Flame callochromis

Callochromis pleurospilus

Also known as Flame rainbow callochromis, Rainbow sand sifter

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 7.8–9.0
Adult size: 3.9 in (10 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 colorful sand-sifting cichlid, best kept as a harem of one male with several females rather than a lone pair, so the male's attention is spread out. It stays low over open sand, sifting it for small food. It is peaceful toward other species and no real threat to tankmates, though males spar with each other and crater the sand while displaying, so give it space and calm Tanganyikan companions. Feed small sinking foods, frozen cyclops, brine shrimp and finely chopped meaty items that settle onto the sand. A group needs a tank of at least 250 liters with a broad bed of fine sand and hard, alkaline water.

In the wild

Callochromis pleurospilus sifts the shallow, sandy stretches around the edges of Lake Tanganyika, over fine sand with rock nearby. Recreate that with a large, open bed of soft, fine sand, only a little rock at the margins, and plenty of clear floor to work. Keep the water hard and alkaline like the lake, around 24 to 27 C at a pH from 7.8 to 9, and spotlessly clean, since this is a sensitive fish that suffers in poor conditions.

Good to know

A cichlid of the family Cichlidae, this is one of the smaller Callochromis sand cichlids, reaching about 10 centimeters. In this maternal mouthbrooder a male digs and defends a sand crater to court over, and the female broods the fertilized eggs in her mouth. Between its sensitivity and the need for a settled harem, aquarium breeding is hard.

Did you know

Its flame color is a mood as much as a marking: a frightened or subordinate fish goes pale and washed out, while a confident, displaying male flushes with the rose-orange that gives the flame form its name.

Tank mates

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