Hippo Point Salmon

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a territorial fish best kept alone of its kind or with other tough Victorian cichlids, in a tank of at least 115 liters with lots of rock. It holds the middle and lower water and will defend a patch, especially a breeding male. Feed a quality cichlid pellet plus frozen or live foods like shrimp, and go easy on rich foods. Pick robust tankmates that can handle a spirited cichlid.

In the wild

The Hippo Point salmon is a Lake Victoria cichlid from rocky shoreline areas where sand meets stone. Out there the water is hard and alkaline, and the rocks give fish places to hold territory and spawn. Build the tank around that: a sand base, lots of rockwork and caves, and hard water with a pH from 7 up toward 8.5. Keep it warm, in the mid to upper 20s C.

Good to know

This is a haplochromine cichlid (family Cichlidae) in the genus Ptyochromis, growing to around 13 cm. Males show strong red and yellow color, more so at breeding time. Like most Victorian haps it is a maternal mouthbrooder, with the female holding eggs and fry in her mouth. Lake Victoria's native cichlids have been under heavy pressure, so wild stock matters.

Did you know

It is not a salmon at all. The name comes from Hippo Point, a well-known spot on Lake Victoria, and stuck to the fish even though it is a mouthbrooding cichlid.

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