All fish / Cichlidae

Ocellatus shell dweller

Lamprologus ocellatus

Also known as ocellatus, shell dweller, gold ocellatus, lamprologus ocellatus gold, ocellated shell dweller, shellie, gold occie, occie, ランプロローグス・オセラータス, 眼斑新亮丽鲷, 贝壳鲷

This is a tiny cichlid from Lake Tanganyika that lives in and around empty snail shells on sandy bottoms. It has a stocky tan, gold or brownish body with bluish sheen and a dark spot on the gill cover, and a lot of personality for its size. Keepers enjoy watching it dig, defend its shell and raise young in a small tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

7.8 to 9

Smallest tank

40 litres

Keep as

A pair or one male with two or three females

Diet

Carnivore: small frozen and live foods such as brine shrimp, mysis and daphnia, plus quality pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

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

Breeding

Females lay eggs inside a snail shell and guard them while the male defends the surrounding territory. Breeding is easy in hard, alkaline water with plenty of shells and fine sand, and fry can be raised on baby brine shrimp.

Good to know

Despite its small size it is fiercely territorial and will nip hands and chase larger fish away from its shells, so give each fish several shells. Needs hard, alkaline water and does not suit soft-water community tanks.