Aquarium Care Guides
2881 articles- Labidochromis chisumulae Breeding GuideHow to breed the Chisumulae Lab (Labidochromis chisumulae), a small Lake Malawi mbuna that is a maternal mouthbrooder best kept in a harem.
- Breeding Labidochromis textilis (Textilis Lab)Labidochromis textilis is a maternal mouthbrooding mbuna endemic to Lake Malawi. The female picks up the eggs and broods them in her mouth i
- Breeding Maylandia aurora (Aurora Cichlid)Maylandia aurora is a maternal mouthbrooding mbuna from Likoma Island, Lake Malawi. The female broods ~40-70 eggs in her mouth in hard, alka
- Breeding Maylandia zebra (Malawi Zebra)Maylandia zebra is a maternal mouthbrooding mbuna. The female holds up to ~60 eggs and fry for 18-24 days, fasting while she broods, then re
- Breeding Melanochromis parallelus (Parallel Stripe Mbuna)Melanochromis parallelus is a maternal mouthbrooding mbuna from Lake Malawi with strong sexual dichromatism. The female incubates eggs and f
- Breeding Benitochromis finleyi (Finley's Benitochromis)Benitochromis finleyi is an ovophilic biparental mouthbrooder from Cameroon. Eggs are laid on open substrate, the female broods, and both pa
- Breeding Chromidotilapia linkei (Linke's Cichlid)Chromidotilapia linkei is a pair-bonding biparental mouthbrooder from Cameroon. The female incubates up to about 150 eggs in her mouth in so
- Breeding Chromidotilapia guentheri (Guenther's Mouthbrooder)Chromidotilapia guentheri is a pair-bonding biparental mouthbrooder. Eggs are laid on a flat surface and taken into the mouth; both parents
- Breeding Astatoreochromis alluaudi (Alluaud's Haplochromine)Astatoreochromis alluaudi is a maternal mouthbrooding East African cichlid with shell-crushing pharyngeal jaws. The female incubates eggs in
- Breeding Sarotherodon melanotheron (Blackchin Tilapia)Sarotherodon melanotheron is a paternal mouthbrooder: the male incubates the eggs in his mouth. Females court and lead in pairing; the speci
- Breeding Tilapia mariae (Spotted Tilapia)Tilapia mariae is a monogamous, biparental open-substrate brooder. Females lay up to ~2000 eggs that hatch in 1-3 days; both parents guard f
- Breeding Tilapia buttikoferi (Hornet Tilapia)Tilapia buttikoferi is a large pair-bonding biparental open-substrate spawner that holds very large territories and may breed year-round. Bo
- Breeding Thysochromis ansorgii (Five-Banded Cichlid)Thysochromis ansorgii is a pair-bonding West African cichlid that spawns on substrate, preferring caves. Both parents guard eggs and fry in
- Nanochromis parilus Breeding GuideBreeding the blue Congo dwarf cichlid Nanochromis parilus, a soft-water cave spawner that will not spawn above pH 6.5, with biparental fry c
- Nanochromis transvestitus Breeding GuideBreeding Nanochromis transvestitus, a tiny Lake Mai-Ndombe cave spawner with reversed dichromatism that needs very soft, highly acidic water
- Steatocranus tinanti Breeding GuideBreeding the slender lionhead Steatocranus tinanti, a rheophilic Congo cave spawner in which the female lays in the male's cave with biparen
- Steatocranus casuarius Breeding GuideBreeding the buffalohead Steatocranus casuarius, a rheophilic Congo-rapids cave spawner with biparental care of a small clutch.
- Hemichromis stellifer Breeding GuideBreeding the star-spangled jewel Hemichromis stellifer, a Congo-basin pair-bonding substrate spawner with biparental brood care.
- Hemichromis fasciatus Breeding GuideBreeding the large, predatory banded jewel Hemichromis fasciatus, a substrate spawner with extended biparental care of larvae and juveniles.
- Hemichromis lifalili Breeding GuideBreeding the blood-red jewel cichlid Hemichromis lifalili, a monogamous substrate spawner that lays on a flat stone with biparental fry care
- Anomalochromis thomasi Breeding GuideBreeding the African butterfly cichlid Anomalochromis thomasi, a peaceful substrate spawner that lays on flat rocks with biparental fry care
- Pelvicachromis subocellatus Breeding GuideBreeding Pelvicachromis subocellatus, a soft-water West African cave spawner whose females flash a deep pink belly during courtship.
- Pelvicachromis sacrimontis Breeding GuideBreeding the giant krib Pelvicachromis sacrimontis, a Nigerian cave-spawning dwarf cichlid with monogamous biparental brood care.
- Pelvicachromis roloffi Breeding GuideBreeding Pelvicachromis roloffi, a soft-water West African dwarf cichlid that pairs off and spawns inside small caves with biparental care.
- Neochromis nigricans Breeding GuideHow to breed Neochromis nigricans, a Lake Victoria algae-grazing haplochromine that reproduces by maternal mouthbrooding.
