Buttikoferi Cichlid

General information

The average adult is 10 inches. These fish have white and black vertical stripes which tend to fade with age. 

An aquarium for this species should have water pH between 7.8 and 8.6 and water temperatures between 72ºF and 82ºF. It should also have many rocks, hardy plants, caves, and medium-sized gravel substrate. 

They are highly aggressive, as such, it is recommended to keep them in a species only tank, however, if the hobbyist wants a community tank these fish should be kept with other aggressive Cichlids that can hold their own. After a while, in the tank they start to interact with the owners and quickly react to movements outside of the aquarium.

This species is omnivorous. They should be fed with live foods like brine shrimp and earthworms and with quality flakes containing vegetable matter.

It is not possible to determine sex, males and females look identical.

They are substrate spawners and will excavate a pit to lay their eggs in. The parents will become even more aggressive to protect their eggs. However, the male may suddenly start attacking the female and the eggs. This species is currently being successfully bred in farms and aquariums.

This species can be found in river systems of Western Africa. It inhabits coastal rivers and streams.

This species eats a lot, so it is recommended to do frequent water changes.