All fish / Cichlidae

Tropheus kasabae

Tropheus kasabae

Also known as tropheus moorii kasabae, tropheus kasaba, kasaba bay tropheus, tropheus nkamba, tropheus sp. kasaba, トロフェウス・カサバエ, 卡萨巴蓝波

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A stocky, deep-bodied rock cichlid from southern Lake Tanganyika. It is mostly dark with a band or patches of yellow, orange or red on the flanks, and the exact colour varies between local populations. Keepers like it for its busy grazing habits and the bold, lively way a large colony behaves.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

8 to 9

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Large group of 12 or more, with more females than males

Diet

Herbivore: spirulina and vegetable based flakes or pellets, blanched greens, algae; avoid rich meaty foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Southern Lake Tanganyika, Zambia (Kasaba Bay and Nkamba Bay area)

Breeding

The female broods the eggs and fry in her mouth for about four weeks, and clutches are small, usually 5 to 15 young. It breeds readily in a well-run colony, but keeping the group calm and healthy is the difficult part.

Good to know

It needs a high-fibre diet, and protein-rich foods can trigger bloat, which is often fatal. Males fight hard, so keep it only as a large colony and never mix it with other Tropheus populations, because they will hybridise.