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Blue neon cichlid

Paracyprichromis nigripinnis

Also known as Blue neon Paracyprichromis

FreshwaterFish

Blue neon cichlid (Paracyprichromis nigripinnis)
Imperial Tropicals · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
7.5–9.0
Adult size
4.3 in
11 cm
Minimum tank
48 gal
180 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Tanganyika

Overview

The blue neon cichlid is a gentle Tanganyikan that hangs in mid-water near vertical rock. It is easily unsettled and best kept by someone with some experience.

Did you know

The blue neon cichlid shows a lengthwise band of iridescent blue that appears to glow under subdued lighting. That band is where the common name comes from.

Caring for the blue neon cichlid

Give blue neons a stable, well-filtered tank of at least 48 gal (180 L). Arrange rock into tall stacks, with shaded open water in front of them for swimming. They shelter near vertical surfaces and dart into crevices when startled.

Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 7.5 to 9.0, with high carbonate hardness. Very clean, oxygen-rich water and steady parameters keep them at their best. Feed small foods such as frozen cyclops, daphnia and brine shrimp, with a fine pellet or flake.

Keep blue neons in a group, eight or more if the tank allows, so they feel secure and color up. They are peaceful to the point of being timid. Choose calm tank mates such as small Neolamprologus, Cyprichromis or shell dwellers. Keep blue neons away from boisterous mbuna.

Blue neons are maternal mouthbrooders with an unusual spawning style. A pair spawns pressed against vertical or overhanging rock, often nose down or inverted. The female takes the small clutch of around ten to a dozen eggs into her mouth and broods them for several weeks. Their shy, easily stressed nature makes them one of the harder Tanganyikans to breed and raise.

Good to know

Paracyprichromis nigripinnis is a slender, cyprichromine cichlid in the family Cichlidae.

In the wild

Paracyprichromis nigripinnis lives in Lake Tanganyika, where it gathers in shoals along steep rocky cliffs. It hovers close to vertical stone faces. Tanganyika is one of the hardest, most alkaline lakes in the world.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The blue neon cichlid is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a blue neon cichlid need?

A blue neon cichlid needs at least 48 gal (180 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a blue neon cichlid need?

A blue neon cichlid is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 7.5–9.0.

What does a blue neon cichlid eat?

A blue neon cichlid eats small foods such as frozen cyclops, daphnia and brine shrimp, with a fine pellet or flake.

How big does a blue neon cichlid get?

An adult blue neon cichlid reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).

How does a blue neon cichlid breed?

The blue neon cichlid is a maternal mouthbrooder. A pair spawns pressed against vertical rock, and the female broods a small clutch of ten to a dozen eggs in her mouth. It is one of the harder Tanganyikans to breed.

Related species