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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Yellow sand cichlid
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Yellow sand cichlid

Xenotilapia flavipinnis · Flavipinnis, Xenotilapia flavipinnis, Xenotilapia

Peaceful; keep with other calm Tanganyikans and give plenty of fine sand.

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9 cmAdult size ✓
24–27 °CTemperature ✓
8–9pH ✓
68 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Yellow sand cichlid is tropical.
  • Rift lake cichlids like yellow sand cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Yellow sand cichlid only grows to 9 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like yellow sand cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (24–27 °C vs 10–22 °C). No setting suits both.
  • Rift lake cichlids like yellow sand cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like yellow sand 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 yellow sand cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (8–9 vs 4.5–7). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

49 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 ✓6 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ?Hard
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 4–7 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful; keep with other calm Tanganyikans and give plenty of fine sand.

  • sand

Food

Fine flake, frozen brine shrimp and cyclops.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males tend to be slightly more colourful than females.

Health

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

Breeding

Biparental mouthbrooder · Hard

Biparental mouthbrooder: the female holds the eggs first, then the male takes over the brood.

Pairing

Keep a group of 6-8; pairs form and the sandy territory is shared.

Setup

200-250 L tank with a fine sand floor and some rocks, hard alkaline water (pH 8-9) and calm tank-mates.

What starts it

Stable group, good feeding and a clean sand area.

Eggs

The female holds the eggs for 9-12 days, then the male carries them for about another 10 days (about 3 weeks in total). No reliable egg count found.

Raising the fry

Fry are released after about 3 weeks. Feed crushed flake and newly hatched brine shrimp.

Common mistakes
  • Coarse sharp gravel
  • Aggressive tank-mates
  • Poor water quality
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Tanganyika
Rivers and lakesLake Tanganyika (sandy shores)
HabitatOpen sandy bottoms
Native rangeAbout 300 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the yellow sand cichlid

A peaceful, schooling sand-dweller from Lake Tanganyika that sifts sand for food and lives in groups over sandy bottoms.

Max Poll described this sand-dweller in 1985. It sifts sand for small food items. Both parents share mouthbrooding duties.

First described by Max Poll in 1985. Named for Flavipinnis means 'yellow-finned'.

  • Both the male and female carry eggs and fry in their mouths.
  • It feeds by sifting sand for tiny animals.
  • Its yellow-edged dorsal fin gives the species its name.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources