Frontosa Cichlid

The Frontosa Cichlid lives twenty-five years and grows to a foot long. These are splendid cichlids, and males grow a distinctive hump on their head. These fish are appropriate for a large species community or cichlid tank. Since they are difficult to breed and grow slowly like most Tanganyikans, they are a bit more expensive than their Lake Malawi cousins. The word frontosa is Latin for "big forehead". Many of the African species we know toady were named after Belgium zoologist George Boulenge. Central Africa was part of the Belgium empire in 1906 when George came upon the fish.

Quick Facts

Care Guide

Tank setup: Frontosa need a sand bottom, a few large, stable rock caves and lots of open water. Keep the lighting moderate. Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika cichlids need hard, alkaline water; crushed coral or aragonite sand helps hold the pH up.

Feeding: Feed a quality sinking cichlid pellet once a day. They also enjoy frozen foods like shrimp. Avoid feeder fish, which can carry disease.

Tankmates: Frontosa do best in a group with other peaceful, large Tanganyikans like calvus and cyprichromis (adult frontosa will eat small fish), plus synodontis catfish.

Good to know: Frontosa grow slowly and can live 20 years or more, so they are a long-term commitment.