Neolamprologus caudopunctatus
by Todd Raysby - 12/25/2013
by Todd Raysby - 12/25/2013
This small Tanganyikan cichlid, often referred to as a shell dweller though it typically only uses the shells for breeding purposes, is a wonderful aquarium resident. The fish has a beautiful yellow/orange streak in the dorsal fin which stands out against the fish's light gray body color. Two of the more appealing aspects of the fish's appearance are the pearly white ventral fins and the opalescent scales, both of which reflect the light in an array of colors. There are also some white spangles in the tail and at the rear base of the dorsal fin.
Males and females are identical in appearance. The only visible difference is size. Mature males reach about 2 to 2.5 inches, while females top out around a half inch smaller. During breeding and in times of stress, dark vertical bands can be seen along the flank. I find both color variations attractive. The banded coloration can be seen in the video at the end of this article.
N. caudopunctatus is a fairly peaceful fish. They will defend their breeding site with gusto, a characteristic typical of substrate spawning cichlids in general, but are otherwise non-aggressive. I have my breeding pair in a 30 gallon breeder (36" long x 18" wide x 13" high) aquarium with a trio of 'Lamprologus' similis and fry of both species, plus a small colony - perhaps 12 individuals - of the livebearer Limia nigrofasciata. At one point in the not too distant past I had two pairs of N. caudopunctatus in the tank. For a while both pairs were breeding, but the fry never lasted more than a week or so before disappearing. I am fairly certain the two pairs were cannibalizing each others offspring. Eventually the peaceful collection of two pair of caudopunctatus and a one trio of similis became a group of bitter neighbors. The similis and caudopunctatus do not mingle with one another; each species staunchly protects its territory. Eventually the caudopunctatus males began squabbling over their shared 2/3rds of the aquarium. One male died as a result of injuries suffered in that confrontation. I removed the extra female. The remaining fish have thrived together for the past 6 months. Both species of cichlid are breeding in the tank, and the Limia have also been increasing in number.
N. caudopunctatus is a fairly peaceful fish. They will defend their breeding site with gusto, a characteristic typical of substrate spawning cichlids in general, but are otherwise non-aggressive. I have my breeding pair in a 30 gallon breeder (36" long x 18" wide x 13" high) aquarium with a trio of 'Lamprologus' similis and fry of both species, plus a small colony - perhaps 12 individuals - of the livebearer Limia nigrofasciata. At one point in the not too distant past I had two pairs of N. caudopunctatus in the tank. For a while both pairs were breeding, but the fry never lasted more than a week or so before disappearing. I am fairly certain the two pairs were cannibalizing each others offspring. Eventually the peaceful collection of two pair of caudopunctatus and a one trio of similis became a group of bitter neighbors. The similis and caudopunctatus do not mingle with one another; each species staunchly protects its territory. Eventually the caudopunctatus males began squabbling over their shared 2/3rds of the aquarium. One male died as a result of injuries suffered in that confrontation. I removed the extra female. The remaining fish have thrived together for the past 6 months. Both species of cichlid are breeding in the tank, and the Limia have also been increasing in number.
Neolamprologus caudopunctatus breed in a manner similar to most shell dwellers. The female will select a suitable breeding site, usually a shell, and prepare it for spawning, excavating the substrate in and around the shell. She will then attract the male to the shell, which he is not allowed to enter. She will lay the eggs within, completely out of sight, and the male will release his milt near the shell entrance. The female fans the sperm into the shell with her fins. Following the spawning activity, the female will build up the sand around the shell mouth until only a small opening remains. A couple of weeks later you will see very tiny fry hopping about in that small space.
At that point in time tiny food will be required to raise the fry. Live, freshly-hatched brine shrimp are an ideal food for the fry, though I have raised some on finely crushed flake food and a brine shrimp replacement known as Golden Pearls. The fry grow slowly. They are also very fragile. I removed the fry from the parents several times only to have them die within hours. Even when I merely separated them into a net within the same tank, they suffered 100% fatality. I am uncertain why this is the case, but I would suggest leaving the fry with the parents for at least the first three weeks before removing them. In order to maximize fry survival. I would suggest keeping the breeders in a species only tank in which the fry can remain unmolested until they have reached a size of nearly one-half of an inch. I am sure there will be someone who reads this who has had a completely different breeding experience with this species, but these are my observations.
As a rule with substrate-spawning cichlids - really almost any cichlid for that matter - surface area is the most important aspect in deciding what fish an aquarium can house. These fish are territorial and spend most of their time near the substrate. Therefor more bottom space is better. Vertical space is not an adequate substitute for base surface area.
In the wild these fish are mainly carnivorous, feeding on plankton and any small invertebrates they can dig from the sand. That would translate to a high-protein diet in the aquarium, though I have never seen a carnivorous fish suffer from consuming more vegetable matter than it might in the wild. The converse is also true. Fish that are known to consume high quantities of plant matter in the wild should be fed a high veggie diet in the aquarium, but protein is not a cause for concern, nor the cause of bloat (though for many, many years I believed this to be the case). See this Monster Fish Keepers post for more information on the subject. N. caudopunctatus will readily accept most flake and pellet foods, though a small pellet is preferred due to the diminutive size of the fish.
I would highly recommend Neolamprologus caudopunctatus to any enthusiast of Tanganyikan cichlids, particularly fans of shell dwellers or dwarf species. Of course, any aquarium hobbyist will find pleasure in keeping this fish. They won't eat your plants either. They may uproot some, but they won't eat them. Please enjoy the short video below of my breeding pair and their tankmates.
At that point in time tiny food will be required to raise the fry. Live, freshly-hatched brine shrimp are an ideal food for the fry, though I have raised some on finely crushed flake food and a brine shrimp replacement known as Golden Pearls. The fry grow slowly. They are also very fragile. I removed the fry from the parents several times only to have them die within hours. Even when I merely separated them into a net within the same tank, they suffered 100% fatality. I am uncertain why this is the case, but I would suggest leaving the fry with the parents for at least the first three weeks before removing them. In order to maximize fry survival. I would suggest keeping the breeders in a species only tank in which the fry can remain unmolested until they have reached a size of nearly one-half of an inch. I am sure there will be someone who reads this who has had a completely different breeding experience with this species, but these are my observations.
As a rule with substrate-spawning cichlids - really almost any cichlid for that matter - surface area is the most important aspect in deciding what fish an aquarium can house. These fish are territorial and spend most of their time near the substrate. Therefor more bottom space is better. Vertical space is not an adequate substitute for base surface area.
In the wild these fish are mainly carnivorous, feeding on plankton and any small invertebrates they can dig from the sand. That would translate to a high-protein diet in the aquarium, though I have never seen a carnivorous fish suffer from consuming more vegetable matter than it might in the wild. The converse is also true. Fish that are known to consume high quantities of plant matter in the wild should be fed a high veggie diet in the aquarium, but protein is not a cause for concern, nor the cause of bloat (though for many, many years I believed this to be the case). See this Monster Fish Keepers post for more information on the subject. N. caudopunctatus will readily accept most flake and pellet foods, though a small pellet is preferred due to the diminutive size of the fish.
I would highly recommend Neolamprologus caudopunctatus to any enthusiast of Tanganyikan cichlids, particularly fans of shell dwellers or dwarf species. Of course, any aquarium hobbyist will find pleasure in keeping this fish. They won't eat your plants either. They may uproot some, but they won't eat them. Please enjoy the short video below of my breeding pair and their tankmates.
