TankBud

Butterfly xenotilapia

Xenotilapia papilio

Also known as Sunflower xenotilapia, Papilio sand cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Butterfly xenotilapia (Xenotilapia papilio)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

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
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Tanganyika, Congolese coast

Overview

The butterfly xenotilapia is a small, peaceful sand-dwelling cichlid from Lake Tanganyika. It suits a calm species tank or a gentle Tanganyikan community, and it is for experienced keepers.

Did you know

A butterfly xenotilapia pair takes turns carrying its young, rather than leaving all the work to the mother. Partway through the brood, the parents pass the fry from one mouth to the other. That way each parent shoulders part of the incubation.

Caring for the butterfly xenotilapia

Give a butterfly xenotilapia at least 53 gal (200 L), with a deep bed of fine sand. Add some flat stones, with rounded rock at the edges, and keep the flow gentle. It lives right on the bottom, over sand near rock.

Match the very hard, alkaline water of Lake Tanganyika, at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 7.8 to 9.0. Keep it clean and stable. The butterfly xenotilapia sifts the fine sand and picks out small foods. Offer frozen cyclops, baby brine shrimp and mysis with a good sinking flake.

It is peaceful but delicate and easily out-competed. Keep it only with slow, quiet tank mates, or on its own. A pair is the natural unit, though it is sometimes kept in a small colony.

It is a mouthbrooder, and breeding it is hard. Keep a pair on its own if you want it to breed.

Good to know

The butterfly xenotilapia, Xenotilapia papilio, belongs to the cichlid family and was described in 1990. Its name papilio means butterfly and refers to the finnage. The Sunflower form carries a lemon-yellow dorsal fin.

In the wild

The butterfly xenotilapia works the transition between pebble and open sand on the southwestern, Congolese shore of Lake Tanganyika. The water there is clear, hard and rich in oxygen.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The butterfly xenotilapia is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. 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 butterfly xenotilapia need?

A butterfly xenotilapia needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a butterfly xenotilapia need?

A butterfly xenotilapia is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 7.8–9.0.

What does a butterfly xenotilapia eat?

A butterfly xenotilapia sifts fine sand and picks out small foods. Offer it frozen cyclops, baby brine shrimp and mysis, with a good sinking flake.

How big does a butterfly xenotilapia get?

An adult butterfly xenotilapia reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

How does a butterfly xenotilapia breed?

The butterfly xenotilapia is a mouthbrooder, and breeding it is hard. Keep a pair on its own if you want it to breed.

Related species