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Christy's lamprologus

Neolamprologus christyi

Also known as Lamprologus christyi

FreshwaterFish

Christy's lamprologus (Neolamprologus christyi)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
7.8–9.0
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
66 gal
250 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Tanganyika

Overview

Christy's lamprologus is an aggressive, bottom-dwelling Tanganyikan cichlid for a tank full of rock. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

Christy's lamprologus honors Cuthbert Christy, a British doctor and naturalist who collected fishes from Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi for the British Museum. His life of African fieldwork ended abruptly in 1932, in the Congo. He wounded a buffalo there, and it turned on him and gored him fatally.

Caring for the Christy's lamprologus

Give a pair of Christy's lamprologus a big footprint, at least 66 gal (250 L). Build piles of rock and rubble over a sandy floor, with caves and gaps beneath the stones. That gives a pair somewhere to excavate and spawn.

Keep the water hard and alkaline, at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a high pH of 7.8 to 9.0. It needs very clean, well-oxygenated water. Feed meaty sinking foods, such as frozen bloodworm and mysis, along with a quality pellet.

Keep it as a single fish or a bonded pair. A pair digs out a spawning cave under a stone and defends a good stretch of floor around it. It is aggressive around that territory, especially when breeding, so choose tank mates with care. Plenty of rock lets the others keep their distance.

It is a cave spawner, and the pair lays its eggs on the roof or wall of a hollow under the rocks. Both fish guard the eggs and fry, and breeding takes some experience.

Good to know

Christy's lamprologus, Neolamprologus christyi, belongs to the family Cichlidae. It is bronze-toned, with glinting rows of scales and a deep, drawn-out tail. It is one of many Neolamprologus that share the same rock-dwelling, cave-breeding way of life in Lake Tanganyika.

In the wild

Christy's lamprologus lives along the rocky, rubble-strewn coast of Lake Tanganyika. Tanganyika is one of the hardest, most alkaline of all the rift lakes.

Common questions

What size tank does a Christy's lamprologus need?

A Christy's lamprologus needs at least 66 gal (250 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Christy's lamprologus need?

A Christy's lamprologus is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 7.8–9.0.

What does a Christy's lamprologus eat?

A Christy's lamprologus eats meaty sinking foods, such as frozen bloodworm and mysis, along with a quality pellet.

How big does a Christy's lamprologus get?

An adult Christy's lamprologus reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

How does a Christy's lamprologus breed?

Christy's lamprologus is a cave spawner, and a pair lays its eggs on the roof or wall of a hollow under the rocks. Both fish guard the eggs and fry. Breeding takes some experience.

Related species