Bigeye callochromis

Callochromis macrops

Also known as Red callochromis, Bigeye sand sifter

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 7.8–9.0
Adult size: 5.3 in (13.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 79 gal (300 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Tanganyika
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a sand-sifting Tanganyikan cichlid that takes in mouthfuls of sand and strains out tiny invertebrates. It is peaceful toward other species, but males are very intolerant of rival males, so keep a single male with a group of females as a harem, and give a large footprint if you want more than one male. It will not put up with rough tankmates, so pair it only with other calm, sand-dwelling Tanganyikans. Fine sand is essential; coarse gravel can injure it. Feed frequent small foods such as fine sinking pellets, frozen cyclops, and brine shrimp. It needs clean, stable water and a tank of at least 300 liters with an open sand bed.

In the wild

It lives over shallow sand flats in Lake Tanganyika, cruising the open floor in search of buried food. Match the lake with hard, alkaline water around pH 7.8 to 9.0 and a temperature of 24 to 27 C, kept very clean. The single most important feature is a deep bed of soft, fine sand it can sift through its gills, with rock kept to the edges so the open floor stays clear.

Good to know

A member of the cichlid family, it reaches around 13.5 cm. Its name macrops means large-eyed, and those big eyes help it spot tiny prey and approaching predators over the open sand. Displaying males of the red forms glow with rose and copper tones. It is a mouthbrooder in which the male builds a sand crater to court females, and it is considered difficult to breed.

Did you know

Those oversized eyes give it the name macrops and do real work, letting it read the open sand for the smallest movement of a buried invertebrate before it takes a mouthful to sift.

Tank mates

Bigeye callochromis is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.