Blue zaire frontosa

Care at a glance

Overview

This large fish needs a tall tank of at least 450 liters, more for a group, with big rock structures and hard alkaline water at 24 to 27 C, pH 7.8 to 9.0. It is calm and even shy despite its size, but it will eat any tankmate small enough to swallow. Keep a group of one male with several females and feed meaty foods like frozen shrimp, mysis and quality pellets. Avoid overfeeding, since it grows and matures slowly.

In the wild

The blue zaire is a deep water frontosa from the southern half of Lake Tanganyika, living on rocky slopes well below the surface. It is a big, slow moving fish with tall black bars on a blue white body and a bulging forehead on adults. At night it hunts smaller fish that shelter in the rocks.

Good to know

Cyphotilapia gibberosa was split from the northern frontosa in 2003, based on differences in form and its home in the southern lake. Prized color forms like the Zaire Blue Moba come from specific stretches of shoreline. It is a slow growing maternal mouthbrooder that can live for many years.

Did you know

The deep blue Zaire forms from places like Moba are among the most prized and expensive of all Tanganyikan cichlids.

Related species

• 

  Frontosa cichlid

  Cyphotilapia frontosa

  12.6 in (32 cm)227 gal (860 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Spilo

  Champsochromis spilorhynchus

  15.7 in (40 cm)125 gal (475 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Pantano cichlid

  Cincelichthys pearsei

  11.8 in (30 cm)119 gal (450 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)

• 

  Venustus cichlid

  Nimbochromis venustus

  11.8 in (30 cm)74 gal (280 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
• Tailbar cichlid

  Vieja hartwegi

  11 in (28 cm)92 gal (350 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Kaligono

  Nimbochromis polystigma

  10.2 in (26 cm)74 gal (280 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)