TankBud

Dwarf petrotilapia

Petrotilapia microgalana

Also known as Microgalana petro

FreshwaterFish

Dwarf petrotilapia (Petrotilapia microgalana)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
7.5–8.5
Adult size
5.5 in
14 cm
Minimum tank
79 gal
300 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Herbivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Medium
Rarity
Common
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Malawi

Overview

The dwarf petrotilapia is a territorial, comb-toothed grazer for a rocky Malawi cichlid tank. It is moderately demanding to keep.

Did you know

Like the rest of its genus, the dwarf petrotilapia opens its mouth almost flat against the rock. That presses a full toothbrush of teeth to the stone at once.

Caring for the dwarf petrotilapia

Give the dwarf petrotilapia at least 79 gal (300 L), with plenty of rock under bright light and strong flow. It works over the rock all day, so build in enough surface that grazing does not concentrate in one spot.

Keep the water hard and alkaline, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. Feed a vegetable-led diet of spirulina flake and pellet, with occasional frozen food. Protein-heavy feeding causes digestive problems in this genus.

Keep one male with several females. It disputes territory constantly, so choose tank mates sturdy enough to ignore it.

The dwarf petrotilapia is a maternal mouthbrooder. Breeding it is moderately difficult.

Good to know

The dwarf petrotilapia, Petrotilapia microgalana, is a Lake Malawi cichlid in the family Cichlidae. It is small for a genus whose other members are heavyweight grazers. Its teeth are tricuspid and set in loose, brush-like rows. That arrangement strips algae filaments off stone without taking the substrate with them.

In the wild

The dwarf petrotilapia combs algae turf off wave-washed rock in the shallow surge zone of Lake Malawi. There, the light is strong and the water is high in oxygen.

Common questions

What size tank does a dwarf petrotilapia need?

A dwarf petrotilapia needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a dwarf petrotilapia need?

A dwarf petrotilapia is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.

What does a dwarf petrotilapia eat?

A dwarf petrotilapia is an algae grazer that eats a vegetable-led diet of spirulina flake and pellet. Give it frozen food only occasionally, since protein-heavy feeding causes digestive problems.

How big does a dwarf petrotilapia get?

An adult dwarf petrotilapia reaches about 5.5 in (14 cm).

How does a dwarf petrotilapia breed?

The dwarf petrotilapia is a mouthbrooder, and it is the female that does the brooding. Breeding it is a moderate challenge.

Related species