Brien's cichlid

Paracyprichromis brieni

Also known as Paracyprichromis velifer, Velifer paracyprichromis

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 7.8–9.0
Adult size: 4.3 in (11 cm)
Minimum tank: 66 gal (250 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Tanganyika
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

Brien's cichlid is a slim, gentle Tanganyikan schooler that hangs in loose groups near vertical rock, often tilting nose-down or hugging the underside of a ledge. Keep it in a school of at least ten; single or few fish are shy and never settle. It holds in the middle and upper water along rockwork and is easily bullied, so keep it only with calm, slow tankmates that will not steal its food or its space. It picks plankton and fine foods from the water, so offer small frozen items like cyclops and mysis with quality flake. A tank of around 250 liters or more, tall with plenty of rock, suits a group.

In the wild

Paracyprichromis brieni lives along steep rock walls and in cave mouths in Lake Tanganyika, staying close to the stone in deeper water. Give it tall rock structure with overhangs and caves and open water in front of it to hang in. The lake is hard, alkaline, and warm, so hold 24 to 27 C and a pH of 7.8 to 9.0 with strong, stable filtration.

Good to know

Paracyprichromis brieni belongs to the cichlid family and reaches about 11 centimeters. It is a maternal mouthbrooder of medium difficulty; a female carries a small clutch of large eggs in her mouth. The taller-finned fish traded as velifer is an undescribed form of this species rather than a separate one.

Did you know

Because it lives against the rock rather than in open water, this cichlid courts and spawns oriented to the stone surface, tilting sideways or even upside down under an overhang, wherever the rock face happens to lie.