All fish / Cichlidae

Poor Man's Tropheus

Amphilophus nematopus

Also known as poor mans tropheus, little lemon cichlid, neetroplus nematopus, nematopus cichlid, lake nicaragua cichlid

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A small, stocky Central American cichlid with a grey brown body and a single dark vertical band, which shifts to a dramatic black body with a pale bar when the fish is breeding. It lives over rocks in fast water, where it scrapes algae, and keepers like it for its Tropheus-like grazing behaviour, bold personality and modest size.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

7 to 8.2

Smallest tank

150 litres

Keep as

A single pair, or one fish with robust Central American tankmates

Diet

Omnivore: algae and biofilm grazed from rocks, plus quality pellets, vegetable matter and frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Atlantic slope of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, including Lake Nicaragua and the San Juan basin

Breeding

A substrate spawner that lays eggs in a cave or under a rock, with both parents guarding the eggs and fry very closely. Breeding is fairly easy in a well-structured tank with a bonded pair, but the parents become very aggressive while defending young.

Good to know

Despite its small size it is extremely territorial and will bully larger fish, so give plenty of rockwork and space. Older literature places it in Neetroplus, but it is now usually listed as Amphilophus nematopus.