Brown Julie
Julidochromis dickfeldi
Cichlidae
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About
The brown julie is the fifth Julidochromis in this catalogue and the odd one out. Seriously Fish records open doubt about the genus: 'There is some speculation as to whether this species has been placed in the correct genus. It has a different shape to other Julidochromis, having a pointed snout. It also exhibits different patterning, with blue edging to the dorsal and anal fins, and the horizontal stripes are very dark in colour. Furthermore it more closely resembles other species, notably Chalinochromis popelini in its feeding habits.' Its range is narrow even by Tanganyikan standards - rocky shallows in the south-west of the lake, between Kapampa and Ndole, which FishBase places 'north of Sumbu national park in Zambia' - and FishBase now records the IUCN assessment as Near Threatened, made on 14 March 2025. The water is the hard, alkaline Tanganyikan water every julie needs: Seriously Fish gives pH 8.0-9.2 and 10-25 °H, FishBase pH 8.5-9.2 and 8-14 dH. What actually makes julies hard is not chemistry but pairing. Seriously Fish's method is to buy a group of young fish and let them pair off naturally, which 'may take a year or more', then remove everything else, because 'buying an adult male and female will not guarantee a pair and often results in the female being harassed to death'. A formed pair stays together for life and will raise successive broods as a nuclear family, older fry helping to tend the next clutch - but the bond is fragile in one specific way: a large water change 'can cause mated pairs to turn on one another'.
Care
Hard, alkaline Tanganyikan water at pH 8.2-8.8 over sand, with rock piles arranged into caves filling much of the tank, and good oxygenation. Seriously Fish calls 75 x 30 x 30 cm - about 70 L - suitable for a single mated pair, and in the same profile asks for at least 90 cm for a breeding tank; we gate on the larger figure. Buy six or eight juveniles and let a pair form, then remove the rest. Do not buy one adult male and one adult female and hope, because that is how females get killed. Change water little and often: a big change can set a bonded pair on each other. It shares a tank well with Tanganyikans that use different space - Neolamprologus shell-dwellers on the sand, Cyprichromis in open water. Sexing is difficult and adult females are generally the larger fish, which is the opposite of what most keepers expect.
Diet
Micropredator that picks crustaceans off rock. Mostly live and frozen food - cyclops, mysis, brine shrimp, daphnia - with dried food less often and some spirulina or blanched spinach.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (32)
Possible with care (345)
Avoid (41)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
What works for this species, most reliable first.
- Extended finsStrong · from about 8 months, and later in a suppressed male
On many cichlids and killifish the male's dorsal and anal fins draw out into trailing points as he matures, while the female's stay rounded.
- VentingA hint only · only on a mature fish, easiest when she is in breeding condition
The method breeders use when the answer has to be right. Hold the fish upside down in a wet hand or soft net and look at the two openings ahead of the anal fin. The forward one is the anus; the one behind it is what you are reading.
- Adult sizeA hint only · only across animals of the same age
In many cichlids, catfish and loaches one sex simply grows larger — usually the male, though there are well-known reversals.
Also in these lists
Similar species
Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.
Sold in Lithuania
These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Brown Julie need?
- A Brown Julie needs an aquarium of at least 100 litres (26.4 US gallons) with a footprint at least 90 cm (35.4 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Brown Julie need?
- Brown Julie does best at 23–27 °C (73.4–80.6 °F), pH 7.8–9.2 and a general hardness of 8–25 °dGH.
- What group size does a Brown Julie need?
- Brown Julie is a social species — keep a group of at least 2 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Brown Julie suitable for beginners?
- Brown Julie sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.