Kavala Black Leleupi (Neolamprologus leleupi)

Kavala Black Leleupi is sold as a dark form of Neolamprologus leleupi, a Lake Tanganyika cichlid for keepers who enjoy structured rockwork, hard alkaline water and visible territorial behaviour. It is not a general community fish. Plan it as a specialist cichlid for a mature aquarium where caves, broken sight lines and stable water chemistry are built in from the start.

Colour varies across this species, which includes dark as well as yellow forms. The Kavala Black name identifies the form offered here; it does not guarantee a particular pattern or shade on arrival. Judge condition by clear eyes, intact fins, confident posture and feeding response, and give new fish cover and time to settle.

Tank setup

Use a sand base with stable rock piles, caves and gaps that allow the fish to choose a territory. Rockwork should sit securely on the base of the aquarium before sand is added, because Tanganyikan cichlids can dig around shelter. A long footprint is more useful than extra height, especially if you plan to keep more than one cichlid species.

Keep the water hard, alkaline and very stable. Strong biological filtration, good oxygen exchange and regular maintenance matter more than chasing a perfect single number. Avoid mixing this fish into soft-water community aquariums built for tetras, dwarf cichlids or shrimp; the water chemistry and behaviour do not match.

Feeding

This is a carnivorous cichlid. Offer a good quality cichlid pellet as the staple and rotate frozen foods such as brine shrimp, mysis, krill and bloodworm. Feed small portions that are eaten quickly. Heavy feeding leaves waste between rocks and can spoil water quality in exactly the places this fish wants to defend.

Compatibility

Treat this as a semi-aggressive Tanganyikan cichlid. It can be kept with carefully selected companions in a spacious hard-water aquarium, but it should not be trusted with tiny fish, delicate long-finned species or ornamental shrimp. Suitable planning is about territory as much as water: give each fish a route away from pressure and several visual barriers.

For another rock-dwelling Tanganyika option, compare the separate care requirements of Black Pearl Calvus. A shared lake origin does not make two fish automatically compatible: territory, adult size and aquarium layout still need individual planning.

Choosing your fish

The size choices for this listing are 3–4 cm, 4–5 cm and 5.5–7 cm. Check the selector for the available choice when ordering. These are dispatch grades, not adult sizes or a promise of sex or an established pair.

Further reading

FishBase covers the accepted species and natural habitat; Seriously Fish provides aquarium guidance, including an adult size of about 10 cm standard length, measured without the tail fin.