Blackchin sand diver

Xenotilapia melanogenys

Also known as Enantiopus melanogenys, Sand diver cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Blackchin sand diver (Xenotilapia melanogenys) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 7.8–9.0
Adult size: 5.9 in (15 cm)
Minimum tank: 106 gal (400 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Tanganyika
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a gentle, sand-dwelling Tanganyikan cichlid that lives its whole life in shoals over the open floor. It is a true schooling fish, so keep a group of at least eight to a dozen; a lone individual or a tiny group frets and does poorly. It is peaceful and easily stressed, so keep no rough or boisterous tankmates at all, and a species tank is often the best choice. Give it a wide, open bed of deep, fine sand with no need for rockwork. Feed frequent small foods such as fine sinking pellets, frozen cyclops, mysis, and brine shrimp. Because a proper school needs floor space, give it at least 400 liters with a long footprint and very clean water.

In the wild

It lives over open sand in Lake Tanganyika, foraging in large shoals and picking small invertebrates from the substrate. Match the lake with hard, alkaline water around pH 7.8 to 9.0 and a temperature of 24 to 27 C, kept spotlessly clean. The layout is simple but specific: a broad, deep bed of soft, fine sand and open water, with little or no rock, so the school can move and the males can build their nests.

Good to know

A member of the cichlid family, it reaches around 15 cm and was for many years known as Enantiopus melanogenys before being moved to the genus Xenotilapia. It is a colony, or lek, breeder: males build crater-shaped nests in the sand and display together to attract females, which are maternal mouthbrooders that carry the eggs and fry. It is considered difficult to breed.

Did you know

At spawning time the males gather in one place and each builds a crater-shaped nest in the sand, forming a display ground, or lek, where they show off side by side while the females move through and choose.

Tank mates

Blackchin sand diver is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.