Appearance: Non-breeding males and females are sandy gray to blend in with the lake floor. However, territorial breeding males display spectacular iridescent colors.
Size: Males reach up to 15 cm, with females being slightly smaller. They reach sexual maturity at around one year of age.
Habitat (Biotop): They live in large groups over sandy bottoms but move toward rocky areas to spawn. These groups (sometimes up to 100 members) often stay together for their entire lives (roughly 3 years).
Behavior: They are peaceful cichlids, both toward their own species and others. They do not handle harassment from aggressive tank mates well.
Tank Size: Minimum 300 liters (at least 120 cm long and 50 cm deep).
Setup: Requires large open areas of fine sand. Only a few rocks should be included.
Social Structure: It is best to keep them in groups of 5 to 7. Because they are peaceful, multiple males can be kept in the same tank.
Tank Mates: Best kept in a species-only tank or with calm fish that inhabit the middle or upper water layers (e.g., Paracyprichromis).
Diet: Carnivorous. In nature, they hunt small crustaceans in the top layer of sand. In an aquarium, they accept frozen foods, flakes, and high-quality pellets.
Breeding: They are maternal mouthbrooders. Spawning occurs in sand nests built by the male.
Batch Size: 30 to 80 fry.
Parental Care: They are poor parents; once the female releases the fry (after about 3 weeks), neither parent protects them.
Tip: If you wish to save the fry, it is recommended to move the brooding female to a separate, quiet tank at night to avoid stressing her into spitting the eggs early.