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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Pelican cichlid
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Pelican cichlid

Fossorochromis rostratus · Rostratus, Fossorochromis rostratus, Sand sifter hap

Peaceful for its size but eats small fish; needs a soft sand bottom and a large tank.

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24.4 cmAdult size ✓
25–29 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
257 LSmallest tank ✓
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Not recommended
  • Pelican cichlid eats animals up to about 8 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like pelican cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Pelican cichlid eats animals up to about 8 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like pelican cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Pelican cichlid eats animals up to about 8 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like pelican cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like pelican cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 25 °C.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like pelican 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

42 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 ✓3 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Bottom
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 6–10 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful for its size but eats small fish; needs a soft sand bottom and a large tank.

  • sand

Food

Sinking pellets and meaty foods; sifts the sand for small invertebrates.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Dominant males are far more colourful than females; females and subordinate males look alike.

Health

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

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Polygamous maternal mouthbrooder; the female carries the brood for around 3 weeks without eating.

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 130 eggs per brood, carried 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 Lake Malombe
HabitatShallow sandy bays
Native rangeAbout 300 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the pelican cichlid

A large Lake Malawi hap that lives over sand in shallow water and sifts the sand for invertebrates such as insect larvae.

Boulenger described this large sand-dweller in 1899. It can grow over 25 cm. Its genus name refers to its habit of digging in sand.

First described by George A. Boulenger in 1899.

  • When threatened it can dive into the sand to hide.
  • It sifts mouthfuls of sand to find food.
  • Males build sand nests on the lake bottom.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources