Neolamprologus savoryi Breeding Guide

How to breed the colony-forming Tanganyika cichlid Neolamprologus savoryi: cave spawning, monogamous pairs and extended multi-generation brood care.

Overview

Neolamprologus savoryi is a rock-dwelling Brichardi-complex lamprologine from Lake Tanganyika that forms colonies, reaching about 8 cm. It is a cave spawner with extended, multi-generation brood care: previous generations of fry are allowed to remain with the parents until they reach sexual maturity, so several generations often coexist in the same aquarium.

Sexing

The species is not easy to sex, though adult males tend to be larger than females. Because of this, breeding pairs are usually obtained by buying a group of young fish and letting them pair off naturally.

Conditioning

Purchase a group of at least six young fish and allow them to form a monogamous pair bond. Condition the colony on quality foods; once a pair forms it is highly aggressive toward conspecifics outside the family group.

Breeding Setup

Provide a rocky tank of at least about 75 cm in length with plenty of caves and crevices. Maintain hard alkaline water around pH 8.2-9.0 and a temperature of roughly 25-27 C (77-80 F), typical of Tanganyika.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

The pair spawns secretly in a cave, which they often excavate themselves, with the female laying her eggs on the wall or roof of the cave. After spawning the female tends the eggs while the male guards the area around the cave, and the pair continues to spawn at intervals.

Egg & Fry Care

Care is biparental and colonial: older juveniles from earlier spawns help tend the cave and are tolerated until they mature. The fry are large enough to take brine shrimp nauplii from birth but are quite slow growing.

Common Challenges

Establishing a compatible pair from a group is the main hurdle, and the pair's aggression toward outsiders means tankmates must be chosen carefully. Slow fry growth requires patience, and stable warm, hard, alkaline water is essential.