Five Bar Cichlid (Lamprologus tretocephalus)

Choose a territorial Tanganyika cichlid

The Five Bar Cichlid (Lamprologus tretocephalus) is a freshwater member of the cichlid family from the northern half of Lake Tanganyika. It is a rock-dwelling, territorial fish that reaches 15 cm and suits an intermediate keeper prepared to manage hard alkaline water, substantial cave structure and aggression between fish. FishBase records its Lake Tanganyika distribution, Cichlidae family and 15 cm maximum length. FishBase now lists it as Neolamprologus tretocephalus.

In nature, it occupies intermediate habitat where rock, pebbles and sand meet. It feeds mainly from sandy areas, taking insect larvae, crustaceans, snails and other invertebrates living in the substrate. Strong lower pharyngeal teeth help it crush snails. These details explain three central aquarium decisions: include open sand beside the rocks, feed an animal-based diet, and treat each cave system as potential territory rather than decoration alone.

This is not a general community fish. Its appeal lies in purposeful behaviour around caves and boundaries, but the same behaviour makes careless stocking risky. It is aggressive towards its own kind, can become especially difficult around reproduction, and needs tank mates chosen for compatible water, adult size, temperament and use of space.

Plan the aquarium around 15 cm

Plan for an adult length of 15 cm, regardless of the dispatch size selected. The fish uses the lower and rock-facing parts of the aquarium, so usable base area matters more than height alone. A tall aquarium with a small footprint cannot provide the same cave spacing, open sand and visual separation as a longer layout of similar volume.

Seriously Fish gives a base of 120 × 30 cm and about 108 litres for a single mated pair. Treat both the footprint and the volume as minimum planning figures for that pair. If other cichlids are contemplated, increase the space and create additional territories rather than trying to divide the pair’s minimum layout among more fish.

Use the numbers as one complete plan

• Adult length: 15 cm.
• Pair aquarium: at least 120 × 30 cm base and about 108 litres.
• Social unit: one mated pair, with no additional Five Bar Cichlids after that pair forms.
• Routine water target: 24–26°C, pH 8.0 and 12 dGH, the overlap of FishBase’s recorded environment, Seriously Fish aquarium guidance and OATA’s African lake cichlid guidance.
• Layout: rock piles forming caves, open water between them and a sandy substrate.

We class this as an intermediate fish because successful care combines precise water planning with territorial management. A keeper who already tests water, maintains a mature biological filter and can separate incompatible cichlids is better placed to respond when boundaries or pair relationships change.

Understand the fish you receive

One purchase supplies one Five Bar Cichlid. Use the live size selector to choose 3–4 cm, 4–5 cm, 5–7 cm, 7–9 cm or > 9 cm. The size you select is the size supplied, not the adult size. Every choice therefore needs the same long-term plan for a fish reaching 15 cm; a smaller dispatch fish is not a smaller adult form.

Dispatch size also says nothing about sex, life stage or origin. Sex is guaranteed only when the selected option explicitly states male or female. This Five Bar Cichlid listing has no sex-guaranteed option. Seriously Fish describes sexing as difficult, although adult males tend to grow larger than females, so visual guesses should not replace the wording of the selected offer.

If the aim is a mated pair, remember that buying two unsexed fish does not create one. Seriously Fish describes adult male-and-female purchases as unreliable for pair formation and warns that the female may be harassed. Its pairing approach starts with young fish, allows a pair to form naturally and then removes the other fish. That plan requires enough temporary space and a definite route for separating every fish the pair rejects.

Some gallery images have been digitally enhanced to improve image quality. They show the listed type of animal rather than guaranteeing the exact markings of the individual supplied, so natural colour and pattern can vary. Use the images to understand the characteristic barred form and the written care plan to decide whether the fish fits your aquarium.

Hold a precise water target

Keep the aquarium at 24–26°C, target pH 8.0 and target general hardness of 12 dGH. This target is the overlap between FishBase’s recorded environment of 24–26°C, pH 7.6–8.0 and 8–12 dGH; the Seriously Fish aquarium range of 23–27°C, pH 7.5–9.0 and 8–25 dGH; and OATA’s African lake cichlid group guidance of 23–27°C, pH 8.0–8.6 and 12–18 dGH. The overlap gives one practical routine that remains within all three ranges.

Measure before changing anything

Test the aquarium and replacement water rather than relying on the heater setting or a description of local tap water. Use our water chemistry guide to identify the measurements that matter, then compare your readings with this plan using the aquarium water matcher.

