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Red top trewavasae, Labeotropheus trewavasae

Cichlids · Labeotropheus

Red top trewavasae

Labeotropheus trewavasae · Lake Malawi: algae-covered rocky shores and islands, many localities

Photo: Jutta234, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Red top trewavasae (Labeotropheus trewavasae) is a freshwater fish from Lake Malawi: algae-covered rocky shores and islands, many localities, where it lives in lake habitat. Adults reach about 11.3 cm (4.4 in). Keep it at 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) and pH 7.6–8.8, with strong, well-oxygenated flow. It is aggressive and does best in a group of 4 or more. Feed mostly vegetables, algae wafers and greens.

At a glance

Water temperature

24–28 °C 75–82 °F

pH

7.6–8.8 hard, alkaline water

Adult size

11.3 cm 4.4 in

Swims ≈

Mid-water mostly in open water

Keep together

4 or more a shoal feels safe

Current

Strong fast, oxygen-rich water

Food

Greens and algae

Temperament

Aggressive

Where it comes from

Home water

Lake Malawi: algae-covered rocky shores and islands, many localities

Lives in lake habitat.

Shaded: the countries it comes from. Map: Natural Earth.

Tank mates

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

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 Red top trewavasae get?

About 11.3 cm (4.4 in) as an adult.

What temperature does a Red top trewavasae need?

24–28 °C (75–82 °F).

What pH does a Red top trewavasae need?

pH 7.6–8.8.

Does a Red top trewavasae need to be kept in a group?

Yes. Keep at least 4.

Is the Red top trewavasae aggressive?

Yes. It is aggressive and needs careful planning.

What does a Red top trewavasae eat?

Feed mostly vegetables, algae wafers and greens.

Where does the Red top trewavasae come from?

Lake Malawi: algae-covered rocky shores and islands, many localities.

What fish can live with a Red top trewavasae?

Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Zebra (L046), Amano shrimp, Boeseman's rainbowfish, Bolivian ram.

All the numbers

Temperature min (°C)24 Sourced
Temperature max (°C)28 Sourced
pH min7.6 Sourced
pH max8.8 Sourced
Adult size (cm)11.3 Sourced
FlowHigh Sourced
Swim level (top / middle / bottom)middle Estimate
Habitatlake Sourced
Smallest happy group4 Sourced
TemperamentAggressive Sourced
DietHerbivore Sourced
Behaviour tagseats_small_fish,hard_water Estimate

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