TankBud

Busumana tilapia

Tilapia busumana

Also known as Bosumtwi tilapia

FreshwaterFish

Busumana tilapia (Tilapia busumana)

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–86°F
25–30°C
pH
6.5–8.0
Adult size
8.7 in
22 cm
Minimum tank
79 gal
300 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Bosumtwi and southwest Ghana rivers

Overview

The Busumana tilapia is a plain, hardy cichlid from Ghana for a big tank. It is undemanding to keep, but its size makes it a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

The Busumana tilapia's home, Lake Bosumtwi in Ghana, fills a crater blasted out by a meteorite impact over a million years ago. The lake is sacred to the local Ashanti people.

Caring for the Busumana tilapia

Give a Busumana tilapia at least 79 gal (300 L), since it grows big and does best with space. Leave open swimming water over a sand or fine gravel floor, with some rock and wood for cover. It uses the middle and lower water.

Keep the water at 77 to 86°F (25 to 30°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 8.0, with good filtration. It grazes readily on plant matter, so feed a spirulina-based pellet and greens alongside general foods. Do not expect delicate live plants to survive with it.

It is not a shoaling fish, so keep a single fish or a pair. It is peaceful for a tilapia but turns territorial when breeding. Pick robust tank mates, and watch a pair closely at spawning time.

Busumana tilapias are substrate spawners. A pair lays its eggs on a cleaned surface and guards them. Breeding them in the aquarium is hard.

Good to know

The Busumana tilapia belongs to the cichlid family. Unlike the mouthbrooding tilapias that were split off into other genera, it is a true member of the slimmed-down genus Tilapia.

In the wild

The Busumana tilapia lives in Lake Bosumtwi and the rivers of southwest Ghana, in warm, still to slow water. That water runs from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline.

Common questions

What size tank does a Busumana tilapia need?

A Busumana tilapia needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Busumana tilapia need?

A Busumana tilapia is comfortable at 77–86°F (25–30°C) with a pH of 6.5–8.0.

What does a Busumana tilapia eat?

A Busumana tilapia grazes readily on plant matter. Feed it a spirulina-based pellet and greens alongside general foods.

How big does a Busumana tilapia get?

An adult Busumana tilapia reaches about 8.7 in (22 cm).

How does a Busumana tilapia breed?

Busumana tilapias are substrate spawners. A pair lays its eggs on a cleaned surface and guards them, and breeding them in the aquarium is hard.

Related species