Lemon Cichlid
Neolamprologus leleupi
Cichlidae
About
The lemon cichlid is a striking, bright-yellow rock-dwelling cichlid endemic to the southern reaches of Lake Tanganyika, where it forages for small invertebrates deep among boulders and caves. Placid most of the time but fiercely territorial toward its own kind and when breeding, it needs the hard, alkaline water and abundant rockwork of its native lake.
Care
Provide hard, alkaline water (pH ~8-9, high GH/KH), a sand base and dense rockwork with caves, and keep as a single pair or one male with several females. Very sensitive to organic waste, so maintain pristine conditions.
Diet
Carnivorous micropredator that gleans invertebrates from the rock biofilm and crevices; offer varied frozen and live meaty foods with a little vegetable-based flake, and avoid overfeeding dried foods.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (6)
Possible with care (95)
Avoid (20)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.