Lamprologus Ocellatus Breeding Guide

Breeding Lamprologus ocellatus: sexing by size, a shell-bed setup, eggs laid inside snail shells hatching in three days, and substrate-spawner fry care.

Overview

Lamprologus ocellatus is a shell-dwelling cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika that lives in snail shells and raises its young inside them. It is a substrate spawner that deposits eggs within the shell, and males spawn with multiple females in or near their shells.

Sexing

Males are notably larger than females and display distinctive coloration, including a yellow edge on the dorsal fin. Adults reach up to about 5.8 cm, with the larger fish in a group usually being the male.

Conditioning

The species is omnivorous and will accept a wide variety of prepared aquarium foods including flake, small pellets, frozen foods and live brine shrimp or daphnia. A varied diet brings fish into breeding condition.

Breeding Setup

Provide a sand bed with empty snail shells, which the fish use as homes and spawning sites; they bury shells using propeller-like motions of the tail. Suitable water is hard and alkaline at pH 8.0-8.3 minimum, carbonate hardness (kH) 12-14 and 23-27 °C (73-81 °F). A male can be kept with several females, each occupying her own shell.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

The male spawns with multiple females in or near his shells, and eggs are laid inside the shell. A settled territory with good shells and stable hard, alkaline water are the main triggers.

Egg & Fry Care

Eggs laid inside the shell take approximately three days to hatch, and the fry are free-swimming in one week. Newly hatched fry measure about 6 mm. The female tends the brood within the shell; the fry accept brine shrimp nauplii and other small foods once free-swimming.