Tropheus are very popular in the aquarium among hobbyists. How to best keep these fishes causes much debate among hobbyists. Their highly aggressive conspecific behavior and their tendency to catch "bloat" make them a real challenge. All Tropheus species are algae browsers in the wild and therefore their diet should consist mostly of (but not all!) vegetable matter. Since they are highly aggressive to conspecifics, so it is advisable to keep groups of at least a dozen or more in order to spread out aggression. Their wide variety of available colors and their enthusiasm at feeding time makes them a favorite, despite their challenges. Please use the article drop-down above to find out more in our "Tropheus Corner".
Pronunciation: Refer to our Pronunciation Key for an explanation of the phonetic symbols.
Habitat: This is the primary location where the cichlid is found and is a generalization. This does not mean a fish cannot be found in other habitats.
Diet: Many cichlids specialize in eating one type of food; notwithstanding, some of these specialized feeders are flexible and can be opportunistic feeders.
Temperament: This describes the overall demeanor of a cichlid toward other tankmates that are of a different species. Consider that there is variability in temperament due to various factors, including aquarium size, tankmates of similar appearance, stocking levels, and order of introduction. There may even be some variability among individual specimens.
Conspecific Temperament: This describes the overall demeanor of a cichlid toward other tank- mates of the same species. Consider that there is variability in temperament due to such factors as aquarium size, stocking levels and order of introduction. There may even be some variability among individual specimens.
Maximum Size: This is in regards to total length (including the tail) of typical aquarium specimens. Wild specimens may not attain this size, or may in fact grow larger than aquarium raised individuals due to various factors. Also consider that this is the typical maximum size and there are exceptional individuals that will exceed it.
Difficulty:
This measure is a relative value, comparing a single species against all
other cichlids.
This only accounts for maintanence in the aquarium and not breeding
considerations.
1 = easy and forgiving, 5 = extremely challenging.
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