Six-bar lamprologus
Neolamprologus sexfasciatus
Also known as Lamprologus sexfasciatus, Gold sexfasciatus
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F (24–27°C)
- pH
- 7.8–9.0
- Adult size
- 5.9 in (15 cm)
- Minimum tank
- 79 gal (300 L)
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- Tankmates with caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Common
- Origin
- Lake Tanganyika
- Family
- Cichlidae
Overview
A heavy-bodied rock cichlid with real presence, kept as a single showpiece or a proven pair. It crushes snails and takes invertebrates off stone, so give it hard foods to work on. It is territorial and slow to accept company, so choose robust tankmates and use enough rock to break up lines of sight. Feed frozen meaty foods, snails and a good pellet. A 300 liter tank is a floor plan, not a luxury, for a fish this solid.
In the wild
Neolamprologus sexfasciatus patrols the rocky shoreline of southern Lake Tanganyika, working the boundary between stone and sand. Keep it at 24 to 27 degrees Celsius and pH 7.8 to 9.0 in hard alkaline water, with heavy stonework and open floor between the piles.
Good to know
Neolamprologus sexfasciatus reaches about 15 centimeters and carries six bold vertical bars over a tall body. Two color forms are traded, a blue-grey northern fish and a southern population that turns deep yellow, the one most keepers are after. It is a substrate spawner, and pairing is the difficult part, since an unwilling partner is usually attacked.
Did you know
Same six bars, two currencies: the species pays in gold at one end of the lake and silver-blue at the other.
Common questions
What size tank does a Six-bar lamprologus need?
A Six-bar lamprologus needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH do Six-bar lamprologus need?
Six-bar lamprologus are comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 7.8–9.0.
How big do Six-bar lamprologus get?
An adult Six-bar lamprologus reaches about 5.9 in (15 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
Keeping Six-bar lamprologus?
Track water tests, reminders and stocking fit.
Planning tankmates
See how Six-bar lamprologus fits a stocking plan. Open the stocking calculator
Add to your site
Show this species on your own site: a shortcode for WordPress, or an HTML embed for anywhere else.
Related species
Five-bar cichlid
Neolamprologus tretocephalusFreshwater5.9 in (15 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Barred lamprologus
Neolamprologus fasciatusFreshwater5.9 in (15 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Christy's lamprologus
Neolamprologus christyiFreshwater5.9 in (15 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Prochilus cichlid
Neolamprologus prochilusFreshwater6.7 in (17 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Cylindricus cichlid
Neolamprologus cylindricusFreshwater4.7 in (12 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Fourspine lamprologus
Neolamprologus tetracanthusFreshwater7.9 in (20 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)