Moderate
Lamprologus toae
23–27°C · pH 7.5–8.5 · 60L
£15.99
A striking gold Tanganyikan cichlid with pearl-like patterning and bold personality, ideal for hard, alkaline African cichlid setups. Moderate care, semi-aggressive. 24-28C, pH 7.8-9.0.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Product-photo provenance and any image-specific limitations are stated on the listing.
Lamprologus tetracanthus
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A striking gold Tanganyikan cichlid with pearl-like patterning and bold personality, ideal for hard, alkaline African cichlid setups. Moderate care, semi-aggressive. 24-28C, pH 7.8-9.0.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Product-photo provenance and any image-specific limitations are stated on the listing.
23–27°C · pH 7.5–8.5 · 60L
24–27°C · pH 7.5–8.5 · 110L
24–26°C · pH 8–9 · 60L
23–27°C · pH 7.5–8.5 · 60L
Cichlids are one of the most diverse fish families in the hobby. From tiny apistogrammas to massive oscars, this guide covers the basics of keeping them well.
Maintain these water conditions for optimal health and vibrant colors
Gold-form fish do something special in hard-water aquariums, where bright lighting and pale rock let warm colour carry across the room — and the gold Pearl-Lined Lamprologus (Lamprologus tetracanthus gold) is a prime example. The strain pairs the species' signature pearl-lined patterning with the golden colouration its name describes, all on a neat 5 cm frame that fits tanks most Tanganyikans outgrow.
Its requirements mirror what you would expect from a Lake Tanganyika cichlid. The recorded band is 24–28 °C with pH 7.8–9.0 and 10–20 dGH; the minimum aquarium is a modest 75 litres; and as a carnivore it wants meaty fare rather than flake-and-vegetable feeding. It lives along the bottom, rates moderate to keep, runs semi-aggressive with a capacity to hold territory, and carries a recorded lifespan of around eight years — so although it is small, it is anything but short-term.
Treat the 75-litre figure as the start of the conversation rather than the whole of it. The compatibility notes favour fast, robust company, and that style of stocking is easier to balance with a little more water than the bare minimum. Even so, the headline holds: this is Tanganyikan colour without a Tanganyikan-sized footprint, kept at 24–28 °C in chemistry any Rift Lake keeper already runs — and that combination is precisely why the gold form sells through quickly.
Keep it with other Lake Tanganyika cichlids of similar size and temperament, or fast, robust Tanganyikan species that will not be pushed around. Avoid small peaceful fish, slow movers, fin-nippers, overly aggressive large cichlids and soft-water community species.
Choose this strain when a standard-pattern tetracanthus would visually disappear against dark rock — the gold body keeps the fish in view all day. UK-wide dispatch uses a licensed live-animal courier and every shipment carries our live arrival guarantee. Colour-form Tanganyikans move through stock unpredictably, so if the spec above matches your system, the sensible move is to order while it is listed.
