All fish / Cichlidae

Golden Julie

Julidochromis ornatus

Also known as ornate julie, golden julidochromis, yellow julie, julie, ornatus julie, golden julie cichlid, ジュリドクロミス・オルナトゥス, 黄金九间, 金色九间

A slim, torpedo-like Tanganyikan cichlid with a golden yellow body marked by bold black horizontal stripes and pale blue fin edges. It is popular for its striking colour, interesting rock-dwelling habits and fairly small adult size compared with many cichlids.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

8 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

7.8 to 9

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

One pair, or a small group in a large rocky tank

Diet

Carnivore: small crustaceans, brine shrimp, mysis, bloodworm and quality cichlid pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

7 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

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

Breeding

A cave spawner that forms pairs, laying eggs on the roof of a crevice that both parents guard. Breeding is quite easy in a well-aquascaped hard water tank, and older fry often stay with the family alongside new broods.

Good to know

Pairs become territorial and can be harsh to tankmates near their caves, so provide plenty of rockwork. It can hybridise with other Julidochromis species, so keep only one species per tank.