Telmatochromis Cichlid (Telmatochromis sp.)

Choose a Telmatochromis cichlid for a small Tanganyika rockscape

This Telmatochromis cichlid is a small, slender rock and cave dweller from Lake Tanganyika, supplied under the genus name Telmatochromis sp. The fish in our photographs is the striped type: a sandy-tan body with a bold dark band from the snout through the eye to the base of the tail, a second, narrower band along the back, and a rounded tail covered in small pale spots. Telmatochromis belong to the lamprologine cichlids, the same tribe as the Julies and shell-dwellers, and live among rocks, caves and empty shells.

They are among the easier Tanganyikan cichlids to keep. Seriously Fish's profile of Telmatochromis vittatus calls T. vittatus a good choice for beginners and for a smaller Tanganyikan community, and FishBase describes T. bifrenatus as an "ideal beginner's fish". They are territorial but shy, and spend much of the day close to their own cave.

Understand the "sp." label

"Telmatochromis sp." means the fish is named to genus, not to species. Several described species look alike, and Seriously Fish notes that T. vittatus is easily confused with T. brichardi and T. bifrenatus. The care below is written for the striped species and gives the size range across the genus, so your plan works whichever striped species you receive.

Compare it with the named species we sell, such as the Striped Telmatochromis (T. vittatus), the Two-Banded Telmatochromis (T. bifrenatus), the stockier Temporalis Cichlid and the Orange Telmatochromis, or browse all Telmatochromis cichlids, the full Lake Tanganyika cichlids, our Tanganyika cichlid range and all African cichlids.

Check what you receive

One purchase supplies one live Telmatochromis cichlid in the standard size we stock. That is a young fish, not the adult size, and its sex is not selected. Seriously Fish says Telmatochromis are difficult to sex: adult males tend to be slightly larger and slimmer than females, but young fish look alike.

The photographs show the striped form. Colour and stripe contrast change with mood and age, and a fish that has just arrived often looks paler until it settles.

Buy for a pair, not a crowd

• For a breeding pair: Seriously Fish recommends buying a group of young fish and letting a pair form naturally, then rehoming the others, because the pair stays together and adults are aggressive towards their own kind.
• For a community: one fish, or one pair, alongside other Tanganyikan cichlids that use different parts of the tank.
• Avoid: several adults of the same Telmatochromis in a small tank.

Check our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy before you order, and set up and mature the aquarium first.

Size the aquarium for adults

Seriously Fish gives a minimum of 75 x 30 x 30 cm, about 68 litres, for T. vittatus, and says a larger tank is preferred and that several fish need a suitably large aquarium. For breeding it suggests a tank at least about 76 cm long. OATA's lake cichlid guidance is to buy the largest tank that is reasonable, because bigger volumes are more stable.

Floor space and rock matter more than height. A pair defends a cave and the area around it; in a community, every cave-dwelling species needs its own patch of rock with sand between.

Run a quick space check

Measure your tank with our tank volume calculator. Fit a cover, and leave space between the rock piles so territories have clear edges.

Build caves, rock piles and shells

In the lake, Telmatochromis live near rocks. FishBase records T. vittatus mostly at 5 to 10 m, occasionally down to 20 m, and T. bifrenatus near rocks or over coarse sand between rock patches, in very clear water. Seriously Fish recommends a Lake Tanganyika biotope of rock piles with caves filling much of the tank, over sand.

Telmatochromis use small holes and shells. Seriously Fish suggests upturned flower pots and large snail shells as shelters and spawning sites. Like other lamprologines, they have pointed teeth that they use to scrape small organisms off rock, so leave some flat, lit rock surfaces for grazing.

Arrange the tank by use

OATA advises fine coral sand or similar to help buffer the water, and complex rockwork to break up lines of sight. Most plants are uprooted by digging cichlids, so use only the hardiest, fixed to rock if at all.

Set hard, alkaline water

Telmatochromis need hard, alkaline Tanganyika water. Seriously Fish, FishBase and OATA give different ranges, so keep the tank where they overlap.

A pH of about 8.5 sits inside every published range, which makes it the safest target.

Test your tap water first

UK tap water ranges from soft to very hard depending on the region, so measure pH, GH and KH before you plan. Where tap water is soft, coral sand or aragonite in the substrate or filter helps raise and hold hardness; make each batch of new water the same so the pH does not swing. Our water matcher compares your results with this fish's range, and the water chemistry guide explains each reading.

Keep filtration and maintenance steady

OATA describes a filter as essential for lake cichlids and recommends an oversized one with vigorous aeration. Small Telmatochromis do not produce much waste on their own, but a community tank adds up, and Tanganyikan cichlids do best in clean, stable water.

Work through a weekly routine

1. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and hardness at least weekly, and more often while the tank is new or after adding fish.
2. Change at least 25% of the water every week, as OATA advises.
3. Treat the new water with a conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramine, and match its temperature and hardness.
4. Siphon waste from open sand, taking care not to disturb a cave holding eggs or fry.
5. Rinse filter media in removed tank water, never under the tap.

Never add a large number of fish at once to a new filter. Increase stocking in steps and test after each step.

Feed small, varied meals

FishBase lists Telmatochromis as omnivores that feed on microorganisms, and T. temporalis also grazes aufwuchs, the film of algae and tiny animals on rocks. Seriously Fish recommends mainly live and frozen foods, with dried foods also accepted, plus some vegetable matter such as spirulina, blanched spinach or algae wafers.

OATA's lake cichlid advice is to feed twice a day, only what the fish can eat within a few minutes. Because Telmatochromis are shy, drop some food near their cave as well as in open water.

Plan one measured meal

• Frozen foods: small items such as frozen brine shrimp, cyclops or frozen daphnia with spirulina.
• Dry staple: a good small flake or pellet, such as Tanganyika cichlid flakes.
• Vegetable matter: spirulina-based food or algae wafers a few times a week.
• Portion: only what is eaten in a few minutes; remove leftovers.

A Telmatochromis that stays hidden and stops eating may be bullied or stressed by water quality. Test first, then look at tank mates and cover.

Introduce it calmly and watch the first week

Check the water before the fish arrives: ammonia and nitrite at zero, temperature, pH and hardness in range. OATA advises adding peaceful species first and more aggressive species later, and rearranging decor when adding fish so territories reset.

Follow the floating-bag method

1. Turn off the aquarium lights.
2. Float the sealed bag for 10 minutes to match temperature.
3. Add aquarium water to the bag slowly over up to 20 minutes.
4. Net the fish into the tank without adding bag water.
5. Keep the lights off for the rest of the day and watch closely during the first week.

Our guide to acclimatising new fish explains each step. A shy fish that hides for a day or two is normal; one that never comes out to feed needs a closer look.

Choose tank mates that use other zones

Seriously Fish suggests small to medium Tanganyikan cichlids that use different parts of the tank, such as Neolamprologus shell-dwellers and Cyprichromis, and compares the Telmatochromis lifestyle to that of the Julies. OATA's rule is to keep lake cichlids only with species from the same lake and never to mix Malawi and Tanganyikan cichlids.

Ask three questions first

1. Same lake? Only Lake Tanganyika fish.
2. Different zone? Open-water or shell-dwelling species clash less than other cave holders.
3. Enough caves and shells? Give at least one more shelter than there are fish that use them.

Our tank mates tool checks a planned mix, and the cichlid care guide covers cichlid behaviour in more depth.

Know how Telmatochromis breed

Telmatochromis are cave spawners. Seriously Fish describes T. vittatus spawning secretly in a cave or shell, with the female laying the eggs on the wall or roof and tending them while the male guards the territory. FishBase records temporary pair bonds in which the male defends the territory and the female cares for the young; it gives up to 80 eggs for T. bifrenatus and up to 500 for the larger T. dhonti.

Raise the fry

Seriously Fish gives breeding conditions of pH 8.2 to 9.0 and 25 to 26.5°C. The fry become free-swimming at about two weeks, and brood care is short: the parents lose interest once the young swim freely. Feed brine shrimp nauplii, microworm or a powdered dry food, and give the fry their own small caves or move them to a rearing tank.

Answer Telmatochromis buying questions

Which Telmatochromis species is this?

It is supplied as Telmatochromis sp., so the species is not named. The photographs show the striped type, a slender sandy fish with a dark band from the snout to the tail and a second band along the back, the pattern of T. vittatus and T. bifrenatus. Care is the same for the striped species, and this page plans for the largest likely size.

How big does it grow?

Plan for up to about 9 to 10 cm. FishBase gives 8.6 cm total length for T. vittatus and 9.0 cm for T. bifrenatus, Seriously Fish gives 8.5 cm standard length for T. vittatus, and the stockier T. temporalis reaches 10.2 cm. Males tend to be a little larger and slimmer.

What size aquarium does it need?

At least 75 x 30 x 30 cm (about 68 litres) for a pair, the minimum Seriously Fish gives, and larger for a community. For breeding, Seriously Fish suggests a tank at least about 76 cm long.

Should I keep one or a pair?

A pair. Adults are aggressive towards their own kind, so buy a few young fish, let a pair form and rehome the rest. A single fish also lives well in a Tanganyikan community.

What water does it need?

Hard, alkaline Lake Tanganyika water: about 24 to 26 degrees C, pH around 8.5 and 12 to 15 dGH, which is where FishBase, Seriously Fish and OATA overlap, with zero ammonia and nitrite.

What does it eat?

It is an omnivore that picks small organisms off rocks. Feed small frozen foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia and cyclops, a good flake or small pellet, and some vegetable matter such as spirulina or algae wafers.

Which fish can live with it?

Small and medium Tanganyikan cichlids that use a different part of the tank, such as shell-dwelling Neolamprologus and open-water Cyprichromis. Avoid Malawi cichlids and other Telmatochromis in a small tank.

Will it breed in an aquarium?

Yes. It spawns secretly in a cave or a large snail shell, the eggs are tended mainly by the female while the male guards, and the fry are free-swimming at about two weeks.

Consult the care references

• Seriously Fish: Telmatochromis vittatus: the striped Telmatochromis vittatus: size, tank size, water range, caves and shells, diet, pairs, tank mates, breeding and similar species.
• FishBase: Telmatochromis vittatus: Telmatochromis vittatus: maximum length, depth, water values, open-water habits and cave brooding.
• FishBase: Telmatochromis bifrenatus: Telmatochromis bifrenatus: maximum length, water values, habitat over rocks and sand, clutch size.
• FishBase: Telmatochromis temporalis: Telmatochromis temporalis: maximum length, water values, solitary habits and diet including aufwuchs.
• FishBase: Telmatochromis dhonti: Telmatochromis dhonti: maximum length, water values, habitat and clutch size.
• FishBase: Telmatochromis brichardi: Telmatochromis brichardi: small size, rocky habitat and conservation status.
• OATA: How to look after African lake cichlids: UK group guidance for Tanganyika and other African lake cichlids: water values, group sizes, feeding, maintenance, introduction and compatibility.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery policy: current dispatch days and Live Arrival Guarantee terms.