Ngege tilapia

Oreochromis esculentus

Also known as Graham's tilapia, Singida tilapia

FreshwaterFish

Ngege tilapia (Oreochromis esculentus) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 7.0–8.5
Adult size: 15.7 in (40 cm)
Minimum tank: 119 gal (450 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Victoria basin
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

The ngege is a large but relatively gentle tilapia, best kept singly or as a pair, or as a small group only in a very big tank. It swims mainly in open midwater and is peaceful for its size, but it grows to around 40 centimeters, so tankmates need choosing with care: give it robust, similarly sized company and plenty of room. In the wild it feeds on plankton and fine plant matter, and in the tank it takes vegetable-based pellets, flake and greens. Provide a tank of at least 450 liters with open swimming space, a sand floor and some rock. Keeping this fish is really a small act of conservation.

In the wild

Oreochromis esculentus is native to Lake Victoria and its basin, an open-water fish of warm, hardish, alkaline lakes. Aim for a temperature range of 23–28 C and a pH of 7.0–8.5. It does not need much decor: open swimming room over a sand floor, with some rock and shallow areas, matches a fish that in the wild lived out over open water and bred in nests scooped in the shallows.

Good to know

Oreochromis esculentus belongs to the cichlid family and reaches about 40 centimeters. It is a maternal mouthbrooder: the male digs a simple nest, and after spawning the female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth. The species name means edible, and it was the most important food fish of Lake Victoria before introduced species took over. It is seldom bred in aquaria, which is why its breeding is rated hard.

Did you know

Named esculentus, or edible, in 1928, it was once the staple catch of Lake Victoria; after the Nile perch and Nile tilapia were introduced, it collapsed and is now critically endangered, hanging on mostly in satellite lakes and refuges.