Julidochromis Regani

Also called the convict juli or simply regani cichlid, these striped, slender cichlids belong to a family of small Tanganyikan rock dwellers. The Regani get to 5 inches and are hardy but will not do well in low pH (nothing below 7). The juli regani was discovered by Charles Regan in 1902 at the British Museum of Natural History. Charles was also the same ichthyologist that first classified the popular betta fish, along with 50 other species we find in the aquarium hobby, all without leaving his London office.

Quick Facts

Care Guide

Tank setup: Use a sand bottom with rockwork, caves and crevices for spawning sites. Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika cichlids need hard, alkaline water; crushed coral or aragonite sand helps hold the pH up.

Feeding: Feed a quality cichlid pellet or flake once or twice a day. They also enjoy frozen foods like brine shrimp.

Tankmates: Tanganyikan cichlids do best with other Tanganyikans of similar size, such as julidochromis, neolamprologus and synodontis catfish. Give each pair its own territory.

Good to know: Julies are rock dwellers that swim upside down and sideways along rock faces. Give them stacked rocks with lots of crevices.