Xenotilapia ochrogenys \"ndole\"

A schooling sand cichlid from Lake Tanganyika

Xenotilapia ochrogenys "ndole" is a cichlid found only in Lake Tanganyika. FishBase's species summary records adults living over sandy bottoms and forming schools, and that single line tells you most of what matters when planning for it: this is a fish for a group, a wide floor of open sand and the hard, alkaline water that Tanganyikan cichlids are kept in.

It is not a fish to add on impulse to a general community tank. It rewards a keeper who builds the aquarium around it and who is happy to keep it with other species from the same lake, rather than mixing fish from different parts of the world. In return you get a school that moves together over open sand instead of disappearing among rocks.

A Tanganyikan community, in the sense used throughout this guide, is an aquarium stocked only with species from that one lake and kept in the hard, alkaline water they share. Within such a tank, this fish belongs to the open sand floor, so the rest of the layout and stocking should leave that floor free for it.

FishBase gives a maximum recorded length of 11 cm total length, and the Wikipedia species account gives the same figure and notes that the species appears in the aquarium trade. Plan the tank and the stocking around that adult size. FishBase also lists the species as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and places its range in the lake between about 3° and 9° south.

What you receive

Each purchase supplies one live fish of the size you choose, either 4–5 cm or 5–7 cm. The size you select is the size supplied, not the adult size. Plan the space for full-grown fish from the start.

Because this is a schooling species, most keepers will want several fish. Order them together so they travel, arrive and settle as one group rather than joining the tank one at a time.

Choosing between the two sizes

Both sizes are smaller than the 11 cm maximum recorded for the species, so either way the fish will grow in your care. The 4–5 cm size gives the longest period of growth in your own aquarium; the 5–7 cm size starts further along. Whichever you pick, buying the whole group in one size means the fish start level with one another when food goes in, and the school looks even from the first day.

Sex is guaranteed only when the selected option explicitly states male or female. This Xenotilapia ochrogenys \"ndole\" listing has no sex-guaranteed option. A group you order is therefore an unselected mix.

The word "ndole" is the trade name this line is sold under. It does not change how the fish should be kept: everything in this guide follows Xenotilapia ochrogenys as a species.

In the gallery the fish show a golden body with rows of pale, silvery-blue spots along the flanks, a spiny dorsal fin and a red eye. Gallery images have been digitally enhanced to improve image quality. Natural colour, pattern, size and maturity can vary between live animals.

Is it right for your aquarium?

If your tap water is soft, or your existing tank holds soft-water community fish, this species needs an aquarium set up specifically for it. If you already keep Tanganyikan species in hard water with a stretch of open sand, it may fit well, provided the fish already there leave room for a school on the sand.

Three things decide success with this fish more than anything else: water that is already hard, alkaline and fully matured; enough floor space for a group; and tank mates chosen from the same lake. The care guidance below sets out each one, including how to test your water and what to do on arrival day. If any of the three is not in place yet, get the aquarium ready first and order once your test results are stable.

Hard, alkaline water and how to hold it

Target values

The temperature below comes from FishBase's record for this species. The pH, hardness and waste figures come from the OATA care sheet for African lake cichlids, the UK ornamental aquatic trade body's guidance for the group as a whole. OATA presents them as a general guide for these fish, so treat them as the frame to work within and keep your own readings steady inside it.

Why 24–26 °C

FishBase records the species at 24–26 °C, a narrower band than OATA's 23–27 °C for the whole group. Holding the aquarium within the narrower band keeps you inside both figures at once. In most UK homes that means a heater with a thermostat, checked against a separate thermometer so that a heater stuck on or off does not go unnoticed. Glance at the thermometer every day; a slow drift is easy to miss unless you look for it.

Hardness, pH and buffering

General hardness (GH) is a measure of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Carbonate hardness (KH) is a measure of the carbonates that resist a fall in pH. Both matter for this fish: OATA asks for hard water on both counts, and a healthy KH is what helps the pH hold steady between water changes.

Start by testing your tap water for GH, KH and pH. Some parts of the UK supply water that is already hard and alkaline; others supply soft water that would need raising before it suits this species. OATA recommends fine coral sand or a similar substrate for African lake cichlids because it helps to buffer the water, and that same choice gives the fish the sand it lives over. Make any adjustment gradually, in the water you prepare for changes, so each change matches the aquarium rather than jolting it.

Our guide to which water values to test and why explains GH, KH and pH in more depth, and the water parameter matcher lets you compare your own readings with the figures above before you order.

Preparing water for changes

With hard-water fish, the replacement water matters as much as the aquarium water. If your tap water is already close to the targets, conditioning it and matching its temperature may be all that is needed. If it is softer, prepare each batch in advance so it reaches the same GH, KH and pH as the tank before it goes in, and test the batch rather than assuming it is right. A 25% change with water that differs sharply from the aquarium moves the tank's hardness a quarter of the way towards the new water in one go, so matching each batch is what keeps weekly changes gentle.

Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate

Fish release ammonia, which is toxic. In a working biological filter, bacteria convert it to nitrite, which is also toxic, and then to nitrate, which is safer. That is why OATA asks for zero ammonia and zero nitrite, and sets nitrate as no more than 20 mg per litre above your tap water rather than as a fixed number: what matters is the build-up above your own supply. Test regularly, at least once a week, and more often in the first weeks after new fish arrive.

Setting up the aquarium around open sand

Space for a school

OATA's rule for African lake cichlids is to buy an aquarium as large as you reasonably can, because the right size varies with the species. Its own examples show how wide that range is: a pair of the smallest shell-dwelling cichlids, which grow to about 6 cm, needs an aquarium at least 45 cm long, while frontosa, which can grow to over 30 cm, needs one of about 180 cm and sometimes more.

Xenotilapia ochrogenys sits between those examples in size, but it lives in schools over open sand rather than in a single shell, so floor area is what you are really buying. A long, wide tank gives the group room to move together and gives each fish space to find its place. OATA also points out that the larger the aquarium, the more stable its temperature and water quality, which matters for a fish kept in exacting water.

Sand and décor

FishBase describes adults living over sandy bottoms, so the heart of the layout should be a broad, uninterrupted area of fine sand. With coral sand or a similar buffering substrate underneath the school, the floor of the tank does two jobs at once.

Rock, wood and plants can frame the sand around the edges and back of the tank. Keep them there, rather than scattered across the middle, so the open floor stays open. If you are building a Tanganyikan community with rock-dwelling species, give them their rockwork at one end or along the back and leave the sand free for this school.

Filtration and oxygen

A filter is always essential, and the RSPCA's aquarium guidance is plain that no fish should be kept without a well set up and maintained filter. For African lake cichlids OATA goes further: because some of their communities need crowded conditions, it recommends an oversized filter, together with vigorous aeration so that enough dissolved oxygen is available.

In practice that means a filter rated well above the tank's volume, run continuously, with the outlet and any air stones placed so the surface keeps moving and water circulates through the whole tank. The filter's bacteria are what keep ammonia and nitrite at zero, so treat the filter as part of the livestock rather than as a piece of equipment you can switch off.

Equipment checklist

• A long aquarium chosen for floor area, as large as you can reasonably fit.
• Fine coral sand or a similar buffering sand.
• A heater with a thermostat, and a separate thermometer.
• An oversized filter, plus an air pump and air stone for vigorous aeration.
• Test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, GH and KH.
• Tap water conditioner, a siphon and a bucket kept only for aquarium use.

Mature the tank before ordering

A new aquarium needs time for the filter's bacteria to establish before any fish arrive. Our guide to setting up and maturing a first tropical tank walks through the process step by step. Order only once ammonia and nitrite read zero, the temperature holds at 24–26 °C, and pH, GH and KH sit where you want them on repeated tests.

