Frontosa

About

The frontosa is a stately, slow-growing giant cichlid endemic to the deep rocky drop-offs of Lake Tanganyika, where it hovers in loose colonies over sand and boulders. Adults develop a pronounced nuchal hump on the forehead and carry striking vertical bars of blue-white and black. Calm and almost regal in the water, it is nonetheless a night-hunting predator that will pick off any tankmate small enough to fit in its mouth. Long-lived and undemanding once its needs are met, it rewards patience with decades of presence but requires a very large, deep aquarium and rock-solid hard, alkaline water.

Care

Keep a colony of one male with several females in a big, deep tank of 450 L or more (180 cm length ideal) with sand, heavy rockwork and hard, alkaline water at pH 8.2-8.6. Slow, peaceful and long-lived, but a predator: never mix with fish small enough to be eaten.

Diet

Carnivorous ambush hunter of fish, snails and crustaceans. Feed carnivore pellets plus frozen mysis, krill and shellfish; avoid rich mammalian meats to reduce bloat risk.

Sources

• Seriously Fish — Cyphotilapia frontosa
• FishBase — Cyphotilapia frontosa