Six-banded distichodus

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a tank-buster that turns spiteful with age, so plan around the adult and not the colorful juvenile in the shop. Keep one on its own in a tank of at least 540 liters, only alongside large robust tankmates that can hold their own. They are aggressive and swim in the middle of the water column, needing open space and a tight, heavy lid since they can push a loose cover off. Hold the temperature between 22 and 26 C and pH from 6 to 7.5. They devour soft plants, so feed a varied diet with plenty of vegetable matter and expect them to graze on anything green you add.

In the wild

Six-banded distichodus come from the Congo River basin and Lake Tanganyika, where they move through open water over sand and rock. To match that at home you need a very large tank, 540 liters at the minimum and more is better, with plenty of open swimming room, a sand or smooth substrate, and strong filtration to keep up with a big messy fish. Keep the water on the warm side, 22 to 26 C, with a pH from 6 to 7.5. Skip soft plants entirely, since they will be eaten, and stick to hardy attached species like Anubias and Java fern.

Good to know

This is a large characin in the family Distichodontidae, reaching about 40 cm as an adult. Breeding has no record in home tanks, so every fish in the trade is wild caught or farmed on a commercial scale rather than bred by hobbyists. They are long-lived and grow slowly into their full size, which is why the small juveniles get sold so often.

Did you know

The fish you see for sale is a juvenile in disguise. Young six-banded distichodus show bold dark bars and bright orange-red fins that draw buyers in, but as they grow toward 40 cm those colors fade and the temper sours, and most people are not ready for the spiteful adult that replaces the pretty little fish they bought.

Related species

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  Longnose distichodus

  Distichodus lusosso

  15 in (38 cm)119 gal (450 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)

• 

  Silver distichodus

  Distichodus affinis

  7.9 in (20 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  African oneline tetra

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• 

  Ansorge's neolebias

  Neolebias ansorgii

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Flowerhorn cichlid

  Amphilophus hybrid

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• 

  Jaguar cichlid

  Parachromis managuensis

  15.7 in (40 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)