Tropheus (duboisi, moorii)

Care at a glance

Tropheus are the best-known cichlids of Lake Tanganyika: stocky algae grazers in dozens of colour forms, from the black-and-white spotted young duboisi to the fire-red moorii variants. They live in large, boisterous groups on the rocky shore and bring that behaviour into the aquarium.

Never keep them as a pair or in small numbers; keep twelve or more in a roomy tank full of rocks, because in a small group the dominant male kills the rest. They are notoriously prone to bloat, so feed strictly vegetable food (spirulina, vegetable flakes) and never bloodworms or other protein-rich food. Stable, hard, oxygen-rich water does the rest.

Good to know

• Territorial
• Needs a mature, stable tank

Related species

• Lemon cichlid (leleupi)Neolamprologus leleupi
• Maingano cichlidMelanochromis cyaneorhabdos
• Macmasteri dwarf cichlidApistogramma macmasteri
• Socolofi cichlid (powder blue)Chindongo socolofi
• Golden dwarf cichlid (nannacara)Nannacara anomala
• Venustus (giraffe cichlid)Nimbochromis venustus