Tanganyika Killifish

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Scientific Name

Lamprichthys tanganicanus

Min. Tank Size

70 gallons

Personality

Peaceful

Temperature

73-80°F

pH

7.5-9.0/10-25°dGH

Size

6"

Diet

Carnivore/May learn to accept Cichlid foods

Breeding

Egglayer

Compatibility

Best kept with other Lake Tanganyika species; if kept with Cichlids, a larger tank in the 100 to 125 gallon range is recommended. Keep in groups of 6 to 9 for a good display in the show tank.

Tanganyika Killifish

This species of Killifish is named for where it is found in large schools. These fish are endemic to Lake Tanganyika, the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume and one of the great African Rift Lakes. Tanganyika Killifish are not considered an annual species because the lake in which they live is a body of permanent water. These Killifish are typically silver or gray in color with small spots running laterally along the top half of the body. Some specimens exhibit yellowish coloration along the back and on the dorsal fin as well as on the tops of the caudal fin.

Tank Set-Up

This species is fairly rare in the aquarium trade and can be difficult to keep because they are sensitive to water quality and particularly susceptible to disease. These fish are best kept in a large Lake Tanganyika biotype tank with other Lake Tanganyika species such as Cichlids.

Feeding

The Tanganyika Killifish may accept dry flake foods, but ideally should be fed a diet mainly consisting of live and frozen foods such as bloodworms, Mysis and Artemia. Feed a varied diet to ensure optimum health and coloration.

Breeding

During breeding, males of the species typically perform a courtship dance, enticing the female to spawn. When spawning occurs, the eggs are typically deposited in rock crevices. Because the parent fish will likely consume their own young it is best to remove the parent fish from the breeding tank following spawning or to move the rocks and eggs to a separate tank. Brood size is usually limited to less than 100 eggs and these eggs typically hatch between 11 and 14 days after spawning. The fry are slow-growing and can be fed newly hatched brine shrimp and powdered fry foods. If keeping the Tanganyika Killifish with Cichlids, expect that any fry are likely to be eaten shortly after they emerge.