Above: In this picture a premium quality mature male Cyphotilapia Frontosa Cichlid that measures about 10" long is swimming in one of our aquariums, when one of us snapped this picture.

Comments: These fish have alternating black and white vertical bars, and as they mature they show blueish fins, as you can see in the picture.

Origin: The ancestors of Cyphotilapia Frontosa Cichlids lived in Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. But now they live in aquariums all over the world.

Maximum Size: In aquariums, males can grow to be about 15" long, including their tails, which is too big a size for most aquariums.

Females tend to remain a little smaller.

Behaviors: Frontosas are usually rather aggressive fish.

Compatibility: Some recommended tank mates include, Malawi Peacocks, mild tempered Mbunas like the Lemon Yellow Mbuna, and Synodontis Catfish, also some Cichlids from Lake Tanganyika.

Click here or more about Synodontis Catfish.

Click here to read more about compatible groups of pet fish.

Temperature: Frontosas live best from about 75 to 80-degrees F. with 78 being perhaps ideal.

Click here to learn about aquarium temperature, aquarium thermometers, and aquarium heaters.

Feeding: Premium Fish Food Pellets is the best food for Frontosas to eat.

It's best to feed them small pellets when they're small, then gradually increase the size, as they grow bigger.

In their natural habitat the Frontosas eat lots of small fish but do not require live fish when living in an aquarium.

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Water Conditions: These fish need water with a pH from about 7.8 to 8.5 and high hardness.

Most water in the U.S. has a lower pH and is not as hard. So it's best to add so-called Tanganyika Salts to increase the pH and hardness.

Click here for a lot more information about aquarium water conditions.

Aquarium Size: Frontosa will soon need to live in an aquarium with at least 100-gallons of water, and eventually large males will need to live in an aquarium with at least 250-gallons of water.

Decor: Frontosa do not need gravel, and a layer of gravel more than 1/4" thick will usually fill with bits of uneaten food that will contaminate the water.

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Live plants are beautiful and improve the water quality, but this fish will usually dig plants up, so most aquariums with Frontosas do not have live plants.

They like medium size gravel about the size of rice mixed with a few aquarium-safe rocks.

Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel Filters are highly recommended.Most 100-gallon aquariums have room along the back for several Penguin 350B Filters, and this is sort of the minimum set up for Frontosa.

Eventually a large male will live in a 240-gallon aquarium with a large filtering system.

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The addition of Lava Rocks will keep nitrates in the ideal range.

Click here to learn more about using Lava Rocks in aquariums.

Life Span: Frontosas can live for several years.

Keep the water conditions excellent and feed them premium foods, and they'll live for for many.

Gender: Males usually display bolder and brighter colors as they mature.

Females usually have duller colors, and smaller bodies.

Click here for a lot more information about keeping and caring for 6-Striped Frontosa Cichlids, including a picture gallery.

Popularity: Frontosas are a rare but popular aquarium fish.

Variations: There are several variations of this species, and some of the variations have been re-classified by some scientists to be separate species.

Breeding: Frontosa Cichlids are mouthbrooders.

Click here for a lot more about breeding various tropical fish in aquariums.

Names: Their scientific name is Cyphotilapia frontosa.

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