Feeding the group

What to offer

Diets across African lake cichlids vary a great deal. OATA's care sheet contrasts herbivorous species such as tropheus, which appreciate specialised cichlid feeds with a high algae content, with larger predatory species that need foods with a higher animal content. Xenotilapia ochrogenys is a sand-dwelling fish of up to 11 cm, neither a tropheus nor one of the large predatory species, so a varied menu suits it better than a specialist one.

Use a good-quality prepared cichlid food as the base, in a pellet or granule size the fish can swallow easily, and vary it with a second prepared food so the group never relies on a single product. FishBase describes the species as benthopelagic, meaning it lives near the bottom as well as in midwater, so include food that sinks to the sand as well as food the fish can take as it falls. Increase the food size gradually as the fish grow from the size you bought towards their adult length.

How much and how often

OATA's rule for African lake cichlids is to feed only what the fish can eat within a few minutes, twice a day. Uneaten food breaks down and releases toxic waste into the water, so overfeeding works directly against the zero ammonia and nitrite you are aiming for. If food is still lying on the sand after a few minutes, feed less next time and siphon out the leftovers.

In a school, bolder fish can take more than their share. Spread each feed across the surface so food falls over a wider area, and watch that every fish in the group is eating. A fish that shows reduced interest in food is one of the early signs OATA lists as worth investigating.

Feeding in a Tanganyikan community

In a mixed tank, faster midwater species can take most of the food before it reaches the sand. If that happens, feed in two places at once, or add a portion of sinking food after the first portion has drawn the other fish up, so the school on the sand gets its share. Keep the total within the few-minutes rule rather than adding extra food to make up for competition; uneaten food on the sand costs more in water quality than it gives in nutrition.

Arrival day and settling in

How your fish travel

Every order is hand-packed by our team. Fish are bagged in pure oxygen and packed in an insulated poly box, with a heat pack when the weather calls for it, then carried by a licensed live-animal courier. We email the tracking number and your confirmed Thursday or Friday delivery date, so you know when to be in. The full terms are on our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee page.

Before delivery day

• Test the aquarium the day before: ammonia and nitrite at zero, temperature at 24–26 °C, and pH, GH and KH where they normally sit.
• Check that the heater, filter and aeration are all running.
• Plan to be at home on the confirmed Thursday or Friday, and keep your phone charged so you can film the unboxing.
• Keep your order number to hand in case anything needs reporting.

On the day

1. Make sure someone is at the delivery address to receive the parcel; live fish cannot be left unattended.
2. Before the box is opened, start a short continuous unboxing video showing the parcel still sealed with the outer box in view. Always film this, because the Live Arrival Guarantee needs that video for any claim.
3. Keep filming in one take as you open the box, so the fish can be seen still inside the sealed bag before anything is disturbed. The parcel should be opened and inspected on the day it arrives.
4. Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 20–30 minutes before releasing the fish, so the water in the bag comes close to the tank's temperature.
5. Release the fish into the aquarium without pouring the bag water into your tank.

If anything has gone wrong, contact us the same day, by WhatsApp for the quickest reply, with your order number and the unboxing video, and we will arrange a replacement or refund.

The first weeks

OATA's advice on introducing African lake cichlids is to confirm, before adding any fish, that ammonia and nitrite are at zero and that the aquarium is large enough for the number you plan to keep. Increase the population slowly, because the filter's bacteria have to grow each time more fish are added and feeding increases. Stocking too quickly can cause 'new tank syndrome': there are not enough nitrifying bacteria to cope with the extra waste, and ammonia and nitrite rise to unhealthy levels, which may cause fish to become ill or die.

For this species that shapes how you stock. Build the tank up in stages, but make each stage a group: this school as one introduction, other species as later ones. OATA notes that adding some African lake cichlids in groups helps avoid any single fish receiving unnecessary aggression as it settles in, and it suggests adding more peaceful species first and more aggressive species later. In a mixed Tanganyikan tank, set the order of introductions by the temperament of each species you plan to keep.