OATA gives the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate limits for African lake cichlids. If ammonia or nitrite rises above zero, pause further livestock additions and deal with the waste-processing problem. Do not try to correct several readings rapidly at once; identify what changed, test the replacement water and make controlled adjustments that preserve stability.

Build caves around the footprint

Start with a base of at least 120 × 30 cm and about 108 litres for one mated pair. Arrange much of the aquarium as rock piles that form caves, while leaving open water between structures and open sand where the fish can forage. Seriously Fish recommends a sandy substrate and this rock-and-open-water arrangement for the species.

Give every structure a job

• Main cave area: provide a sheltered space that a pair can occupy.
• Alternative shelters: include several cave choices because breeding fish may excavate and select their own site.
• Open sand: retain a clear area beside smaller rocks and pebbles, reflecting the feeding habitat recorded by FishBase.
• Open water: leave gaps between rock piles instead of creating one continuous wall.
• Visual separation: use distinct structures when other fish are being assessed, so every animal is not exposed to the pair at all times.

The minimum is specifically for a mated pair. More fish require more territory; they do not make the minimum footprint more efficient. If a companion would occupy the same caves or rock face, adding volume without creating a separate usable zone may still leave both fish competing for one place.

Prepare and mature the aquarium before livestock arrives. Our first tropical aquarium guide covers the sequence for establishing the system. The decisive readiness checks for this fish are a functioning biological filter, ammonia and nitrite at zero, stable temperature, and water already measuring at the intended pH and hardness.

Review the layout from the fish’s level. A cave should not merely be visible from the front; it should create shelter and a boundary. Open sand must remain usable after rocks, filter fittings and other equipment occupy the footprint.

Match filtration to a meaty diet

Use efficient biological filtration and keep it running continuously. Seriously Fish treats strong filtration as essential because this cichlid’s carnivorous diet produces substantial waste. For a 108-litre aquarium, it gives a turnover of four to five times the aquarium volume each hour, corresponding to a filter rating of about 430–540 litres per hour.

The RSPCA explains why a well-established aquarium filter is vital: fish release toxic ammonia, beneficial bacteria convert it to nitrite, and another bacterial stage converts nitrite to safer nitrate. A filter rating is therefore only the starting point. Media must be established, flow must remain unobstructed, and test results must show that the biological process is coping with feeding and livestock.

Follow a repeatable weekly routine

1. Test temperature, pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate at least once each week.
2. Change 25% of the water at least once a week, following OATA’s African lake cichlid guidance.
3. Treat replacement tap water with conditioner before it enters the aquarium so chlorine or chloramine does not damage fish or filter bacteria.
4. Remove settled solid waste with a siphon during the water change.
5. Check the filter for blockages and confirm that its flow has not weakened.
6. If media needs cleaning, rinse it lightly in removed aquarium water rather than under the tap.

OATA also recommends vigorous aeration for African lake cichlid aquariums. Check surface movement and circulation around the rock structures, because solid caves can create areas with less flow. The goal is adequate oxygen and waste transport without sacrificing the sheltered spaces the fish uses.

Increase feeding or livestock slowly. OATA warns that filter bacteria must increase as waste rises; adding too many fish or too much food at once can lead to new tank syndrome. Let water tests, not visual clarity alone, show whether the aquarium is processing waste properly.

Feed for sand-dwelling prey

Use good-quality cichlid pellets with animal content alongside varied meaty live and frozen foods. FishBase records a wild diet of sand-dwelling invertebrates, including insect larvae, crustaceans and snails, while Seriously Fish recommends meaty live and frozen foods plus good-quality cichlid pellets. The staple should therefore suit an invertebrate-feeding cichlid.

Build variety without excess

Feed twice a day, giving only what the fish can consume within a few minutes. That frequency and portion rule comes from OATA’s African lake cichlid guidance. Watch the fish take the food, then remove or reduce anything that repeatedly remains. Uneaten food breaks down, increases the load on the filter and can push ammonia, nitrite or nitrate away from the intended limits.

Use body condition and feeding response together. A fish that rushes forward is not automatically underfed, while a fish losing condition despite eating needs closer observation. If food is ignored, test the water and compare the fish’s breathing, colour, swimming and territorial behaviour with its normal pattern before offering extra meals.

Variation means rotating suitable animal-based formats, not making every meal larger. Keep the pellet portion modest on days when frozen or live foods are included. This gives dietary variety while preserving the water quality required by an aggressive fish living around enclosed rockwork.

Acclimatise without adding bag water

Arrange for someone to receive the parcel so live fish are not left unattended. Tropical Fish Co hand-bags the fish in pure oxygen, uses an insulated poly box and adds a heat pack when the weather calls for one. The parcel travels with a courier licensed to carry live animals, with tracking and the confirmed arrival date sent by email.

