Cichlids · Cyphotilapia

Frontosa

Cyphotilapia frontosa · Northern Lake Tanganyika: deep rocky slopes 15-70 m, Cape Tembwe to Bulu Point

Photo: Maha Dinesh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Frontosa (Cyphotilapia frontosa) is a freshwater fish from Northern Lake Tanganyika: deep rocky slopes 15-70 m, Cape Tembwe to Bulu Point, where it lives in lake habitat. Adults reach about 25.5 cm (10 in). Keep it at 23–27 °C (73–81 °F) and pH 8–9, in calm water. It is semi-aggressive and does best in a group of 5 or more. Feed meaty foods: frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and quality sinking pellets.

At a glance

Water temperature

23–27 °C 73–81 °F

8–9 hard, alkaline water

Adult size

25.5 cm 10 in

Swims ≈

Mid-water mostly in open water

Keep together

5 or more a shoal feels safe

Current ≈

Calm still or slow water

Food

Meaty foods

Temperament ≈

Semi-aggressive

Frontosa

≈

Cichlids · CyphotilapiaNT

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Frontosa

Cyphotilapia frontosa

Northern Lake Tanganyika: deep rocky slopes 15-70 m, Cape Tembwe to Bulu Point · lake

Temperature: 23–27°C
pH: 8–9
Adult size: 10 in · 25.5 cm
Flow: Calm
Swims: Mid-water
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Group: 5+
Status in the wild: Near threatened

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Hard water. Needs hard, alkaline water, like its rift lake.

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Photo: Maha Dinesh, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Sources

We name everyone whose work is on this page. Where sources disagree, we show the best one: a scientific paper first, then aquarium references.

Temperature, ph, adult size, water flow, swim level, habitat, group size, temperament, diet, behaviour, home range Seriously Fish: Cyphotilapia frontosa profile Website
Conservation status, diet, home range, ph FishBase: Cyphotilapia frontosa summary Website Says: pH 8–?
Photo Maha Dinesh, CC BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia Commons
Map of rivers and countries Natural Earth public domain map data Map

Know a good source for this fish? Tell us

Tank mates

Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with low flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.

Keep apart

Need a different pH and small enough to be eaten

Agassiz's dwarf cichlid Amano shrimp Betta (Siamese fighting fish)Black skirt tetra Bolivian ram
Small enough to be eaten

Borelli's dwarf cichlid Bronze corydoras
Need a different pH and want fast, strong current and small enough to be eaten

Butterfly hillstream loach

In the hobby

Where to find it

No store or breeder we know of has it right now.

Run a store? List the fish you usually have. Breed fish? List your fry.

Tanks with this fish

No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.

From keepers

Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.

Questions keepers ask

How big does a Frontosa get?

About 25.5 cm (10 in) as an adult.

What temperature does a Frontosa need?

23–27 °C (73–81 °F).

What pH does a Frontosa need?

pH 8–9.

Does a Frontosa need to be kept in a group?

Yes. Keep at least 5.

Is the Frontosa aggressive?

It can be. It is semi-aggressive, so choose tank mates carefully.

What does a Frontosa eat?

Feed meaty foods: frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and quality sinking pellets.

Where does the Frontosa come from?

Northern Lake Tanganyika: deep rocky slopes 15-70 m, Cape Tembwe to Bulu Point.

All the numbers

Temperature min (°C)	23	Sourced
Temperature max (°C)	27	Sourced
pH min	8	Sourced
pH max	9	Sourced
Adult size (cm)	25.5	Sourced
Flow	Low	Estimate
Swim level (top / middle / bottom)	middle	Estimate
Habitat	lake	Sourced
Smallest happy group	5	Sourced
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Estimate
Diet	Carnivore	Sourced
Behaviour tags	eats_small_fish,hard_water	Sourced

Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.