Lamprologus callipterus: Life tied to shells
The shell-dwelling cichlid Lamprologus callipterus is a rare sight in Czech aquariums, but it's definitely worth a closer look! In this article, you'll learn all about its life in Lake Tanganyika, the specifics of keeping it in an aquarium, and the challenges you might face when breeding it. We'll uncover the secrets of its territorial behavior and brood care, and give you advice on how to successfully raise these fascinating fish.
In this article, I'd like to focus on my experiences with keeping the shell-dwelling cichlid Lamprologus callipterus, which is relatively rare in Czech aquariums. Despite some specific husbandry requirements that distinguish it from other shell dwellers, it is certainly worth considering. Shell dwellers are interesting fish whose lives are tied to the snail shells on the lakebed where they breed. Most species are small, measuring just a few centimeters. Lamprologus callipterus is a bit of a rarity among them. Males grow to around 15 cm, females to about 6 cm.
Life in the Lake
This species is found throughout Lake Tanganyika, and fish from different locations do not differ much in appearance. Males defend territories about 40 cm in diameter, where they gather up to 100 shells of the Neothauma snail, in which a harem of females hides. Neighboring males steal shells from each other (often with the females inside!). The female usually lays around 30-100 eggs, which, like other shell dwellers, she cares for inside the shell while the male guards the surroundings.
The fry, after hatching, remain in the male's territory until they reach a size of about 3 cm. Then they become independent and leave the nest in small groups. As they grow larger, they form large groups that migrate through the lake, feeding on crustaceans and robbing the fry of pair-bonding cichlids. A single pair of fish is defenseless against the overwhelming number of these marauders. The food of adult L. callipterus consists mainly of crustaceans and insect larvae, which they search for in the sediment on the bottom.
Keeping in the Aquarium
My first experience with keeping this species started with the purchase of some inconspicuous juveniles, which I placed in a 120x80x25 cm aquarium. After the first males reached about 8 cm, I moved them to a 300x80x60 cm aquarium with larger species of the genus Neolamprologus. There, the fish gradually grew and began to spawn. Unfortunately, my joy did not last long, as the largest male gradually began to attack both the other males and the females, and within six months he was the only one left in the aquarium. Luckily, by this time I already had enough juveniles, so I decided to try keeping them again, but differently. I kept 20 juveniles, which I placed in a 100x80x55 cm aquarium with Altolamprologus compressiceps Kigoma.
As the juveniles gradually grew, their abnormality, which distinguishes them from other shell dwellers, became apparent. Males significantly outnumber females in the offspring. It is not unusual for there to be only 10-20% females. Another tricky thing is that some slower-growing males, in the presence of a larger male, slow down their growth and pretend to be females. The keeper is then briefly happy to have enough females, but after some time, disappointment sets in. Fortunately, I managed to put together a group with a ratio of 6 females to 6 males.
The largest male defends a territory in the aquarium with a diameter of about 30 cm, where he has gathered shells from the whole aquarium and gradually attracts females to spawn. The other males swim through the rest of the tank without any major problems. They hardly notice other fish species.
Breeding itself is a bit complicated, as the male constantly moves the shells in the nest, and with them the females. This makes it difficult to estimate where the spawning female is and what stage a particular spawn is at. With a bit of luck, it is possible to "shake out" the fry, which are very small and number around 20-70 depending on the age and condition of the female.
To feed the fry, I use artemia nauplii, which I gradually replace with fine plankton, and depending on the size, I gradually add frozen artemia, cyclops, and mosquito larvae. The fry grow relatively quickly, and raising them is problem-free.
Conclusion
For keeping this species, I recommend an aquarium of 400 liters or more due to their robustness. The water temperature should be around 24-26 ºC, nitrate levels optimally below 30 mg/l, and pH 8 or higher. I mostly feed live or frozen plankton, artemia, cyclops, mosquito larvae, and high-quality flake or granulated food. With a good ratio of males to females in the breeding group and a bit of luck with a more peaceful dominant male, keeping these fish is relatively trouble-free. They reward the keeper with an interesting appearance, where the male is almost 3 times larger than the female and constantly moves the shells and arranges the surroundings of the nest.
