Frontosa

cyphotilapia frontosa

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Cost: $15-90, wild specimens cost more to capture and ship. Tank breed Frontosas are cheaper.

Short Bio:

Frontosas are very popular do to their attractive appearance, the only real thing to worry about is that Frontosas grow to large sizes and will eat smaller tank mates.

Origin:

Lake Tanganyika, East Africa.

Size:

Male will get up to 8.3 in (21 cm), and females will reach the size of 6.7 in (17 cm).

Sexual distinctions:

There are no color differences, the males will have longer fins, bigger humps, and all around bigger in size.

Tank conditions:

Minimum tank size 48 x 14 x 18 in (120 x 35 x 45 cm).

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Temperature should be between 74-79 degrees Fahrenheit (23.5-26 Celsius). The water should be hard, alkaline (Ph 8+), very well-oxygenated, and contain minimal nitrogenous compounds. The tank should be decorated with scattered large rocks, caves (clay pipes are the ideal). Substrate should be sand or gravel. Within normal stocking rules there is no limit to the number of Frontosas that you can keep in a tank. But if you plan on keeping large number of Frontosas it’s best to keep them in a species tank, or keep with other large, peaceful Tanganyika or Malawi cichlids.

The Frontosa is a bottom dweller.

Food:

The Frontosas are a piscivorous species with a diet that should consist of raw fish, shrimp, prawn, carnivore pellets, and earthworms. You should feed the Frontosa at dawn and dusk, for this is when they feed in the wild.

Behavior:

Adults are peaceful to each other and others, and are actually quite inactive. The only thing to be concerned about is when the Frontosa is fully grown it will be able to eat it’s tank mates.

Breeding:

The Frontosa species is a mouthbrooding one. The female should be put into a separate tank to release the fry or they will be eaten by other Frontosas.