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Deepwater xenotilapia

Xenotilapia bathyphila

Also known as Xenotilapia bathyphilus, Yellow-fin deepwater xeno

FreshwaterFish

Deepwater xenotilapia (Xenotilapia bathyphila)
Gabor Adorjan · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
7.8–9.0
Adult size
4.1 in
10.5 cm
Minimum tank
66 gal
250 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Tanganyika

Overview

The deepwater xenotilapia is a gentle, gregarious sand sifter for the bottom of a Tanganyikan tank. It is best left to experienced keepers.

Did you know

The deepwater xenotilapia is built for the deep, dim floor of the lake. Its oversized, jet-black eyes gather what little light filters down to the sand it feeds on.

Caring for the deepwater xenotilapia

Keep deepwater xenotilapia in a group of six or more, since a fish kept alone loses its nerve. Give the group at least 66 gal (250 L) with plenty of unbroken sand to work.

It cruises just above the bottom, taking mouthfuls of sand to strain out small crustaceans and larvae. A deep bed of soft, fine, pale sand is essential, with only a little rock at the edges.

Match the lake's hard, alkaline chemistry, at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 7.8 to 9.0. Strong filtration and spotless water matter, since it suffers in poor conditions.

Feed small sinking foods, frozen cyclops, brine shrimp and finely chopped meaty items that reach the floor. It is peaceful and no threat to tank mates, but it is easily cowed. Keep it only with calm Tanganyikan species and nothing pushy.

It is a maternal mouthbrooder, and the female holds the eggs and fry in her mouth. Captive breeding is hard and needs a settled group, pristine hard water and the right sex balance before pairs form.

Good to know

The deepwater xenotilapia belongs to the family Cichlidae and to the Tanganyikan sand-dwelling ectodine group. Its species name, bathyphila, means depth-loving, a nod to its life in deeper water than most of its relatives.

In the wild

The deepwater xenotilapia lives over the sand flats of Lake Tanganyika. It stays mostly well below the sunlit shallows, where light is dim and conditions stay cool and stable.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The deepwater 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 deepwater xenotilapia need?

A deepwater xenotilapia needs at least 66 gal (250 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a deepwater xenotilapia need?

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

What does a deepwater xenotilapia eat?

A deepwater xenotilapia eats small sinking foods, frozen cyclops, brine shrimp and finely chopped meaty items that reach the floor. It also strains small crustaceans and larvae from mouthfuls of sand.

How big does a deepwater xenotilapia get?

An adult deepwater xenotilapia reaches about 4.1 in (10.5 cm).

How does a deepwater xenotilapia breed?

The deepwater xenotilapia is a maternal mouthbrooder, with the female holding the eggs and fry in her mouth. Breeding it is hard and needs a settled group, pristine water and the right sex balance.

Related species