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No federal permit to keep

Blunthead cichlid

Tropheus moorii

Also known as Blunt-Headed Cichlid, Dwarf Tanganyikan cichlid, Moorii

Fishes › Cichlids (Cichliformes) › Cichlidae (Cichlids)

Tropheus moorii, the blunthead cichlid, is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Intermediate

Blunthead cichlid — Photo: Bobby 111 (?), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Bobby 111 (?), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FamilyCichlids

Record lifespan10 years

Adult lengthup to 5.7 in

WaterFreshwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific values

Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.

Water temperature	73–81 °F (23–27 °C) Seriously Fish aquarium recommendation; not a wild collection measurement.	273
Water pH	8–9.5 pH Seriously Fish aquarium recommendation; not a wild collection measurement.	273
Water general hardness	8–25 dGH Seriously Fish aquarium recommendation; not a wild collection measurement.	273
Maximum standard length	145 mm SL Source maximum; not total length or a guaranteed adult size.	273
Diet	Vegetable foods form the staple; small live/frozen supplements are included in this source. Avoid beefheart and similar meat.	273
Social needs	Established colony with aggression monitoring; the source recommends 15–20 fish rather than small groups, with exceptions reported. Do not casually add fish to an established colony.	273
Minimum group tank dimensions	length: 60 in; width: 18 in; height: 18 in Source recommendation for a colony, distinct from its single-fish tank example.	273

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 30 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 5.7 in / 14.5 cm).
Water: Freshwater.
Temperature: 75–79°F (range recorded for this species).
pH: 8–9.
Hardness: 9–19 dGH.
Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
Diet: A grazer on plants and algae: base the diet on vegetable foods (algae wafers, blanched vegetables, spirulina). FishBase classes it as a herbivore.

Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.

Care guide

Species care notes

Water: hard, alkaline water, 73–81 °F, pH 8–9.5, 8–25 dGH.
Behaviour: temperament peaceful; a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more.
Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).

Short excerpts from the species profile:

Setup: “Many aquarists keep Tropheus in bare setups to reduce territorial behaviour but they can also be maintained in decorated aquaria.”
Diet: “It will accept most foods offered but vegetable matter in the form of spirulina flakes, blanched spinach, nori etc.”
Tankmates: “It has a somewhat dubious reputation for aggressive behaviour but this is undeserved.”

From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167

Group care guide

Lake Tanganyika cichlids

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Rocky reefs, shell beds and sand of Lake Tanganyika. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Use species-specific alkaline-water parameters and stable, well-oxygenated conditions. For N. multifasciatus, Seriously Fish gives pH 7.5–9.0 and general hardness 8–25 dGH.
Shell-dwellers need beds of empty snail shells; rock-dwellers like Julidochromis need stacked rockwork; Tropheus need large groups and spacious tanks.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Climate & lighting

Water

76–81°F

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Diet

Tropheus moorii needs a vegetable-based staple with small suitable live/frozen supplements. Other Tanganyikans need their own feeding plan; shell-dweller and predator diets differ.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Social life

Often pair- or colony-forming and territorial; research each genus.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Health watch

Tropheus are prone to bloat on rich foods; sudden water changes stress Tanganyikans.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Understanding the animal

About this animal

Over 40 different color morphs of this species are dispersed throughout the lake, ranging from dark green to flame red and yellow. They mostly feed on filamentous algae on the rocky shallows they inhabit.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Tropheus moorii” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

In the wild

From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.¹

Where it lives	Lives in freshwater, in lakes. Uses both the bottom and open water.
Ground it lives on	Over rock.
Water it lives in	Freshwater, 75–79 °F (24–26 °C), pH 8–9, hardness 9–19 dH.
Climate	Tropical climate.
Wild diet	Grazing on aquatic plants. Troph of juv./adults from 1 study.
Behavior to plan for	Breeding: external brooders, maternal parental care.

What this means for care

Keep water within its wild range, 75–79 °F.
Provide rockwork with crevices to hide in.
Parents guard eggs or young, so expect territorial behavior when breeding.

FishBase species summary: Tropheus moorii

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 86°F (up to 91°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 61°F (down to 54°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	69–80°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	54–72% on average (driest month about 53%)
Rainfall	about 1055 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons

Measured at 27 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.

From the sources

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	Tropheus moorii, the blunthead cichlid, is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa. Over 40 different color morphs of this species are dispersed throughout the lake, ranging from dark green to flame red and yellow. They mostly feed on filamentous algae on the rocky shallows they inhabit. T. moorii is a maternal mouthbrooder, so eggs are fertilized and young are carried in the mouth of the female while they hatch and develop. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase
Wild diet	Buccal feeding refers to the feeding a mouthbrooding mother does to feed her young located in her buccal cavity. T. moorii females have unusually high parental investment in their offspring since they produce large eggs and buccally feed their young. Among cichlids, T. moorii has a very high egg to adult body size ratio. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Reproduction	Female lays only a few eggs. Female collects eggs up into her mouth before they sink to the bottom and then moves to the genital area of the male. There the sperm are shed and taken into the mouth of the female where fertilization takes place. — FishBase
Biology	Feed on worms, crustaceans, insects and plant matter. Females brood their young in the mouth. Aquarium keeping: feed on epiphyton; many females for one male; minimum aquarium size 150 cm. — FishBase
History and naming	The specific name honours the discoverer of this species, John Edmund Sharrock Moore (1870–1947). — Wikipedia (community-edited)

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Maximum recorded lifespan

Reported10years

FishBase 16410

Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter.

Adult length

Average of sources5.7in

FishBase 1645.7

Seriously Fish species profiles 1675.7

Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.

Water temperature

Average of sources74–80°F

FishBase 16475–79

Seriously Fish species profiles 16773–81

Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.

pH

Average of sources8–9.2

FishBase 1648–9

Seriously Fish species profiles 1678–9.5

Water hardness

Average of sources8.5–22dGH

FishBase 1649–19

Seriously Fish species profiles 1678–25

Federal legal snapshot

No federal permit to keep

No federal law singles out this species for private keepers. State and local rules still apply.

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Not covered by the Animal Welfare Act

The Act only covers warm-blooded animals. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates have no federal care standards, even at licensed facilities; state and local rules may still apply.

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Has a Seriously Fish aquarium species profile
FishBase records it in the aquarium trade (Aquarium=commercial; AquariumFishII=based mainly on breeding; aquarium reproduction record)
10 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Seriously Fish — Neolamprologus multifasciatus Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
Seriously Fish — Tropheus moorii Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.