Five-bar cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

Give a single fish or a bonded pair a tank of at least 200 liters with rock caves and hard alkaline water at 23 to 27 C, pH 7.8 to 8.9. It is too aggressive for small peaceful Tanganyikans, so choose robust tankmates or keep it alone. Feed carnivore foods like frozen mysis, krill and chopped shrimp plus quality pellets. Expect it to claim and defend a large part of the tank.

In the wild

The five-bar is a stocky rock dweller from Lake Tanganyika marked with bold black bars on a blue white body. It stakes out a territory in the rocks and drives off intruders that come too close. It looks similar to the larger frontosa but stays much smaller.

Good to know

Neolamprologus tretocephalus is a cave spawner and can be strongly aggressive, especially as adults. Juveniles are more social but pair off and turn territorial with age. The five dark bars that give it its name help tell it apart from the six barred Cyphotilapia frontosa.

Common questions

Related species

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  Barred lamprologus

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• 

  Christy's lamprologus

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• 

  Six-bar lamprologus

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• 

  Prochilus cichlid

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• 

  Cylindricus cichlid

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• 

  Fourspine lamprologus

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  7.9 in (20 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)