- Platytaeniodus degeni Breeding GuideBreeding Platytaeniodus degeni, a sand-foraging Lake Victoria maternal mouthbrooder kept mainly as a conservation strain, with a genus-level
- Pyxichromis orthostoma Breeding GuideBreeding Pyxichromis orthostoma, a predatory large-mouthed Lake Kyoga maternal mouthbrooder kept as a rare conservation strain.
- Mbipia mbipi Breeding GuideBreeding Mbipia mbipi, a rocky-shore Lake Victoria maternal mouthbrooder with limited species data, kept mainly as a conservation strain.
- Paralabidochromis chromogynos Breeding GuideBreeding Paralabidochromis chromogynos, a marbled Lake Victoria maternal mouthbrooder of conservation interest with limited published data.
- Astatotilapia nubila Breeding GuideBreeding Astatotilapia nubila, a hardy Lake Victoria maternal mouthbrooder in which spawning males turn black with bright red anal and dorsa
- Astatotilapia burtoni Breeding GuideBreeding Astatotilapia burtoni (Burton's mouthbrooder), an East African maternal mouthbrooder and classic neuroscience model organism.
- Astatotilapia latifasciata Breeding GuideBreeding Astatotilapia latifasciata (Zebra Obliquidens), a hardy, prolific maternal mouthbrooder from Uganda's Lake Kyoga system.
- Haplochromis obliquidens Breeding GuideBreeding the hobby Zebra Obliquidens (sold as Haplochromis obliquidens), a prolific maternal mouthbrooder of the Lake Victoria region, with
- Pundamilia pundamilia Breeding GuideBreeding Pundamilia pundamilia, the blue-backed Lake Victoria mouthbrooder and sister species of P. nyererei in a classic speciation pair.
- Pundamilia nyererei Breeding GuideBreeding Pundamilia nyererei, a Lake Victoria maternal mouthbrooder where colourful males drive female mate choice and speciation.
- Variabilichromis moorii Breeding GuideBreeding Variabilichromis moorii, a Lake Tanganyika substrate spawner with biparental care, large clutches and lunar-timed spawning.
- Neolamprologus falcicula Breeding GuideHow to breed the Daffodil Brichardi (Neolamprologus falcicula), a Lake Tanganyika colonial cave-spawner with cooperative brood care.
- Neolamprologus savoryi Breeding GuideHow to breed the colony-forming Tanganyika cichlid Neolamprologus savoryi: cave spawning, monogamous pairs and extended multi-generation bro
- Lobochilotes labiatus Breeding GuideHow the big-lipped Tanganyika cichlid Lobochilotes labiatus breeds: maternal mouthbrooding, large adult size, conditioning and rocky-zone bi
- Boulengerochromis microlepis Breeding GuideWhy the giant emperor cichlid Boulengerochromis microlepis is not a home-breeding species: huge size, monogamous substrate spawning and prob
- Lepidiolamprologus cunningtoni Breeding GuideHow to breed the large Tanganyika predator Lepidiolamprologus cunningtoni: large sand crater nests, careful pairing and substrate spawning i
- Lepidiolamprologus attenuatus Breeding GuideHow to breed the sand-dwelling Tanganyika predator Lepidiolamprologus attenuatus: large crater nests, substrate spawning and biparental broo
- Lepidiolamprologus elongatus Breeding GuideHow to breed the predatory Tanganyika pike cichlid Lepidiolamprologus elongatus: careful pairing, cave spawning and biparental brood guardin
- Ophthalmotilapia boops Breeding GuideHow to breed the featherfin Ophthalmotilapia boops: sand bowers, pelvic-fin egg dummies, harem ratios and maternal mouthbrooding of up to 60
- Ophthalmotilapia nasuta Breeding GuideHow to breed the long-nose featherfin Ophthalmotilapia nasuta: large sand bowers up to 90 cm, pelvic-fin egg dummies and maternal mouthbrood
- Ophthalmotilapia ventralis Breeding GuideHow to breed the featherfin Ophthalmotilapia ventralis: sand or rock bowers, pelvic-fin egg dummies, harem ratios and maternal mouthbrooding
- Cyathopharynx furcifer Breeding GuideHow to breed the featherfin Cyathopharynx furcifer: large sand craters up to 60 cm wide, ventral-fin egg dummies and maternal mouthbrooding
- Callochromis macrops Breeding GuideHow to breed the big-eyed sand-sifter Callochromis macrops: deep-sand crater bowers, anal-fin egg mimicry, harem ratios and maternal mouthbr
- Aulonocranus dewindti Breeding GuideHow to breed the featherfin Aulonocranus dewindti: sand-bower colony courtship, maternal mouthbrooding, conditioning the group and rearing t
- Xenotilapia papilio Breeding GuideBreeding Xenotilapia papilio, a colourful Tanganyikan sand cichlid: a biparental mouthbrooder that pairs and defends a rock-and-sand territo