Breeding Neolamprologus brevis

Breeding guide for Neolamprologus brevis, a pair-bonding Tanganyikan shell-dweller in which both sexes can share one snail shell, with eggs hatching in about 24 hours.

Overview

Neolamprologus brevis is a small shell-dwelling cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika and fairly widespread in the lake. Males reach about 6 cm and females about 4 cm. It is a shell brooder, and unusually for the group, a pair may share the same shell, especially where shells are limited.

Sexing

Adult males are considerably larger than females, though the species is not easy to sex when young. Allowing fish to mature and pair off within a group is the most reliable way to obtain a breeding pair.

Conditioning

Offer mainly live and frozen foods; dried varieties are usually accepted, especially by tank-bred fish, but should not form the bulk of the diet. Maintain hard, alkaline water at 23-27 °C to keep the fish in condition.

Breeding Setup

Provide fine sand and empty snail shells, with a defended territory no more than about 15 cm across per pair. In colonies, keep several females per male to reduce aggression. Where shell numbers are limited, pairs naturally share a single shell.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

The female deposits eggs inside the snail shell while the male fertilises them, then she sits on top of the shell, covering the entrance and fanning the eggs with her fins. Stable water and available shells trigger spawning.

Egg & Fry Care

Eggs hatch in around 24 hours, and the fry become free-swimming at around day six or seven. The fry are typically tended near the shell and are later evicted after another fortnight or so as the parents prepare to spawn again.

Common Challenges

Although more peaceful than many shell-dwellers, brevis still defends its shell vigorously, so adequate sand area and spaced shells are needed in colonies. Sexing immature fish is difficult, making it best to grow out a small group and let pairs form.