Barred lamprologus

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a slender, predatory rock cichlid from Lake Tanganyika that works its way into cracks and caves after prey. Keep it as a single fish or a pair, not a group, and expect it to claim and defend a patch of rockwork. It is aggressive and will hunt small fish, shrimp, and fry, so choose tankmates with caution: mid-sized Tanganyikans that are neither bite-sized nor themselves overly aggressive, to avoid injury. Build the tank around a pile of rocks with plenty of caves and crevices over a sand floor. Feed meaty foods such as mysis, krill, and chopped seafood. A tank of at least 250 liters gives it the territory it needs.

In the wild

It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika, living around rocky margins where it can slip into gaps in the stone. Match the lake with hard, alkaline water around pH 7.8 to 9.0 and a temperature of 24 to 27 C. The important feature is a well-built rock structure with many caves and narrow crevices set over sand, which gives it both hunting ground and spawning sites.

Good to know

A member of the cichlid family, it reaches around 15 cm and wears the strong vertical bars its name fasciatus describes. It is often listed under the genus Altolamprologus as well as Neolamprologus, and both names circulate in the hobby. It spawns in caves and empty snail shells and is considered difficult to breed.

Did you know

Its narrow, slightly flattened body is a hunting tool: it lets the fish push into tight spaces in the rocks to reach the invertebrates, eggs, and small fish sheltering there, a trick it shares with its Altolamprologus cousins.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Five-bar cichlid

  Neolamprologus tretocephalus

  Freshwater

  5.9 in (15 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
• Christy's lamprologus

  Neolamprologus christyi

  Freshwater

  5.9 in (15 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
• Six-bar lamprologus

  Neolamprologus sexfasciatus

  Freshwater

  5.9 in (15 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
• Prochilus cichlid

  Neolamprologus prochilus

  Freshwater

  6.7 in (17 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Cylindricus cichlid

  Neolamprologus cylindricus

  Freshwater

  4.7 in (12 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Fourspine lamprologus

  Neolamprologus tetracanthus

  Freshwater

  7.9 in (20 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)