Frontosa
Cyphotilapia frontosa
A large, slow-moving Tanganyikan cichlid with bold vertical bars and a pronounced forehead hump in mature males.
Ideal Conditions
- Temperature
- 24 – 27 °C
- pH range
- 8 – 9
- Hardness
- 12 – 20 dGH
- Adult size
- 25 – 35 cm
- Min. tank size
- 600 litres+
- Lifespan
- 15 – 25 years
- Diet
- Carnivore — quality pellets and frozen fish foods
- Water flow
- Moderate
- Preferred setup
- Deep tank with large rock structures and open swimming space
About the Frontosa
Frontosa are long-lived deep-water predators from Lake Tanganyika. They grow to 30 cm or more, mature slowly and can live for two decades, so they are a genuine long-term commitment requiring a very large tank.
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Is it right for your tank?
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Where Frontosa comes from
Native range
Lake Tanganyika, East African Rift
Countries / regions
Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Zambia
Habitat
Deep rocky slopes of Lake Tanganyika, typically well below the surface in hard, alkaline water.
Illustrative native range only, not an occurrence dataset.
Similar species
Electric Yellow Lab
Labidochromis caeruleus
Oscar
Astronotus ocellatus
We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.
Compatible tank mates
Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.
- Compatible with caution
Cyprichromis
Cyprichromis leptosoma
A traditional Tanganyikan dither fish, but adults must be large enough not to be eaten.
- Compatible with caution
Electric Yellow Lab
Labidochromis caeruleus
Shares the water chemistry, but the faster mbuna out-compete a slow-feeding Frontosa.
- Not recommended
Cardinal Tetra
Paracheirodon axelrodi
Would be eaten immediately and needs the opposite water chemistry.
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