Marlier's julie

Care at a glance

Overview

This cichlid forms a bonded pair and defends its chosen cave hard, so give it at least 110 liters with dense rockwork and clear territory edges. It feeds on small invertebrates and biofilm in the wild. In the tank offer quality cichlid pellets with frozen or live brine shrimp. It can be aggressive toward its own kind and similar shapes, so plan tankmates carefully and keep everything on the same hard, alkaline water.

In the wild

Marlier's julie lives along the rocky shores of Lake Tanganyika, sticking close to caves and crevices several meters down. It needs that structure to feel secure and to breed, so build a tank with stacked rock that creates plenty of caves and tight gaps. Keep the water hard and alkaline, pH 7.8 to 9, with temperatures in the mid 20s C.

Good to know

Julidochromis marlieri is a cichlid that grows to about 15 cm. The elongated body carries a grid of black-and-white markings that break up its outline against the rock. It is a cave-spawning substrate breeder that lays eggs on the ceiling or wall of a crevice, not a mouthbrooder. Wild stocks are considered stable, with collection and habitat change as local pressures.

Did you know

Pairs often stay together long-term and raise fry as a team, letting successive batches share the same territory. A pair will quietly tolerate well-grown young nearby, so an established cave can end up holding a small family group rather than just the two adults.

Related species

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  Convict julie

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• 

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• 

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• 

  Blue acara

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