Blackspot callochromis

Callochromis melanostigma

Also known as Blackspot sand sifter

FreshwaterFish

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: 79 gal (300 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Common
Origin: Lake Tanganyika, northern basin
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

Keep Callochromis melanostigma as a harem, one male to three or more females, over a wide floor of fine sand. Males clear shallow crater nests and spar in bluff displays rather than real fights, but they need floor space to keep those displays from turning into damage. Pair them with quiet open-water fish such as Cyprichromis and avoid other sand sifters competing for the same ground. Feed small frozen foods and a quality granule, most of which they take off the bottom.

In the wild

This sifter works the shallow sand shelves of northern Lake Tanganyika, taking mouthfuls of substrate and straining invertebrates out through its gills. The lake is hard, alkaline and thermally stable. Give it 24 to 27 degrees Celsius, pH 7.8 to 9.0, and a bed of soft fine sand several centimeters deep that will not scratch its gill rakers.

Good to know

Callochromis melanostigma reaches about 15 centimeters and is named for the dark blotch on the anal fin. Males color up in metallic blue and red across the head and flanks when displaying, then fade to plain silver within minutes of stopping. It is a maternal mouthbrooder, but spawning in captivity is demanding: the male needs an undisturbed crater and the female needs somewhere to retreat afterwards.

Did you know

Each mouthful of sand is chewed for food and exhaled through the gills, the fish breathing its dinner table clean.

Tank mates

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