Yellow sand cichlid
Xenotilapia flavipinnis
Also known as Flavipinnis, Yellow featherfin
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F
- 24–27°C
- pH
- 7.8–9.0
- Adult size
- 3.5 in
- 9 cm
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal
- 200 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- Mouthbrooder · Hard
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Sandy floors of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa, usually near rock edges.
Overview
The yellow sand cichlid is a Tanganyikan sand-sifter that lives on the bottom of the tank. It is a fish for experienced keepers.
Did you know
Yellow sand cichlid parents share the brooding. One carries the eggs for a while, then passes the whole mouthful to its partner.
Caring for the yellow sand cichlid
Keep yellow sand cichlids in a group of six or more, in a tank of at least 53 gal (200 L). Give them a soft sand bottom, since real sand is essential and gravel can harm this sifting feeder.
Keep the water pristine, at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 7.8 to 9.0. The fish is very sensitive to poor water quality, more so than most rift lake cichlids.
Feed frozen foods such as cyclops and brine shrimp, along with fine sinking foods. It is mostly peaceful and easily bullied, so choose gentle tank mates or keep a species tank.
It is a biparental mouthbrooder, with the pair sharing the job of carrying the eggs and fry. Breeding it is hard.
Good to know
Xenotilapia flavipinnis is a cichlid in the family Cichlidae. Its pale body with yellow fins helps it blend into the sunlit sand.
In the wild
The yellow sand cichlid lives over open sand in Lake Tanganyika, often at the foot of rocky slopes. It takes mouthfuls of sand and sifts out tiny invertebrates. It moves in gregarious groups when not breeding.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The yellow sand cichlid is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.
Multie shell dweller
Neolamprologus multifasciatus
Freshwater1.8 in (4.5 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Black calvus
Altolamprologus calvus
Freshwater5.1 in (13 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Tanganyika killifish
Lamprichthys tanganicanus
Freshwater5.5 in (14 cm) · 40 gal (150 L)73–77°F (23–25°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a yellow sand cichlid need?
A yellow sand cichlid needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a yellow sand cichlid need?
A yellow sand cichlid is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 7.8–9.0.
What does a yellow sand cichlid eat?
A yellow sand cichlid eats frozen foods such as cyclops and brine shrimp, along with fine sinking foods.
How big does a yellow sand cichlid get?
An adult yellow sand cichlid reaches about 3.5 in (9 cm).
How does a yellow sand cichlid breed?
A yellow sand cichlid is a biparental mouthbrooder, and the pair shares the job of carrying the eggs and fry. Breeding it is hard.
Related species
3.1 in (8 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Butterfly xenotilapia
Xenotilapia papilio
3.1 in (8 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
4.1 in (10.5 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Deepwater xenotilapia
Xenotilapia bathyphila
4.1 in (10.5 cm) · 66 gal (250 L)
4.3 in (11 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Yellow-cheek xenotilapia
Xenotilapia ochrogenys
4.3 in (11 cm) · 79 gal (300 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)106 gal (400 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Blackchin sand diver
Xenotilapia melanogenys
5.9 in (15 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)
3.5 in (9 cm)63 gal (240 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Chitande aulonocara
Aulonocara ethelwynnae
3.5 in (9 cm) · 63 gal (240 L)
3.5 in (9 cm)42 gal (160 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Mwanza dung hap
Enterochromis coprologus
3.5 in (9 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)