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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Livingstoni cichlid
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Livingstoni cichlid

Nimbochromis livingstonii · Livingstoni, Sleeper cichlid, Livingstonii, Kaligono

Aggressive toward smaller fish; keep with large peacocks and haps in a big tank.

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25 cmAdult size ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
205 LSmallest tank ✓
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Not recommended
  • Livingstoni cichlid eats animals up to about 10 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like livingstoni cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Livingstoni cichlid eats animals up to about 10 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like livingstoni cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Livingstoni cichlid eats animals up to about 10 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like livingstoni cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like livingstoni cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like livingstoni cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: 7.8–8.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

45 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 ✓10–25 dGH
Group size ✓Can live alone
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 6–10 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Aggressive toward smaller fish; keep with large peacocks and haps in a big tank.

  • sand

Food

Meaty cichlid pellets, frozen krill, mysis and fish pieces.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males grow larger and are slightly gaudier, with blue on the body that intensifies greatly in breeding colours; females are smaller (to about 20 cm TL).

Health

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

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Polygamous maternal mouthbrooder; one male with 3-6 females. The female carries the brood for about 3 weeks and releases free-swimming fry. Not easy.

Pairing

One male with 3-5 females in a large tank with open sand; males guard a sand scrape or cave.

Setup

400+ L tank with a sand floor, rockwork with caves and open swimming space, hard alkaline water (pH 7.8-8.6) and strong filtration.

What starts it

Large water changes, varied protein foods and a dominant male displaying in a sand nest or cave.

Eggs

Up to about 100 eggs, carried by the female for around 3 weeks.

Raising the fry

The female releases fry after about 3 weeks. Feed crushed flake and newly hatched brine shrimp; sort by size often as fry grow unevenly and larger siblings eat smaller ones.

Common mistakes
  • Tank too small for adults
  • Keeping with small fish that become food
  • Not sorting fry by size
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Malawi
Rivers and lakesLake Malawi and the upper Shire River
HabitatSandy areas and weed beds
Native rangeAbout 300 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the livingstoni cichlid

An ambush predator that lies motionless on the bottom, its blotched pattern making it look dead, and strikes at small fish that come to inspect it. Local people call it "Kaligono" (sleeper). Named after the explorer David Livingstone.

Günther described this fish in 1894, honouring David Livingstone, the explorer who brought Lake Malawi to European attention. It is famous for an ambush hunting trick. Its blotched pattern gives it the look of a dead fish.

First described by Albert Günther in 1894. Named for Named after explorer David Livingstone.

  • It lies on its side on the bottom pretending to be dead, then snaps up small fish that come close.
  • Locally it is called 'kalingono', meaning 'sleeper'.
  • Its blotchy pattern helps it look like a rotting carcass.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources