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Five-Bar Cichlid

Dwarf Frontosa ~ Five Barred Lamprologus ~ Tret Cichlid Family: Cichlidae

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Neolamprologus tretocephalus Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Frank Schneidewind

   A handsome captivating beauty, the Five-Bar Cichlid will make your aquarium an eye catching showcase!  

   Although the Five-Bar Cichlid Cichlid has the great colors of a Frontosa Cichlid, it has just a fraction of the size. It has a dramatic color pattern of bold black bars contrasted against a light silvery blue background, and is highlighted with gorgeous blue tinged fins. It can be housed in a smaller tank than the Frontosa and watching its antics is a reward in itself. When a pair breeds they will take on the same protection duties of their fry as some of the American Cichlids, and viciously guard them.

  The Five-Bar Cichlid is easy to care for as long as mandatory water changes are done (and difficult if they are neglected). They like a sandy to very small sized substrate along with caves made from rocks, highly porous rock works well. They also enjoy plants in the background or middle ground.

   They can be kept alone or in pairs, but will kill any other Five-Bar Cichlid in the tank.As they will become extremely aggressive and will occupy a large territory when spawning and brooding, pairs are best kept in a species tank or with fish that can take the abuse they will dish out. They are not as aggressive when not spawning, so juveniles or as a single specimen may not cause a ruckus. In this situation they may be successfully kept with other smart and fast moving fish of similar size. Just make sure the tank is very large.

  The Five-Bar Cichlid is the common name these fish are primarily known by but other names are the Tret Cichlid, Five Barred Lamprologus, and Dwarf Frontosa. Due to its appearance it is occasionally confused with two of its close relatives, the Sexfasciatus or Six-Bar Lamprologus Neolamprologus sexfasciatus and the Frontosa Cichlid Cyphotilapia frontosa. Both of these have the strong barring and varying amounts of blue highlights, and as a juvenile this fish looks almost like the same fish as the Frontosa. However there is a very simple difference that distinguishes this cichlid from the others. The Five-Bar Cichlid has just that, five bold bars on its body. The other two species will have six (or in some varieties seven) bold dark bars.

For more Information on keeping freshwater fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:
   The Five-Bar Cichlid was described by Boulenger in 1899. These fish are endemic to Lake Tanganyika, Africa and inhabit areas in the northern half of the lake. They are found along rocky shore areas where they feed on mollusks such as snails, along with fishes. Lake Tanganyika is the second to largest lake in the world, thus contributing to a low fluctuation in pH and temperature.

Status:
   This species is listed on the IUCN Red List with the status of 'LC', meaning 'Least Concern'.

Description:
   The Five-Bar Cichlid is an elongated fish with a very pleasing coloration. The body is a light silvery blue to white with five bold black vertical bars. The first bar is behind the head and the last bar is at the base of the caudal fin. The fins are blue with the dorsal fin having just a shadow of the bars extending slightly onto it. The coloring is very close to the Frontosa Cichlid especially when young, thus earning the name “Dwarf Frontosa”. It is also similar to the Sexfasciatus or Six-Bar Lamprologus, but the head is less pointed and it has a more slender and torpedo shaped body.
   All cichlids share a common feature that some saltwater fish such as wrasses and parrotfish have and that is a well-developed pharyngeal set of teeth that are in the throat, along with their regular teeth. Cichlids have spiny rays in the back parts of the anal, dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins to help discourage predators. The front part of these fins are soft and perfect for precise positions and effortless movements in the water as opposed to fast swimming.
   Cichlids have one nostril on each side while other fish have 2 sets. To sense “smells” in the water, they suck water in and expel the water right back out after being “sampled” for a short or longer time, depending on how much the cichlid needs to “smell” the water. This feature is shared by saltwater damselfish and cichlids are thought to be closely related.

Size - Weight:
  The Five Bar Cichlid can grow to a length of almost 6” (15 cm), but more commonly reaches just 4” (10 cm).

Care and feeding:
   Though considered an omnivore, the Five-Bar Cichlids are primarily carnivorous, feeding on mollusks such as snails along with fishes in the wild. In the aquarium they can be fed flakes and sinking pellets as well as meaty foods, then small feeder fish and feeder snails when they grow larger. Live foods such as baby brine and an occasional garden worm are also fine. Occasionally supplement with their diet with some vegetable based foods as well. Watch water quality. Feed 2 to 5 small pinches of food a day in smaller amounts instead of a large quantity once a day. This will keep the water quality higher over a longer time. A one-day-a-week 'fast' can also be beneficial. Of course, all fish benefit from added vitamins and supplements to their foods.
   A minimum 40 gallon tank is suggested for a fish under 4". A larger tank, 80 gallons and 4 feet long, will be needed for a breeding pair or when keeping a mixed tank. They need good water movement to provide lots of oxygenation along with very strong and efficient filtration. Provide a sandy to very small sized substrate along with rocks and cave formations. Plants are also enjoyed and can be arranged in a very pleasing manner. Use Swordplants that are the larger variety along with Anubias, Water Fern and Java Fern, depending on your tank size. These can be placed in the background or middle ground.
   Do normal water changes of only 10% to 15% biweekly or weekly, depending on stocking numbers. The Lake Tanganyika cichlids cannot handle large water changes very well unless the new water chemistry closely matches the water they are in. This inability to tolerate large water changes is due to Lake Tanganyika being very deep and the water tends to stay stable. They are susceptible to typical fish ailments especially if water is stale, of poor quality, and low oxygenation.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will swim in the middle and bottom areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Hardness: 10 - 13 dH
   Ph: 8.6 - 9.5 (some can adjust to neutral water if done slowly)
   Temp: 78 - 80° F (26 - 27° C)

Several things all Lake Tanganyika cichlids need are:

1. Stable temperatures kept within acceptable limits.
2. Lots of oxygen to survive. Lake Tanganyika is a very oxygen rich lake. Bubblers need to be going day and night, even if there are plants.
3. Avoid overfeeding and overstocking.
4. Do a 10-20% water change weekly.
5. Regularly check nitrates (no more than 25 ppm), Ph (less than 7 is not tolerated), total hardness and carbonate hardness.

Social Behaviors:
   The Five-Bar Cichlid can be kept alone or in pairs, but will kill any other Five-Bar Cichlid in the tank. As they will become extremely aggressive and will occupy a large territory when spawning and brooding, pairs are best kept in a species tank or with fish that can take the abuse they will dish out. They are not as aggressive when not spawning, so juveniles or as a single specimen may not cause a ruckus. Some fish you can try with a pair of these fish are Clown Loaches, Rainbow or Redtail Sharks, large Rainbowfish, larger Barbs, larger Danios and other smart and fast moving fish of similar size. Just make sure the tank is very large.

Sexual Differences:
   The male is a little larger than the female and has a slightly bigger head, the female is slightly duller in color.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   The Five-Bar Cichlid has been bred in captivity though it is considered to be rather difficult. Obtaining several juveniles and allowing a pair to form, then removing the others is the best way to get a pair. A pair will spawn at about 4 to 6 week intervals. They take over an area, such as an upside down clay flower pot (some break out the bottom), and the male will remove any rock or debris. The female enters and lays the eggs on the surface, after which the male fertilizes them.
   Once the eggs are fertilized it takes 2 to 3 days for them to hatch and 5 days for them to be free swimming. Once they are free swimming, the female will be surrounded by a cloud of hundreds of fry. The male at this point, becomes super aggressive and will expand his territory for his family. In about 3 weeks, remove most of the fry. The fry can be fed crushed flake and baby brine shrimp. Breeding a wild caught specimen with a captive bred specimen helps to keep the lines healthier. See the description of monogamous cichlids in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Buy Five-Bar Cichlid From LiveAquaria.com

Availability:
   The Five-Bar Cichlid is usually available online and sometimes found in fish stores, ranging from $17.00 to over $40.00 USD, depending on size. They can sometimes be special ordered when out of season, if you are willing to wait.

Author: Carrie McBirney
Additional Information: Clarice Brough, CFS

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Latest Comments
I have 2 in my Tanganyikan tank and both (unfortunately) are males, one is extremeley agressive and the other has been chased into one spot. The dominant male is very agressive towards EVERYTHING! They are a gorgeous fish and are great for a cichlid tank. Beware! My dominant male chased the other into a point where it is showing barely any color at all and doesn't leave its one spot in a rock except to eat, they should NOT be housed with any peaceful fish smaller than themselves. Olivia 2008-08-27

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