Pindu cichlid
Stomatepia pindu
Also known as Pindu stomatepia
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 73–81°F (23–27°C)
- pH
- 7.0–8.0
- Adult size
- 4.3 in (11 cm)
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal (200 L)
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- Tankmates with caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Common
- Origin
- Lake Barombi Mbo, Cameroon
- Family
- Cichlidae
Overview
Stomatepia pindu is a quiet, dark cichlid for a species tank or a very calm Cameroon community. It stays close to cover and feeds mostly after dusk, so give it shaded areas, wood and enough floor to spread out. It is a conservation keep as much as a display fish, since the entire species lives in one small crater lake. Keep a group of four or more and feed frozen and prepared meaty foods late in the day.
In the wild
Stomatepia pindu is endemic to Lake Barombi Mbo, a small volcanic crater lake in Cameroon, where it keeps to shaded margins and deeper water. The lake is warm, clear and moderately hard. Keep it at 23 to 27 degrees Celsius and pH 7.0 to 8.0, in stable water with dim lighting and cover.
Good to know
Stomatepia pindu reaches about 11 centimeters and is sooty brown to near black, with a pale eye that stands out against it. It is one of three Stomatepia species that evolved inside Barombi Mbo, a textbook case of speciation within a single lake, and all three are threatened. It is a mouthbrooder.
Did you know
Pindu means black in Barombi; the lake named its own shadow.
Common questions
What size tank does a Pindu cichlid need?
A Pindu cichlid needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH do Pindu cichlid need?
Pindu cichlid are comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.
How big do Pindu cichlid get?
An adult Pindu cichlid reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
- Imperial Tropicals Freshwater fish and inverts bred at a Florida hatchery
- The Wet Spot Tropical Fish Large selection of quarantined tropical freshwater fish, with live arrival guarantee and Next Day Air flat rate shipping to all US locations
…or ask your local fish store.
Appears in
Freshwater fish · Cichlids · Advanced fish · Bottom dwellers
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