? How often do they sprawn? Being mobas, I assume you can sell them for over $10 each. If they sprawn often enough, they can pay for all your morning coffee
> ...


LOL, at $30-40, they are paying more than just your morning coffee.


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## tirzo13 (May 26, 2004)

I have dove in Africa, and Im going back to Malawi this year. 
I have only gone to 105 feet there.
Past 100 feet it is subdued, but not dark, its about what a tank is without lights at sunset.

Frontosa don't really move up to catch fish, they wait till all the other fish DROP down to the bottom and are sleeping, then they feast on the sleeping fish.
There are a couple of variants that have learned to come to the surface to eat remnants of fishermans catch, but most variants are found well below 100 feet, and can take over a week to decompress them as they are brought to the surface.

so yes, the natural environment of a C. frontosa/gibberosa is fairly dark, and i have found over my many years of keeping them that they are more calm in dim light.


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