Follow the arrival sequence

1. Have someone present to receive the parcel so the fish is not left unattended.
2. Start filming every delivery while the parcel is still sealed and before it is opened. Make one continuous short video showing the sealed parcel with the outer box visible, the parcel being opened, and the fish still inside the sealed bag before anything is disturbed. Keep the video and follow the other terms in our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy if you need to make a claim.
3. Float the bag in the prepared aquarium for 20–30 minutes before releasing the fish.
4. Release the fish without pouring the transport water into the aquarium.

Before release, the aquarium should already be mature, heated and filtered, with ammonia and nitrite at zero. OATA advises increasing fish numbers slowly because the filter’s bacterial population must adjust whenever livestock and feeding increase. This matters particularly in a rock-filled aquarium where a new territorial fish may be difficult to remove quickly.

Use the first week to learn its normal pattern

Observe where the fish shelters, whether it enters open sand to feed, how quickly it accepts food and whether its breathing remains steady. Record the water readings rather than relying on memory. A fish may spend time close to caves as it settles, but a sudden change after an established pattern deserves attention.

If another cichlid is already present, watch the interaction from the first release. Persistent exclusion from shelter or food is a practical reason to separate fish; waiting for visible injury gives an aggressive interaction too much time to escalate.

Manage pair formation deliberately

Plan for one mated pair, not simply two fish. Seriously Fish describes this species as very aggressive towards its own kind and advises keeping only a single pair. Sexing is difficult; adult males tend to become larger than females, but purchasing an adult male and female does not guarantee compatibility.

Choose a pairing route before buying several fish

The documented route is to begin with a group of young fish, allow them to pair naturally and remove every remaining fish once a pair forms. Pair formation may take a year or more. This is only responsible when separate mature accommodation or another definite placement has been arranged for the rejected fish.

Do not leave the group together after a pair claims a cave. Seriously Fish warns that the other fish will not be tolerated. Even a formed pair needs several hiding places because the bond can be weak and may last only through spawning and brood care. Between spawning periods, the male may become intolerant of the female.

Reproduction is possible but described as infrequent in aquaria. The fish is a biparental cave spawner, and the pair may excavate its chosen site before eggs are laid on the cave floor. The same behaviour that makes spawning interesting also raises territorial pressure, so breeding should never be treated as proof that the pair will remain permanently peaceful.

Respond to changes early

Learn the fish’s normal swimming, colour, breathing, appetite and use of shelter, then respond when that pattern changes. OATA highlights hanging at the surface, sitting on the bottom, erratic swimming, faster or slower gill movement, unusual hiding, changed aggression, reduced feeding, weight change, white spots, fluffy growths, damaged fins, missing scales, ulcers or bumps as signs requiring attention.

Check water before guessing at a cause

1. Test ammonia and nitrite immediately; both should remain at 0 mg/l.
2. Check temperature against 24–26°C, pH against 8.0 and hardness against 12 dGH, the overlap of FishBase’s recorded environment, Seriously Fish aquarium guidance and OATA’s African lake cichlid guidance.
3. Compare nitrate with the normal tap-water reading and keep it within OATA’s stated limit.
4. Inspect filter flow for a blockage and confirm that aeration is working.
5. Observe whether another fish is preventing access to a cave or food.

If a fish is being attacked, separation is an immediate husbandry decision rather than a water-treatment question. If several fish change behaviour together, give water testing and equipment checks particular priority. Reduced appetite should lead to investigation, not a larger portion that adds further waste.

For health changes, test the water and contact us with the readings, recent maintenance, feeding pattern and observed signs. Those details make the change easier to assess than colour or a single photograph alone. Avoid choosing a treatment before the water and aggression checks have been completed.

Keep a simple weekly record of water values, water changes, filter checks and appetite. A sequence of measurements can reveal gradual drift before it becomes obvious in the fish. It also separates a recurring husbandry issue from a single unusual observation.

Keep only one established pair

Keep no more than one mated pair of Five Bar Cichlids in the planned territory. Seriously Fish describes severe aggression towards conspecifics and advises removing the remaining fish once a pair has formed. A larger group may be used temporarily for natural pair formation, but it is not the final social arrangement.

Treat two fish as a pair only when their behaviour shows that they accept one another. An adult male and female may fail to pair, and harassment can be fatal. The aquarium therefore needs enough caves for choice and an immediate separation route if one fish is repeatedly displaced, prevented from eating or pursued whenever it leaves shelter.

Distinguish displays from sustained exclusion

Do not solve aggression by adding more members of the species. OATA notes that group numbers vary among African lake cichlids, while the species profile gives a specific single-pair arrangement here. The pair’s territory, cave access and changing breeding behaviour are the controlling factors.

A stable period does not make the relationship permanent. The pair bond may weaken outside spawning and brood care. Continue checking access to food and shelter after the fish appear settled, particularly when cave ownership or reproductive behaviour changes.

Screen every companion by territory

Choose companions only after matching water requirements, adult size, aggression and use of the aquarium. Seriously Fish names medium-sized Tanganyikan cichlids occupying different areas, such as Cyprichromis species, as possible companions. Larger Julidochromis or Altolamprologus may also be considered when the aquarium is large enough and provides sufficient territories.

Use named possibilities as a screening shortlist

• Cyprichromis species: consider them because they occupy a different aquarium area, then check the exact species’ water, adult size and social needs.
• Larger Julidochromis: consider only with enough space to give each rock-dwelling fish a distinct territory.
• Altolamprologus: apply the same large-aquarium and territory test.
• Mbuna and other Malawi cichlids: avoid mixing them with this Tanganyikan species. OATA does not generally recommend mixing Malawi and Tanganyikan cichlids because their temperament and behaviour differ.

Do not assume that similar water chemistry makes two fish compatible. Two rock dwellers may require the same cave, while an open-water fish may reduce direct territorial contact. Conversely, occupying another level does not cancel mismatched aggression, adult size or group requirements.

Outside the named possibilities, compatibility depends on the exact species and the usable territory in the aquarium. Review the proposed companion’s adult needs and observe how the layout divides space before making the stocking decision. Browse the African cichlid collection to compare identities, then contact us with the aquarium dimensions, water readings, current livestock and proposed species for a stocking assessment.

After introduction, watch access to food, caves and open swimming areas. Rearranging décor can help fish establish new territories, as OATA advises, but separation remains necessary when one fish is persistently excluded or attacked.

Answer common Five Bar Cichlid questions

How big does the Five Bar Cichlid get?

It reaches 15 cm. FishBase records 15 cm as the maximum length, so plan the aquarium around that adult figure rather than the selected dispatch size.

What size aquarium does the Five Bar Cichlid need?

Use at least a 120 × 30 cm base and about 108 litres for one mated pair. Seriously Fish gives these figures for the species, with rock caves, open water and sand.

How many Five Bar Cichlids should I keep together?

Keep one mated pair and remove additional fish after the pair forms. Two unsexed fish are not automatically a pair, and a male and female may still be incompatible.

Is the Five Bar Cichlid suitable for beginners?

We class it as intermediate because it needs a mature filtered aquarium, active management of territorial aggression and the 24–26°C, pH 8.0 and 12 dGH overlap of FishBase’s recorded environment, Seriously Fish aquarium guidance and OATA’s African lake cichlid guidance.

What does the Five Bar Cichlid eat?

Feed animal-based cichlid pellets with varied meaty live and frozen foods twice daily, offering only what it consumes within a few minutes. Its recorded wild prey includes insect larvae, crustaceans and snails.

What temperature and pH does it need?

Keep it at 24–26°C, target pH 8.0 and target 12 dGH. These values overlap FishBase’s recorded environment, Seriously Fish aquarium guidance and OATA’s African lake cichlid guidance.

Is it aggressive or likely to nip fins?

Treat it as aggressive and territorial, especially towards its own kind. Judge compatibility through access to food, caves and swimming space rather than relying on fin nipping as the only warning sign.

Which kinds of fish can live with it?

Possible companions include medium-sized Tanganyikan cichlids using different areas, such as Cyprichromis, or larger Julidochromis and Altolamprologus when the aquarium provides enough space and separate territories.

How does this fish arrive alive in the UK?

Start filming every delivery while the parcel is still sealed and before opening it, making one continuous unboxing video that shows the sealed parcel, the parcel being opened and the fish still inside the sealed bag. It is hand-bagged in pure oxygen, placed in an insulated poly box with a heat pack when weather calls for one, and carried by a licensed live-animal courier. Someone must receive it; float the bag for 20–30 minutes before release and do not pour bag water into the aquarium.

Consult the care references

• FishBase: scientific identity, family, distribution, recorded environment, adult length, habitat and wild diet.
• Seriously Fish: aquarium footprint, volume, water range, layout, feeding, behaviour, compatibility, sexing and reproduction.
• OATA: African lake cichlid water quality, feeding frequency, maintenance, introduction and general compatibility guidance.
• RSPCA: biological filtration and aquarium waste processing.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery policy: packing, receipt, acclimatisation and Live Arrival Guarantee procedure.