All fish / Cichlidae

Callochromis pleurospilus

Callochromis pleurospilus

Also known as pleurospilus, callochromis pleurospilus red, red fin callochromis, sand sifting cichlid, カロクロミス・プレウロスピルス

This is a slim sand-sifting cichlid from the shallow sandy shores of Lake Tanganyika. Males show iridescent blue and orange-red spots and fin edges over a pale silvery body, while females are plainer. Keepers like it for its colour and its natural behaviour of digging spawning craters and sifting sand for food.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

11 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

7.8 to 9

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

One male with several females

Diet

Carnivore: small sinking pellets, frozen mysis, brine shrimp, bloodworm sparingly

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

6 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania, Zambia)

Breeding

Males dig a crater in the sand and court females, which brood the eggs and fry in their mouths for around three weeks. Breeding happens readily in a spacious tank with fine sand and several females.

Good to know

Needs fine sand and hard, alkaline water with good quality, as it is sensitive to nitrate and dirty water. Males are territorial towards each other, and it is outcompeted by boisterous mbuna.