Tropheus Moorii Breeding Guide

Breeding Tropheus moorii: colony keeping, a strictly herbivorous bloat-safe diet, small clutches of large eggs and a 30-35 day mouthbrooding period.

Overview

Tropheus moorii is a herbivorous cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika that in nature mostly feeds on filamentous algae on the rocky shallows and is adapted to bright light. It is a maternal mouthbrooder with very high parental investment, producing few large eggs and buccally feeding the young.

Sexing

The species is sexually monomorphic, so the sexes look alike. Males can be distinguished by a larger upper lip, a faster growth rate and a deeper body, while females are slimmer. Reliable sexing usually requires venting or observing spawning behaviour.

Conditioning

Diet is critical: T. moorii is strictly herbivorous, and a vegetable-based diet must be maintained. The fish are highly territorial, with both male and female adults occupying individual feeding territories, so a large colony is needed to diffuse aggression.

Breeding Setup

Keep the species as a large colony over rockwork in hard, alkaline Tanganyikan water. The mating system is serial monogamy with temporary pair bonds, and spawnings are genetically monogamous, with all eggs fertilised by a single male.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Spawning occurs on a rock surface, with the female laying up to 20 eggs that are bright orange in colour. She takes them into her mouth and the dominant male fertilises them. A settled colony, good water quality and the herbivorous diet are the main triggers.

Egg & Fry Care

The female is a maternal mouthbrooder that incubates the eggs and young for 30 to 35 days and buccally feeds them, effectively starving herself during this period. This care produces young that are larger, heavier and faster than unfed fry. Released fry are large and accept finely crushed vegetable-based foods.