Photos © Sean Evans
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| Common name: | |
| Scientific name: | Neolamprologus cylindricus |
| Synonyms: | |
| Size: | Up to 5" (12.5cm) |
| Origin: | Lake Tanganyika, East Africa |
| Tank setup: | Plenty of rocky decor with sand substrate (or fine gravel). |
| Compatibility: | A fairly aggressive cichlid, it will not tolerate others of its own species.
Keep adults as single specimens or established pairs. They are often aggressive towards similar-looking fish
which occupy a similar niche in the aquarium, such as Julidochromis.
Suitable companions could include more robust Neolamprologus species, Altolamprologus, and shoaling Cyprichromis. |
| Temperature: | 24-27oC (75-81oF) |
| Water chemistry: | Hard and alkaline: pH 7.8-9.0, GH 12-20, KH 14-20 ideally, but at least 6. |
| Feeding: | Will take most aquarium foods, supplement with frozen or live foods. |
| Sexing: | No obvious differences (see Breeding). Mature males are likely to be slightly larger. |
| Breeding: | To obtain a compatible breeding pair, it is recommended that a group of several
juveniles are raised, and the 'surplus' fish removed once a pair has formed, to avoid serious aggression from the
established pair. Spawning takes place in caves, which should have smooth walls to facilitate egg-laying.
The female will protect the fry for a while after they emerge from the cave. |
| Comments: |
There is some variation in the intensity of the stripes in fish from different sources. Although this fish is a slow grower,
adults become quite an imposing fish at full size. It is not recommended that they be housed with the similarly shaped N. leleupi,
except in very large aquaria.
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