Freshwater
Otjikoto tilapia
Tilapia guinasana
Cichlidae, Pseudocrenilabrinae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 14 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 73 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
More about the species
Description
Found in deep sinkhole lakes (100 m deep or more, e.g. introduced population in Lake Otjikoto, Namibia) with moderately clear water and with water temperatures ranging from 19 to 27°C. Omnivorous, but feeds mainly on algae and diatoms. Generally congregate, breed and feed from the near-vertical shores. Use narrow shelves for breeding, with established and defended territories, both parents guard and tend eggs. Threatened due to depletion of local groundwater resources and impact of introduced species. Individuals tend to display different color patterns ranging from pure black to mottled black and blue, pink and white. Biparental open-spawning species.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Tilapia sparrmanni
In other languages
- Sinitilapia
Articles
All articles
How to set up an African aquarium5 min read
Two completely different aquariums: forest rivers with soft, brown water, roots and leaves, and Rift Valley lake cichlids in hard, alkaline water with big rock piles.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.
Ich (white spot)4 min read
The most common disease in aquarium fish. How to recognize it, why it shows up, and how to get rid of it.