Descamps' sand cichlid

Ectodus descampsii

Also known as Dorsal-spot ectodus

FreshwaterFish

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: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Tanganyika
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a mild, gregarious sand cichlid that turns shy and withdrawn on its own, so keep a group of at least six, and eight or more is better. It hovers just over the sand and sifts mouthfuls of it for tiny invertebrates, so a broad, open floor of fine sand is the heart of the setup. It is gentle and harmless to tankmates, but easily startled, so keep it only with calm Tanganyikans such as julidochromis, small neolamprologus or a sardine cichlid, and nothing boisterous. Feed small sinking foods, frozen brine shrimp and cyclops, plus some spirulina. A group wants a tank of at least 250 liters with plenty of unbroken sand.

In the wild

Ectodus descampsii lives over the open sand flats of Lake Tanganyika, a pale fish against a pale floor with only scattered rock nearby. Set it up with a large area of fine, soft sand it can sift, a little rockwork at the margins, and lots of clear swimming space above. Match the lake with hard, alkaline water, 24 to 27 C at a pH from 7.8 to 9, kept very clean, since it does not tolerate poor conditions well.

Good to know

A member of the family Cichlidae from the Tanganyikan ectodine group, this sand-dweller reaches around 10.5 centimeters. It is a polygamous maternal mouthbrooder: a male digs a shallow spawning pit in the sand, and the female takes the fertilized eggs into her mouth to brood them. Aquarium breeding is hard, needing a secure group, spotless water and patience before spawning happens.

Did you know

It carries a single black-ringed eyespot on its dorsal fin; pale and near-invisible against the sand, that dark false eye is often the first part of the fish an observer actually picks out.

Tank mates

Descamps' sand cichlid is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.