Fishes Catalogue - Lake Tanganyika Cichlids (Family: Cichlidae )
Contents
Lake Tanganyika,
the world’s second deepest lake, is the largest of a series of lakes
occupying a trench within the Great Rift Valley. Lake Tanganyika lays
8,202ft (2,500m) above sea level, and has a depth of nearly 4,700ft
(1,435m), and the lake traces the valley floor for some 400 miles (644km).
Like Lake Malawi, now known as Lake Nyasa, Lake Tanganyika
provides a great many species of Cichlids for the aquarium hobby, with
well over 150 species known so far. These are found in waters that are
especially hard and alkaline with pH ranging between 8.6 and 9.2. Many
are rock dwellers, although there are numerous species that prefer sandy
substrate, as well as many that are free-swimming in open water.
It is from Lake Tanganyika that some of the smallest
Cichlids can be found, growing no larger than 1¼ inches (3.5cm), these
Cichlids are known as shell dwellers, and just as their name suggests,
they live in snail shells, and have become very popular within the hobby.
Another favourite is Julidochromis, there are only half a dozen
or so species in this genus, but all have been imported and have become
very popular with fishkeepers.
Well up on the favourites list has to be Tropheus
moorii ; along with its close relatives they have evolved a huge
array of colour varieties. Lake Tanganyika also boasts the largest Cichlid,
Boulengerochromis microlepis, which can grow to 3 feet (90cms)
or more in length.
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Key to abbreviations
|
| F: |
Female |
| M: |
Male |
| C: |
Carnivorous (flesh-eater).
|
| H: |
Herbivorous (vegetarian,
plant eater). |
| L: |
Limnivore (Mud-eater,
bottom feeding on vegetation, algae, worms, etc. any micro-organisms
they may find in the detritus on the bottom). |
| O: |
Omnivorous (varied diet,
live or recently killed meaty type food and plant material).
|
| FD: |
Freeze Dried. Min. Aquarium
size (minimum). |
| dH: |
degrees of hardness
(on the German scale). |
| KH: |
Carbonate Hardness (a
measure of temporary hardness see
Water
Quality ). |
| Temp: |
Temperament. |
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| Common Name |
Five-Bar Cichlid
View Picture |
| Scientific Name |
Lamprologus tretoce
phalus |
| FAMILY |
Cichlidae |
| Origin |
Rocky shoreline of Lake
Tanganyika |
| pH |
7.8 - 8.2 |
| Hardness |
10º - 20ºdH |
| Temperature |
77º - 80ºF (25º - 27ºC)
|
| Size |
6ins (15cm) |
| Min. Aquarium |
35 Gal (159 ltr) e.g.
36 x 15 x 18in (90 x 38 x 46cm) |
| Feeding |
L;O: Flake, Live Food,
Algae, Veg, Tablet...recommended. |
| Reproduction |
Egg Layers |
| Aquarium Lighting
|
Medium Light |
| Behaviour/Temp |
Territorial, the male
demands a large territory, not recommended for beginners
|
| Aquarium Set-Up |
Rocky formations, caves
to hide in, the females also spawn in the caves |
| Swimming Habits |
Bottom Swimmer |
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| Common Name |
Lemon Cichlid
View Picture |
| Scientific Name |
Lamprologus leleupi
|
| FAMILY |
Cichlidae |
| Origin |
Rocky shoreline of Lake
Tanganyika |
| pH |
7.8 - 8.2 |
| Hardness |
10º - 20ºdH |
| Temperature |
77º - 80ºF (25º - 27ºC)
|
| Size |
4ins (10cm) |
| Min. Aquarium |
23 Gal (106 ltr) e.g.
24 x 15 x 18in (60 x 38 x 46cm) |
| Feeding |
C: Live Foods |
| Reproduction |
Egg Layers |
| Aquarium Lighting
|
Medium Light |
| Behaviour/Temp |
Territorial, male can
be aggressive, not recommended for beginners |
| Aquarium Set-Up |
Rocky formations, caves
to hide in, the females also spawn in the caves |
| Swimming Habits |
Bottom Swimmer |
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| Common Name |
Dickfeld's
or Brown Julie
View Picture |
| Scientific Name |
Julidochromis dickfeldi
|
| FAMILY |
Cichlidae |
| Origin |
Southwest areas of Lake
Tanganyika |
| pH |
8.0 - 9.0 |
| Hardness |
10º - 20ºdH |
| Temperature |
77º - 80ºF (25º - 27ºC)
|
| Size |
3½ins (9cm) |
| Min. Aquarium |
23 Gal (106 ltr) e.g.
24 x 15 x 18in (60 x 38 x 46cm) |
| Feeding |
C;O: All Live Food,
Flake, FD |
| Reproduction |
Egg Layers |
| Aquarium Lighting
|
Medium Light |
| Behaviour/Temp |
Territorial, reasonably
tolerant, except when spawning, not recommended for beginners
|
| Aquarium Set-Up |
Rocky formations, caves
to hide in, the females also spawn on the roofs of caves
|
| Swimming Habits |
Bottom Swimmer |
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| Common Name |
Frontosa Cichlid
View Picture |
| Scientific Name |
Cy pH otilapia frontosa
|
| FAMILY |
Cichlidae |
| Origin |
Found at depths of 60
- 100 feet (18 - 30m) on the sloping bottoms of Lake Tanganyika
|
| pH |
8.0 - 8.5 |
| Hardness |
10º - 20ºdH |
| Temperature |
75º-79ºF (24º-26ºC)
|
| Size |
14ins (35cm) |
| Min. Aquarium |
100 Gal (453 ltr) e.g.
48x24x24in (122x60x60cm) |
| Feeding |
C: Live Foods such as
molluscs, crustaceans, and small fishes |
| Reproduction |
Egg Layers |
| Aquarium Lighting
|
Medium Light |
| Behaviour/Temp |
A gentle and tolerant
fish although it will defend its territory |
| Aquarium Set-Up |
Rocky formations, caves,
the females will deposit eggs in the caves after which she takes
them into her mouth i.e. a mouth brooder |
| Swimming Habits |
Bottom Swimmer |
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