What type of frontosa is this?

[zdolla3]

Got this beautiful male 8 inch frontosa today at a local fish auction for $16! Was wondering if anyone had any idea what type of frontosa it is? And tank mate options? I will be putting him alone in a 75g for now. I like unique and predatory fish (eels, bichir, any other cool chiclids, flowerhorn)

 

[Milingu]

Looks like a so called 6-bar C. frontosa from the northern half of the lake.

 

[neutrino]

Looks like a so called 6-bar C. frontosa from the northern half of the lake.

+1 Traditionally called a Burundi frontosa, though their range in the northern part of the lake extends beyond the Burundi coastline. Taxonomically there are two species of Cyphotilapia, gibberosa from the southern part of the lake and frontosa, both 6 and 7 bar, from the northern part of the lake-- with some regional and location variation within each species. Differences between gibberosa and frontosa include facial markings and the number of scale rows between the lateral lines. (3 in gibberosa vs 2 in frontosa, which is not difficult to see for yourself with good lighting)

 

[zdolla3]

Looks like a so called 6-bar C. frontosa from the northern half of the lake.

Thank you, any tank mate options? I’d get more if these guys but they’re so expensive

Looks like a so called 6-bar C. frontosa from the northern half of the lake.

 

[zdolla3]

+1 Traditionally called a Burundi frontosa, though their range in the northern part of the lake extends beyond the Burundi coastline. Taxonomically there are two species of Cyphotilapia, gibberosa from the southern part of the lake and frontosa, both 6 and 7 bar, from the northern part of the lake-- with some regional and location variation within each species. Differences between gibberosa and frontosa include facial markings and the number of scale rows between the lateral lines. (3 in gibberosa vs 2 in frontosa, which is not difficult to see for yourself with good lighting)

Thanks! Any tank mate suggestions ?

 

[neutrino]

Thanks! Any tank mate suggestions ?

There are a number of possibilities, depends somewhat on whether you want to stay in the same lake, same continent, or doesn't matter. Generally what you want are fish that aren't so small as to be easily eaten, also not fin nippers or hyper-active or overly aggressive. Cyphotilapia vary in temperament, so some people get away with exceptions, like small Tanganyikans (Neolamps, for example) that tend to stay out of their way, but not always. Odd combinations can work sometimes, but what works for some doesn't work for everyone, some of the possibilities are 'sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

I'd rule out tropheus, mbuna, most Central American cichlids and the larger, more aggressive new worlds in general. Some people attempt them with mbuna or trophs, but they're on the overactive side for fronts and tend to nip the long fins fronts develop-- I wouldn't do either one with them. Aunonocara are hit and miss, Aulonocara ngara worked for me, mine weren't very agressive, didn't nip fins, and my kapampa gibberosa left them alone, but your results could vary. I've seen (or had) some haps work, they can also be hit or miss according to species or individuals. I've seen Altolamps work. Placidochromis phenochilus have worked for some. I bred O. lithobates "Zimbabwe Rock" for a while and kept some with my kapampa at times, and they worked for me. I've seen some Tanganyikan featherfins work. If it's staying in a 75 you'd be limited some by tank size, also some of the better possibilities aren't cheap either.

 

[ken31cay]

+1 on Placidochromis phenochilus; in my 450gal I've kept two different colonies with star sapphire and this worked very well. My next colony of 18 Moba will have Mdoka white lips as tank mates in my 750gal. I can't speak to smaller tanks as I've never tried, but in my 450gal I've tried a selection of around 10 male Aulonocara and the Frontosa in there were not comfortable at all. Also tried Cyrtocara moorii as tank mates and I also would not recommend that.