At arrival and in the weeks that follow, look for the signs of a healthy fish that OATA describes: clear, bright eyes, undamaged fins, intact scales and no ulcerations or bumps. Test ammonia and nitrite more often than usual while the new group settles.

Weekly maintenance and health checks

A weekly routine

• Change part of the water at least once every week: OATA strongly recommends a partial water change of 25% weekly for African lake cichlids.
• Use a siphon to lift uneaten food and solid waste from the surface of the sand as you remove the water.
• Treat all replacement water with a tap water conditioner to remove chlorine or chloramine, and prepare it to the same temperature and hardness as the aquarium.
• Test ammonia and nitrite at least once a week, and check pH and KH as well so a slow drift is caught early.
• Check the filter for blockages. If the media needs cleaning, rinse it lightly in the tank water you have just removed; do not run it under the tap, because any chlorine or chloramine present may kill the bacteria the filter depends on.
• Read the thermometer every day.

OATA stresses that good husbandry is essential with African lake cichlids, because they can be stressed by even the smallest amounts of ammonia. A routine kept every week, rather than a big clean-up once problems appear, is what holds hard, alkaline water steady for this fish.

Keeping a simple record

Write down each test result with the date, alongside the temperature and the size of the water change. A few weeks of readings show you what normal looks like for your tank, so a drift in pH or KH, or a nitrate figure creeping upwards between changes, stands out early and can be corrected gradually.

If a test reads above zero

Any ammonia or nitrite reading above zero means the filter is not keeping up with the waste going in. Stop adding fish, feed less for a while, carry out a partial water change with matched water, and test again the next day. Keep going until both read zero on repeated tests. A rise in nitrate between changes points to the same cause more slowly: more waste going in than the routine removes. Look at feeding and stocking first, before assuming the fish or the filter is at fault.

Signs worth acting on

All fish vary a little in behaviour and appearance, but OATA lists changes that are worth noticing early:

• Swimming: hanging at the surface, sitting on the bottom or swimming erratically.
• Colour: turning darker or paler than normal.
• Temperament: more aggression than usual, or more hiding.
• Breathing: gill covers moving faster or slower than normal.
• Appearance: white spots, fluffy growths, or loss of fins or scales.
• Condition: a gain or loss in body weight.
• Feeding: eating less or losing interest in food.

With a schooling fish, also notice any individual that stays apart when the rest of the group moves together. If you are concerned about any of your fish, test the water quality first and then contact us with the readings so we can help you work out the next step.

Group size and tank mates

Why a group matters

FishBase records Xenotilapia ochrogenys forming schools, and OATA notes that very few, if any, African lake cichlids do well when kept singly and are likely to become stressed. The number to keep depends on the species and on your tank, so no single figure fits every aquarium, but the principle is clear: plan for a group of its own kind rather than one fish or a lone pair.

Because each purchase is one fish, choose the number with your tank's floor area in mind and order the group together. A school gives each fish the company of its own species and lets you see the behaviour the species is recorded for in the lake: fish moving together over open sand.

Choosing companions

OATA's general rule is that African lake species should only be stocked with other species from the same location, which here means a Lake Tanganyika community. It does not recommend mixing Malawi and Tanganyikan cichlids because of differences in temperament and behaviour. Tanganyikan cichlids themselves vary widely in size and temperament, so research each species before it joins the tank.

When browsing our African cichlid range, check which lake each species comes from: the range includes Malawi species that should not share this tank. If aggression appears after a new fish is added, rearranging the aquarium décor can help to reduce it, as fish then have to find new territories.

Judging a possible companion

Before adding any species to a tank that holds this school, check it against a few plain questions:

• Does it come from Lake Tanganyika? If not, OATA's same-lake rule points elsewhere.
• Does it need the same hard, alkaline water this aquarium is kept at?
• Where in the tank does it live? A species that uses rockwork or open water leaves the sand to this school; one that claims the whole floor competes with it.
• How large does it grow, and how does its temperament compare? Check each species' own adult size and behaviour rather than assuming all Tanganyikan cichlids are alike.
• Will your filtration and floor area still cope once every fish is full-grown?

