TankBud

Blue-lipped buffalo head

Paragobiocichla irvinei

Also known as Steatocranus irvinei, Volta buffalo head

FreshwaterFish

Blue-lipped buffalo head (Paragobiocichla irvinei)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
4.3 in
11 cm
Minimum tank
40 gal
150 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Volta River rapids, Ghana

Overview

The blue-lipped buffalo head is a stocky rapids cichlid. It moves in short hops along the bottom, clinging to stone rather than swimming in open water. It is not a beginner fish, but it is not a hard one either.

Did you know

Like the Congo buffalo heads it was once grouped with, the blue-lipped buffalo head has a reduced swim bladder. Its bright blue lips, which give it its name, are used in display between rivals and between pairs.

Caring for the blue-lipped buffalo head

Give the blue-lipped buffalo head at least 40 gal (150 L), in a tank longer than it is tall. Use a floor of rounded stones and cobble stacked into caves. Add strong flow from the filter or a powerhead, with plenty of surface movement.

Aim for 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. Feed sinking foods near the floor, such as pellets, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and mysis.

It can live as a compatible group in a long tank, or as a single pair. It is fairly peaceful, but pairs turn territorial around their cave at breeding time, so give each pair its own rockwork. Choose robust, non-timid tank mates that share its hard-water needs.

It is a cave-spawning substrate brooder of medium breeding difficulty. A pair guards the eggs and tends the fry for about their first month.

Good to know

Paragobiocichla irvinei belongs to the cichlid family. It was long placed in Steatocranus, the Congo buffalo heads. Studies showed this West African fish only resembled those Congo cichlids, so it was moved to its own genus.

In the wild

Paragobiocichla irvinei comes from the Volta River system in Ghana. It lives among rock in fast, broken, oxygen-rich water that is warm and neutral to slightly alkaline.

Common questions

What size tank does a blue-lipped buffalo head need?

A blue-lipped buffalo head needs at least 40 gal (150 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a blue-lipped buffalo head need?

A blue-lipped buffalo head is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

What does a blue-lipped buffalo head eat?

A blue-lipped buffalo head eats sinking foods offered near the floor, such as pellets, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and mysis.

How big does a blue-lipped buffalo head get?

An adult blue-lipped buffalo head reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).

How does a blue-lipped buffalo head breed?

The blue-lipped buffalo head is a cave-spawning substrate brooder of medium breeding difficulty. A pair guards the eggs and tends the fry for about their first month.

Related species