Tretocephalus Cichlid

General information

These fish can reach 6 inches, they are silvery with 5 black bars on their body and with a neon blue outline on their fins. To keep these fish in captivity, the water should be well oxygenated, have an efficient filtration and have a good flow, its pH should be between 7.5 and 9.0 and its temperature should be between 73ºF and 81ºF. The tank should have a sandy substrate and since these fish are rock dwellers it is very important to keep plenty of rocks in the aquarium. They are highly aggressive and shouldn’t be kept in a community tank, they should be kept in a species tank. They are also highly aggressive towards their own kind so it is recommended to only keep a pair. To keep a pair an 80 gallon, 4 feet long tank is enough.  It is recommended to put a lid on the tank since these fish may sometimes jump out of the water.

This species is carnivorous. In the wild, they feed on invertebrates and small fishes. In an aquarium they can be fed with flakes, live or frozen foods and spirulina.

Males are slightly larger than females.

These fish spawn in caves they excavate themselves with the female laying her eggs on the floor. It takes 2 to 3 days for the eggs to hatch and 5 days for the fry to become free swimming, at this time they can be fed brine shrimp. The female tends to the fry while the male guards the territory, after 3 weeks the fry should be removed to avoid attacks from the male. The pair will spawn every 6 weeks.

This species can be found in Lake Tanganyika, Africa.