Bigeye tropheops

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a small but feisty mbuna from Lake Malawi that grazes algae off the rocks. It lives socially, so keep it as a harem of one male with several females, which spreads out the male's aggression. It is a territorial rock-dweller, typical of the mbuna, so choose tankmates with caution: other robust mbuna of similar temperament that can stand up for themselves, and avoid mixing it with gentle open-water species. Its diet should be mostly vegetable, so feed a quality spirulina-based flake or pellet plus the odd frozen treat, and do not overdo protein. Give it at least 250 liters with a lot of rock structure and caves.

In the wild

It is endemic to Lake Malawi, grazing the algae film on sloping and angled rock faces. Recreate the rift-lake conditions with hard, alkaline water around pH 7.5 to 8.5 and a temperature of 24 to 28 C. Build the tank around piled rock with many caves and territories, over a sand floor, so each fish can claim and defend a patch the way it would on a natural reef of stone.

Good to know

A member of the cichlid family, it reaches around 11.5 cm, making it a fairly small mbuna. Its name macrophthalmus means large-eyed. Like other Tropheops it grazes algae with a steep, down-turned mouth, cropping the film in short tugs. It is a maternal mouthbrooder of moderate breeding difficulty.

Did you know

Tropheops feed with the head angled down against the rock, cropping algae in short, jerky tugs. On this species the notably large eyes that give it its name sit high on that steeply sloped head.

Common questions

Related species

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• 

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