TankBud

Brown julie

Julidochromis dickfeldi

Also known as Dickfeld's Julie

FreshwaterFish

Brown julie (Julidochromis dickfeldi)
Imperial Tropicals · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
7.8–9.0
Adult size
4.3 in
11 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Hard
Rarity
Common
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Tanganyika

Overview

The brown julie is a rock-dwelling cichlid from Lake Tanganyika for a tank built from stacked rock. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

When a pair of brown julies spawns, it often raises several batches of fry at once. Older juveniles will tolerate their younger siblings nearby instead of being chased off. That overlapping brood care is unusual, and over time it lets a pair build up a little colony on one rock pile.

Caring for the brown julie

Keep brown julies as a bonded pair in at least 20 gal (75 L), since they are scrappy toward their own kind in tight quarters. Build the tank with lots of stacked rock, caves and crevices, and break up clear sightlines with cover. They claim and defend a patch of rock.

Keep the water hard and alkaline, at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 7.8 to 9.0. In the wild they pick at small invertebrates and biofilm. Feed quality cichlid pellets plus frozen brine shrimp or daphnia.

Brown julies hold the middle and lower zones around their rockwork. They are reasonably peaceful with similar rock-dwelling Tanganyikans but will defend their cave hard.

They form monogamous pairs and lay their eggs inside caves and crevices. Breeding them is hard. Both parents guard the eggs and fry, which is part of why breeding them in a community is tricky.

Good to know

Julidochromis dickfeldi is a small Tanganyikan cichlid in the family Cichlidae.

In the wild

Brown julies live along the rocky shorelines of Lake Tanganyika, tucking into crevices and caves in the rock piles. The lake water is hard and alkaline.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The brown julie is a mostly 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 brown julie need?

A brown julie needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a brown julie need?

A brown julie is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 7.8–9.0.

What does a brown julie eat?

A brown julie eats quality cichlid pellets plus frozen brine shrimp or daphnia. In the wild it picks at small invertebrates and biofilm.

How big does a brown julie get?

An adult brown julie reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).

How does a brown julie breed?

Brown julies form monogamous pairs and lay their eggs inside caves and crevices. Both parents guard the eggs and fry, and breeding them is hard, especially in a community.

Related species