Freshwater
Victoria tilapia
Oreochromis variabilis
Cichlidae, Pseudocrenilabrinae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 30 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 648 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
More about the species
Description
Adults feed predominantly on bottom algae, some of the planktonic organisms that are found in their stomachs are probably those which have settled on the bottom or were washed shorewards from open waters but they do feed directly on plankton. A maternal mouthbrooder, males make complex courtship structures in the substrate. Was a major component of the fisheries catch in Lake Victoria. Some pond culture attempted. IUCN conservation status is critically endangered.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Chromis niloticus
- Nyasalapia variabilis
- Sarotherodon variabilis
- Tilapia galilaea
- Tilapia nilotica
- Tilapia variabilis
In other languages
- Hopeatilapia
- Cichlid
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.