Buescher's cichlid
Neolamprologus buescheri
Also known as Lamprologus buescheri, Zebra lamprologus
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F (24–27°C)
- pH
- 7.8–9.0
- Adult size
- 3.1 in (8 cm)
- Minimum tank
- 42 gal (160 L)
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- Tankmates with caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Rare
- Origin
- Lake Tanganyika
- Family
- Cichlidae
Overview
Buescher's cichlid is a small, sharp-tempered Tanganyikan rock-dweller that is intolerant of its own kind, so keep a single fish or one carefully introduced pair per rock stack, not a group. It lives among vertical rock and caves on the bottom and defends its patch fiercely for its size, so give it a dedicated pile of rock and choose only robust tankmates. Feed small carnivore foods: frozen mysis, brine shrimp, cyclops, and quality pellets and flake. A tank of around 160 liters or more, packed with rock caves and crevices, suits a pair, and a species tank is the safest way to keep it.
In the wild
Neolamprologus buescheri lives deep along steep, rocky shorelines in Lake Tanganyika, in and around vertical rock faces riddled with cracks and caves. Recreate that with tall stacks of rock full of narrow caves and crevices over a sandy floor. The lake is very hard, alkaline, and warm, so hold 24 to 27 C and a pH of 7.8 to 9.0 with strong filtration and stable water.
Good to know
Neolamprologus buescheri belongs to the cichlid family and reaches about 8 centimeters, patterned in angular black or brown and cream stripes with a slightly extended tail. It is a cave-spawning substrate brooder and one of the harder Neolamprologus to breed, producing very small broods that the pair guards inside a rock cave.
Did you know
Different stretches of the Tanganyika shoreline have their own color forms of this fish, and hobbyists label them by collecting site, such as Kachese, Gombi, and Kamakonde, so one species turns up in several distinct local patterns.
Common questions
What size tank does a Buescher's cichlid need?
A Buescher's cichlid needs at least 42 gal (160 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH do Buescher's cichlid need?
Buescher's cichlid are comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 7.8–9.0.
How big do Buescher's cichlid get?
An adult Buescher's cichlid reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).
Where to buy
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Appears in
Keeping Buescher's cichlid?
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Related species
Savory's cichlid
Neolamprologus savoryiFreshwater3.1 in (8 cm)42 gal (160 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Mustache lamprologus
Neolamprologus mustaxFreshwater3.5 in (9 cm)42 gal (160 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Black-belly lamprologus
Neolamprologus nigriventrisFreshwater3.9 in (10 cm)42 gal (160 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Longtail lamprologus
Neolamprologus longicaudatusFreshwater3.9 in (10 cm)42 gal (160 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Cylindricus cichlid
Neolamprologus cylindricusFreshwater4.7 in (12 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Five-bar cichlid
Neolamprologus tretocephalusFreshwater5.9 in (15 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)