Behaviour to expect

FishBase classes the species as benthopelagic, so expect a school that spends time close to the sand but also uses the water above it. Adults in the lake are found over sandy bottoms, which is why open floor matters more to this fish than caves or rock piles.

FishBase also records that females brood their young in the mouth. Because this listing sells fish without choosing their sex, a group may or may not contain both sexes, so breeding is a possibility rather than something to expect. If you keep a group long term, mouthbrooding is one of the natural behaviours you may see.

Temperament varies across Tanganyikan cichlids, so watch your own group closely, especially after any new fish goes in. OATA's watch list includes changes in the level of aggression and more hiding than normal; either one is a prompt to check the water and review the stocking.

Common questions

How big does Xenotilapia ochrogenys "ndole" get?

FishBase records a maximum length of 11 cm total length for this species, and the Wikipedia species account gives the same figure. Plan the aquarium for fish of that adult size.

What size aquarium does Xenotilapia ochrogenys need?

Choose the largest tank you reasonably can, with a long, wide area of open fine sand for a school of fish that can reach 11 cm. OATA gives 45 cm as the minimum length for a pair of the smallest shell-dwelling cichlids, so a school of this larger, sand-dwelling species needs considerably more floor space than that.

How many Xenotilapia ochrogenys should be kept together?

Keep a group rather than a single fish. FishBase records the species forming schools, and OATA notes that very few African lake cichlids do well kept singly and that they are likely to become stressed. Order the group together so the fish settle in at the same time.

Is Xenotilapia ochrogenys suitable for beginners?

It can suit a careful beginner whose aquarium is already matured, with ammonia and nitrite at zero, and whose water can be kept hard and alkaline. OATA describes African lake cichlids as usually undemanding and easy to keep, but also as specialised fish that need particular water parameters, so a new, unstable tank is not the place to start.

What does Xenotilapia ochrogenys eat?

Offer a varied diet of good-quality prepared cichlid foods small enough to swallow easily, including some that sink to the sand. Feed only what the group eats within a few minutes, twice a day, as OATA advises for African lake cichlids, and avoid overfeeding.

What temperature and pH does it need?

Aim for 24–26 °C, the range FishBase records for the species. For pH and hardness, OATA gives broad guidance for African lake cichlids of pH 8.0–8.6, general hardness 12–18 °dH and carbonate hardness 10–15 °dKH.

Is Xenotilapia ochrogenys aggressive?

Temperament varies widely among Tanganyikan cichlids, and OATA advises researching each species before mixing them. Give this schooling sand-dweller room on open sand, introduce it as a group, and watch for any increase in chasing or hiding after new fish are added.

What can live with Xenotilapia ochrogenys?

Other Lake Tanganyika species that share its hard, alkaline water and leave the open sand to the school. OATA advises keeping African lake cichlids only with species from the same lake and does not recommend mixing Malawi and Tanganyikan cichlids.

How does Xenotilapia ochrogenys arrive alive in the UK?

Fish are hand-bagged in pure oxygen, packed in an insulated poly box with a heat pack when the weather calls for it, and carried by a licensed live-animal courier on your confirmed Thursday or Friday. Someone must be in to receive the parcel. Film a continuous unboxing video from the sealed parcel onwards, then float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing the fish.

References

• FishBase: Xenotilapia ochrogenys species summary, for identity, family, habitat, maximum recorded length, temperature range and conservation status.
• Wikipedia: Xenotilapia ochrogenys, for natural range, sandy habitat and adult length.
• OATA: How to look after African lake cichlids, for water, aquarium, feeding, maintenance and compatibility guidance for the group.
• RSPCA: fish environment, for why a working biological filter is essential.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee page, for packing, courier, delivery days, arrival steps and claims.