Fact Sheet Frontosa – Tanganyika Bump Head
German name:
Tanganyika bump head
Scientific name:
Cyphotilapia frontosa
Origin:
Northern part of Central African Lake Tanganyika
Size:
up to 35 cm
Aquarium
Length:
from 200 cm edge length
Contents:
from 350 liters
water values
Temperature:
24°C – 26°C
pH:
7.8 – 9.0
GH:
9°-20° dH (optimal 9° – 11° dH)
15° – 20° CH (optimal 15° – 18° CH)
Behave
Area:
below
Lining:
Shrimp, small fish, frozen food, Tubifex
Number:
1 male, several females anonymous, Cyphotilapia frontosa by Ark, CC BY-SA 3.0
Frontosa husbandry conditions
Cyphotilapia frontosa come from the Lake Tanganyika and need appropriate water parameters.
Water parameters in Lake Tanganyika:
How many Frontosa can be kept together?
Frontosa sometimes appear in large schools in their native waters. They only feel comfortable in a small group. At least 3 animals should be kept. In a group, they can become relatively trusting. As solitary animals, they remain extremely shy. Sometimes they don’t even go for food.
If there are three animals, there may be disputes between the frontosa. In a larger group, the aggression can be better distributed.
It is therefore better to keep 5 or more animals in a group.
The aquarium should then have a volume of 600 liters. Aquariums under 400 liters are not at all suitable for Frontosa.
Frontosa like it quiet and a bit dark. Otherwise, if the lighting is too strong, they only come out when they are very hungry or after switching off the lighting.
The rear wall and sides of the aquarium must be darkened with foil or paint. Otherwise the animals will flee in panic if someone approaches the aquarium quickly.
There are many hiding places to be set up. Care must be taken to ensure that the hiding places also offer space for the frontosa. Flower pots and similar hiding places are necessary for this. The usual scree slopes often have gaps that are too small.
Aquariums measuring 200x60x70 centimeters are well suited for Frontosa. Depth is more important than height because the animals do not like going to the water surface. If there are stone structures that reach below the water surface, they also come up to the top, although they prefer to be near the bottom.
A school of a Cyprichromis species is suitable as companion fish for the upper water regions. These are relatively calm and peaceful surface dwellers from Lake Tanganyika. Lamprologus brichardi also gets along well with Frontosa.
Frontosa need calcareous water.
User:Ark pl wiki, Cyphotilapia frontosa (head) by Ark, CC BY-SA 3.0
Frontosa absolutely need lime in the water, ie hard water and calcareous filter material or calcareous decoration. The carbonate hardness must be at least between 5 and 7. A low pH is not a problem if the carbonate hardness is high enough.
Soft water can be hardened with a sufficient amount of limestone and shell fragments. Limestones can be used for decoration. It can also be filtered over a calcareous substrate.
Frontosa have a high metabolic rate. The resulting nitrous acids can lower the carbonate hardness to 3 to 4 and the pH to 7 if the biofilter is working and the water is changed about every 14 days.
Frontosa require very oxygenated water with a low redox value in order for them to show their full coloration with blue fin edges. Due to the body mass and the high metabolic rate, the oxygen requirement is considerable. Aeration with an oxygen stone is useful. Possibly the water should be enriched with ozone. However, ozone is not absolutely necessary if the stock is small.
Example aquarium:
- 3 frontosa, 1 male, 2 females
- 450 liters
- Low total stock of approx. 70 cm fish in addition to the frontosa
- Lots of limestone and shell fragments
- Fine sand
- A giant Vallisneria forest for a partially shaded environment
- Heating, lighting, filters
A powerful filter is absolutely necessary for larger populations. Because of the oxygen enrichment and the hardening of the water, a trickle filter is ideal. A normal filter bowl has to be cleaned frequently.
The water quality can be easily recognized by the color of the frontosa. If the water quality is poor, they feel uncomfortable and turn black. If the water quality is good, they feel comfortable and are beautifully striped with blue fin edges.
What frontosa eat
The food intake of the frontosa depends strongly on the mood of the animals. You don’t eat every day. Only when they are really hungry do they go to the food or look for food really quickly. They only swim to the surface of the water to feed if they have not been fed 2 to 3 days before or only sparingly.
Because Frontosa are often more active when the normal aquarium lighting is off, you can try feeding in the light of the room lighting in the evening.
Frontosa are slow to get used to large pieces of food. They always try to swallow the food in one piece.
Suitable feed:
- flake food
- worms
- Red mosquito larvae attached to the pane as frozen food
- spirulina flakes
- Large flakes of food
- Small food tablets
- Sera Granules
Unsuitable food:
- Sticks don’t sink.
- Granules are hardly eaten or only by some animals.
- FD tablets are not eaten.
- Food with added vitamins dripped onto it is despised.
- Beef heart is not eaten.
- Raw freshwater fish will not be eaten.
- Living black mosquito larvae are eaten after a long period of adaptation.
- Live food such as freshwater shrimp and white mosquito larvae are not eaten.
Frozen food such as krill, mysis and Malawi mix is sometimes eaten. However, frontosa like to mess around with it. Large flakes and very small food tablets are practically breathed in and chewed through for minutes. A cloud of feed spreads around the frontosa.
As frontosa grow larger, they appear to become less difficult to feed. They will then eat more and be less picky, but can still be moody.
The social behavior
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Cyphotilapia_frontosa2.jpg
Frontosa have a distinctive social behavior. The male impresses the female with strong coloring and flipped fins.
Sometimes the male will follow the female with his fins fully clamped. They swim slowly ahead, pale colored and with fins also attached. From time to time the females, completely pale, circle each other with their fins on. At times they move at a slight angle. Occasionally they nudge each other in the flanks or threaten with gaping mouths.
These threatening gestures correspond to the behavior of other cichlids. In the case of the Frontosa, this does not develop into really vicious fights with serious bites, although the skirmishes can last for several hours.
When two females fight, a male sometimes drives them apart. The male makes a spitting motion with his mouth, as if emitting a shock wave in the water aimed at the female’s side of the body. This is how the male shows his superiority.
Which catfish or algae eaters are suitable for Frontosa?
The original uploader is unknown MidgleyDJ at English Wikipedia., Cyphotilapia frontosa mouthbrooding, CC BY-SA 2.5
There are no algae eaters from Lake Tanganyika that match Frontosa and can be kept in the aquarium.
Ancistrus are suitable for socializing with Frontosa.
Lively fish such as loaches are not suitable. The Tropheus in question are very lively and sometimes aggressive, like almost all growth feeders from the East African rift lakes.
As specialized growth eaters, Tropheus need plant food rich in fiber and no meat food.
Frontosa require meat food. Frontosa won’t touch plant foods, and meat foods will damage Tropheus’s intestines.
Frontosa and Tropheus probably do not meet in nature either. Frontosa live in relatively deep water layers.
Tropheus tend to live in the upper water layers due to their preferred food.