Hore's cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a robust, boisterous Tanganyikan haplochromine, more forgiving than the lake's rock specialists but pushy enough to need managing. Keep it singly or as a single male and female pair rather than a group of its own kind, since a dominant male will not tolerate rivals. Give a tank of at least 300 liters with rock structure and open floor. A displaying male colors up strongly and defends a territory hard, so choose sturdy tankmates that can take the pressure and leave out small or timid fish. It is an omnivore that becomes increasingly predatory as it grows, so feed quality pellets and frozen or meaty foods, and do not keep it with fish small enough to be eaten.

In the wild

Hore's cichlid is widespread around Lake Tanganyika, favoring shallow, weedy margins, river mouths, and soft bottomed bays rather than the open rock faces. It is more tolerant than many lake endemics but still wants the lake's hard, alkaline water, warm at 24–27 C and high on the pH scale, around 7.5–9.0. Recreate its home with a sandy floor, some rock and root cover, and a few areas of planting or algae growth.

Good to know

Shuja horei, long known as Ctenochromis horei, is a member of the family Cichlidae reaching about 20 centimeters. A 2022 revision moved it into the newly created genus Shuja, named with the Swahili word for brave. It is a maternal mouthbrooder in which the female carries eggs and fry, and dominant males guard a spawning female from rivals, and breeding is moderately challenging.

Did you know

Brooding females of this cichlid have been shown to adjust how long they shelter their young in the mouth to match the danger around them, holding the fry longer when predators are near.

Common questions

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