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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Five-bar cichlid
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Variations

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Five-bar cichlid

Neolamprologus tretocephalus · Tretocephalus, Five bar cichlid, Five-barred lamprologus, Neolamprologus tretocephalus

Territorial toward its own kind; keep a pair or a group in a large, rocky tank.

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15 cmAdult size ✓
24–27 °CTemperature ✓
8–9pH ✓
108 LSmallest tank ✓
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Not recommended
  • Five-bar cichlid eats animals up to about 5 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like five-bar cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Five-bar cichlid eats animals up to about 5 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like five-bar cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Five-bar cichlid eats animals up to about 5 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like five-bar cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like five-bar cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 8.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like five-bar cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (8–9 vs 6–7.5). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

51 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓8–25 dGH
Group size ✓2 or more
Temperament ✓Aggressive
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Territorial toward its own kind; keep a pair or a group in a large, rocky tank.

  • cave

Food

Cichlid pellets and flakes; add frozen brine shrimp, mysis and krill a few times a week.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Hard to sex; adult males tend to grow larger than females.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Cave spawner (pair bond) · Moderate

Bi-parental cave spawner, but breeding is infrequent in aquaria; pair formation may take a year or more. The female cares for the free-swimming fry for 2-3 weeks.

Pairing

Buy a group of 6 and let a pair form, or buy a proven pair; keep a pair per tank to avoid fights.

Setup

100-150 L tank with rock piles creating narrow caves and slits, hard alkaline water (pH 8-9) and strong filtration.

What starts it

Stable pair bond, good conditioning and a cave that fits the female.

Eggs

20-40 eggs stuck to the cave roof or wall, hatching in about 3 days.

Raising the fry

Fry hide in the cave and become free swimming after a week. Feed microworms and newly hatched brine shrimp; parents tolerate and often protect them.

Common mistakes
  • Mixing several pairs in a small tank
  • Giving caves that are too big
  • Using soft water
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Tanganyika – northern and central parts
Rivers and lakesLake Tanganyika
HabitatRocky and rock-sand areas
Native rangeAbout 250 km across
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The story of the five-bar cichlid

A Lake Tanganyika cichlid with five dark vertical bars (six in the similar N. sexfasciatus); pair bonds can take a year or more to form.

Boulenger described this fish in 1899, originally in Lamprologus. Its five dark bars and blue fin edges make it easy to recognise. It feeds largely on snails and other hard-shelled prey.

First described by George A. Boulenger in 1899.

  • It has strong jaws suited to eating snails.
  • It is very similar to Neolamprologus sexfasciatus, which has six bars.
  • Pairs spawn in caves and guard their young.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources