Rainbow Callochromis

About

Buying this fish means buying a sand bed. Seriously Fish's profile for the congener Callochromis macrops describes how the whole genus eats: members of it 'feed in a similar way to the South American "eartheaters" such as Geophagus species. They extract invertebrates and other items hidden in the substrate by taking in mouthfulls of sand and sifting it through the gills.' A fish that puts the floor through its gills cannot be given gravel, and a thin decorative dusting will not do either — the same profile asks for 'a fairly deep layer (2-3″)' of sand. The trade name carries a place, and that is worth understanding rather than ignoring. Lithuanian shops list this fish as Callochromis pleurospilus 'Kigoma', after Kigoma Bay on the Tanzanian shore, and the German importer Aquarium Glaser, writing about descendants of fish collected there, explains that the fully coloured males of that population are called rainbow callochromis and that an invalid trade name in use for the same form is 'Callochromis greshakei'. The same page notes that females 'are silvery all their lives and have no markings in their fins', so a Kigoma tank is one blazing male over a group of plain silver fish by design, not by accident. Two behaviours define the species. The first is the feeding itself, which leaves the sand pitted where the fish has been working. The second is its escape: Aquarium Glaser records that 'when in danger, these cichlids dig in itself – like a flounder – lying on the side. Only one eye remains uncovered by the sand.' Size is reported inconsistently and we say so rather than pick the flattering number. FishBase gives 10.0 cm TL and Wikipedia the same, Aquarium Glaser says the species 'becomes only rarely over 10 cm long', AquariumDomain puts the maximum at 4 inches, and AquaInfo alone reports 12-15 cm. We plan for 12 cm. On plants, we checked instead of assuming. This is a digging fish, which normally counts against a species, but no source describing aquarium behaviour reports it eating or uprooting vegetation and two say the opposite: AquaInfo writes that plants are reasonably left alone, and Seriously Fish's macrops profile positively recommends planting, noting that 'Vallisneria and Ceratophyllum are readily available, easily grown and true to the natural habitat'. So this entry is marked plant-safe.

Care

One male, four to six females, and a long tank. AquariumDomain puts the minimum at 55 gallons over a four-foot base, Seriously Fish's macrops profile at 120 x 45 x 45 cm and 240 litres for a small group, and the same profile is blunt about males: 'In tanks with a "footprint" (surface area) of less than 72″ x 18″ only a single male should be kept.' We gate on 240 L over that 120 x 45 cm base and treat a second male as a six-foot decision, not a stocking tweak. Floor first: a deep bed of soft, fine sand left open across most of the tank, with rock piles in the back corners as refuges for females. The same profile warns the fish is 'particularly belligerent towards conspecifics' and should not share a tank with shell-dwellers or other sand sifters, because they all want the same ground. Water hard and alkaline — FishBase gives pH 7.0-8.5 and 10-15 dH at 23-28 °C, AquariumDomain pH 7.8-8.6 — so aim for pH 8.0-8.6 at 25-26 °C, where the rest of our Tanganyikan entries sit. Feed sinking food that actually reaches the sand, and keep a tight lid on a fast, easily startled open-floor fish.

Diet

Sand-sifting micro-carnivore. Frozen and live artemia, cyclops, mysis and bloodworm plus a sinking granule; it will take dry food, but everything has to reach the bottom, because that is where it feeds.

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.

These links are unpaid: we get nothing for them and ask for nothing.

Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Rainbow Callochromis need?

A Rainbow Callochromis needs an aquarium of at least 240 litres (63.4 US gallons) with a footprint at least 120 cm (47.2 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Rainbow Callochromis need?

Rainbow Callochromis does best at 23–28 °C (73.4–82.4 °F), pH 7.5–9 and a general hardness of 10–20 °dGH.

What group size does a Rainbow Callochromis need?

Rainbow Callochromis is a social species — keep a group of at least 5 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Rainbow Callochromis suitable for beginners?

Rainbow Callochromis is a demanding species best attempted with some experience — it needs stable, closely watched conditions to thrive.

Sources

• FishBase — Callochromis pleurospilus (Boulenger, 1906)
• Seriously Fish — Callochromis macrops (congener; used for genus-level feeding and husbandry)
• Aquarium Glaser — Callochromis pleurospilus 'Kigoma'
• AquariumDomain — Callochromis Cichlid (Callochromis pleurospilus)
• AquaInfo — Callochromis pleurospilus
• Wikipedia — Callochromis pleurospilus