Lepidiolamprologus elongatus Breeding Guide

How to breed the predatory Tanganyika pike cichlid Lepidiolamprologus elongatus: careful pairing, cave spawning and biparental brood guarding.

Overview

Lepidiolamprologus elongatus is a pike-like predatory cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika, reaching about 32.5 cm TL. It prefers rocky areas, is usually solitary and feeds on fish. It is a cave spawner that deposits its eggs in small caves among the rocks, in contrast to the mouthbrooding featherfins of the lake.

Sexing

Sexing is difficult outside of breeding condition; males tend to grow larger and males develop blue iridescence. Pairs are most reliably identified by their behaviour once they bond and claim a cave.

Conditioning

As a piscivore at a high trophic level, this species is conditioned on meaty foods. Because it is large, predatory and intolerant of conspecifics, it should be paired carefully rather than kept in crowded groups.

Breeding Setup

A large rocky tank that offers small caves and crevices is required, matching the rocky habitat where the species occurs. Maintain hard alkaline water around pH 8.0-9.0 and a temperature of roughly 23-25 C, within Tanganyika ranges.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Spawning occurs in a small cave, where the eggs are laid on a hidden surface. As a substrate-spawning lamprologine the pair guards the spawning site, in contrast to the maternal mouthbrooders of the lake.

Common Challenges

The species is an aggressive predator that will hunt small tankmates and shellies, so it needs a large tank and robust companions. Conspecific aggression makes group keeping difficult, and stable warm, hard, alkaline water is essential.