Photo taken at Wharf Aquatics
© Sean Evans
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| Common name: | |
| Scientific name: | Altolamprologus compressiceps |
| Synonyms: | (none) |
| Size: | Up to 6" (15cm), female smaller - 4" (10cm). |
| Origin: | Lake Tanganyika, E.Africa |
| Tank setup: | Piles of rocks, with sand or fine gravel substrate. Shells can also be added. |
| Compatibility: | Not for the community tank, keep with similar sized Tanganyikan cichlids, which are not
overly aggressive, such as Julidochromis or larger shell dwellers. |
| Temperature: | 24-27oC (75-81oF) |
| Water chemistry: | Hard and alkaline: pH 7.8-9.0, GH 12-20, KH 14-20 |
| Feeding: | Will take most aquarium foods, but frozen or live foods are preferred. |
| Sexing: | Males are usually significantly larger in established pairs. Mature males will also appear deeper
bodied with more elongated finnage. These differences are not apparent in juveniles. |
| Breeding: | Substrate spawner, the female will usually select a cave with a very narrow entrance.
The female will guard the eggs and fry until they are free swimming. |
| Comments: |
A slow-growing cichlid, A. compressiceps makes an interesting addition to a suitable Tanganyikan setup.
As with A. calvus, there are different colour variants, originating from different locations in the lake.
Altolamprologus may eat very small fishes and fry, but are not generally a danger to adult Tanganyikan cichlids.
They should not be kept with boisterous fishes such as Tropheus and the Malawi mbuna.
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