Lemon Cichlid
Neolamprologus leleupi
Cichlidae
About
The lemon cichlid is a striking, bright-yellow rock-dwelling cichlid endemic to the southern reaches of Lake Tanganyika, where it forages for small invertebrates deep among boulders and caves. Placid most of the time but fiercely territorial toward its own kind and when breeding, it needs the hard, alkaline water and abundant rockwork of its native lake.
Care
Provide hard, alkaline water (pH ~8-9, high GH/KH), a sand base and dense rockwork with caves, and keep as a single pair or one male with several females. Very sensitive to organic waste, so maintain pristine conditions.
Diet
Carnivorous micropredator that gleans invertebrates from the rock biofilm and crevices; offer varied frozen and live meaty foods with a little vegetable-based flake, and avoid overfeeding dried foods.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (5)
Possible with care (138)
Avoid (128)
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.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Lemon Cichlid need?
- A Lemon Cichlid needs an aquarium of at least 110 litres (29.1 US gallons) with a footprint at least 80 cm (31.5 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Lemon Cichlid need?
- Lemon Cichlid does best at 23–27 °C (73.4–80.6 °F), pH 7.5–9 and a general hardness of 8–25 °dGH.
- What group size does a Lemon Cichlid need?
- Lemon Cichlid is a social species — keep a group of at least 2 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Lemon Cichlid suitable for beginners?
- Lemon Cichlid 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.