Lemon Cichlid

Lemon Cichlid. DistributionAquarium Sizetop ↑MaintenanceDietBehaviour and Compatibilitytop ↑ReproductionNotestop ↑Endemicto Lake Tanganyika It is found only in the southern part of the lake but is fairly wide ranging over this area A tank measuring 30″ x 12″ x 12″ (75cm x 30cm x 30cm) – 70 litres is suitable for a single pairof these Use sand as substrate Much of the space should contain piles of rockwork forming lots of caves and hiding places Live and frozen foods should comprise a large proportion of the diet Dried foods can be fed but use these less often The diet also should include some vegetable matter such as a good quality spirulinaflake An aggressive territorial species when breeding but is otherwise quite placid It can be maintained successfully with other small to mediumsized Tanganyikan cichlids that occupy different areas of the tank such as Cyprichromis sp Other rockdwellers such as Julidochromis or Altolamprologus sp are possibilities if the tank is large enough and sufficient territories are provided It should never be kept with Mbuna or other boisterous species however It is very aggressive towards conspecifics and only a single pair should be kept unless the tankis very large Easy but patience is required Biparental cave spawner By far the best way to get a pair is to buy a group of young fish allowing them to pair off naturally Once a pair forms (this may take a year or more) the other individuals should be removed from the tank as they will not be tolerated by the pair Unfortunately buying an adult male and female will not guarantee a pairbond and often results in the female being harassed to death Even when a pair does form the bond is weak and lasts only for the duration of spawning and brood care Between spawns the male may become intolerant of the female so the provision of hiding places is essential The spawning tank should be at least 30″ in length and set up as suggested above The pHshould be around 8290 and the temperature 7780°F The pair will spawn very secretively in a cave which they often excavate themselves The female lays her eggs (up to 150) on the wall or roof of it It is often very difficult to tell if they have sp One of the most popular Tanganyikan species in the hobby N leleupi is a stunning fish when in good condition However it is not as easy to maintain as its popularity suggests due to its disagreeable attitude towards conspecifics and its sensitivity to deteriorating water conditions It is a solitary species in nature with male fish entering females’ caves as they find them and spawning with receptive females This explains the weak pair bond formed by spawningfish in aquaria and also the intolerance of unripe females by male fish There are 2 subspecies N leleupi leleupi and N leleupi melas There was previously a third N l longior but this has now been classified as distinct in its own right N l melas is a much darker fish than the standard leleupi and can be found existing in the same areas as the yellow form in nature The dark fish do not actually lack the yellow colour the dark pigment simply conceals it When two colour forms of a single species are found living.

The Lemon Cichlid is endemic to the rocky shorelines of the southern half and along the entire east coast of Lake Tanganyika in Africa Lemon Cichlids are highly variable and you can find them in all kinds of habitats both in profound water and at the surface Lemon Cichlids inhabit the cracks and crevices of the rocky terrain Family CichlidaeScientific Name Neolamprologus leleupiOrder Cichliformes.

Neolamprologus leleupi Lemon Cichlid AquaInfo

The Lemon Cichlid has an elongated body with a continuous dorsal fin a fan shaped caudal fin and large lips Males typically reach up to about 4 inches (10 cm) in length though they can grow close to 5 inches (12 cm) in the aquarium Typically females are slightly smaller reaching about 3 1/2 inches (9 cm).

Lemon Cichlid (Neolamprologus leleupi) Fish Profile & Care Guide

Lemon Cichlid Care The Lemon Cichlid is known from the rocky shorelines of the southern half of Lake Tanganyika where it may be Feeding Flake green flake slowsinking pellets/granules frozen foods such as vitaminenriched brineshrimp Mysis Breeding Neolamprologus leleupi is a cave Distribution Lake Tanganyika AfricaMaximum Size 10cm (39″).