Nander cichlid - Altolamprologus compressiceps

A popular cichlid from the East African Lake Tanganyika is the Nander cichlid, scientifically also called Altolamprologus compressiceps. Mainly it is found in rocky regions. Especially in larger perch aquariums it comes into its own and fascinates with its appearance and behavior. Especially for cichlid fans it is a great challenge.

The physique of the Nander cichlid is strikingly high-backed with very flat sides. This is mainly due to its origin, as it seeks its food between narrow stones. In the basic color this cichlid is gray-brown to yellow-brown, depending upon mood it shows in addition several dark brown high bands, which it displays more or less intensively. Also there are small shiny spots distributed over its body. The steeply sloping forehead is also conspicuous, which ends in a pointed mouth with lip bulges, which he can protrude far, which is an advantage for him especially when foraging between stones. The dorsal fin as well as the anal fin ends in a pointed tip, also the pelvic fins are relatively long. With a size of up to 13 centimeters the male becomes clearly larger than the female, which reaches just a final size of about 8 centimeters. Purely externally the sex differentiation is difficult, but the males have longer and more pointed ventral fins.

In the aquarium breeding of these great animals is possible, but is considered a challenge. Sexual maturity is not reached until about 24 months of age. To encourage spawning, the breeding pair should be fed well with larger live or frozen foods for several days. The female lays her up to 200 eggs in small burrows or even empty snail shells, where they are fertilized from the outside by the male. Afterwards the female denies any access to her clutch and "closes" the respective cave opening with her body, she cares for her young after hatching. After about 1.5 weeks the larvae can swim free and be fed with very fine live food, infusoria, paramecia, but also freshly hatched Artemia nauplii are well suited for this. Young Nander cichlids grow rather slowly.

Altoplamprologus compressiceps should be kept at least from 200 liters in the aquarium. Because of its social behavior and its origin it is suitable as a single animal, but at most kept in pairs. The substrate should consist of light sand and as in its habitat, have a rocky structure that is protected against falling over. Smaller hiding places such as large empty snail shells, but also smaller caves, in which at most the female finds refuge, should not be neglected. Even if most perch aquariums are rather sparsely or not at all planted, a little vegetation can be integrated with Anubias for example. The leaves of the plant taste bitter and are thus largely safe from the fish mouths. At a total hardness between 9-20 °dGH and a carbonate hardness of 15-20 °dKH they are well kept, the temperature may be 24-26 °C.

With other comrades from Lake Tanganyika, the Nander cichlid can be well maintained, if the aquarium has an appropriate size. For this, for example, other cichlids but also African catfishes are suitable. However, invertebrates such as mussels, snails or crabs should better not be kept together with them, because they are rather considered as a variety on their menu.

The Nander Cichlid is a pure carnivore, feeding in its habitat mainly on crustaceans and shrimps, but also small fish, which it picks out of narrow debris. Therefore live and frozen food in the form of shrimps, mosquito larvae or smelts can be offered to it in the aquarium. Also suitable are sinking granules, to flake food he gets used in places only with difficulty.

Our food recommendation: NatureHolic Cichfeed is a great staple food for all carnivorous cichlids in the aquarium, perfectly meeting their dietary requirements. The tasty pearls are very well eaten even by larger cichlids. Thanks to their soft texture, NatureHolic Cichfeed food pearls are gentle on the mouth and can be eaten very well by the fish.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.