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No federal permit to keep

Giant cichlid

Boulengerochromis microlepis

Fishes › Cichlids (Cichliformes) › Cichlidae (Cichlids)

The giant cichlid (Boulengerochromis microlepis), also known as the emperor cichlid, is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae, endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Intermediate

FamilyCichlids

Adult lengthup to 31.5 in

WaterFreshwater

HabitatLives in freshwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 192 in long and 63 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 31.5 in / 80 cm).
Water: Freshwater.
Temperature: 75–79°F (range recorded for this species).
Layout: An open-water swimmer: needs long, open swimming space with few obstacles.
Diet: FishBase classes it as a carnivore.

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, 75–82 °F, pH 7.5–9, 10–25 dGH.
Behaviour: in a pair; not a community fish.
Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).

Short excerpts from the species profile:

Setup: “A simple set-up with a sandy substrate plus a few large rocks arranged to break up the space should suffice.”
Diet: “Juvenile specimens are omnivorous but become increasingly piscivorous as they grow.”
Tankmates: “Not particularly aggressive with anything too large to fit in its mouth but due to its adult size the choices are fairly limited.”

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

It is the only member of its genus Boulengerochromis and tribe Boulengerochromini.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Giant cichlid” (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. Inhabits near-shore surface waters. Firm flesh is highly valued.
Ground it lives on	Over rock.
Water it lives in	Freshwater, 75–79 °F (24–26 °C), pH 9, hardness 10 dH.
Climate	Tropical climate.
Behavior to plan for	Breeding: nesters.

What this means for care

Keep water within its wild range, 75–79 °F.
Provide rockwork with crevices to hide in.

FishBase species summary: Boulengerochromis microlepis

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 86°F (up to 90°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 61°F (down to 55°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	70–79°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	56–72% on average (driest month about 56%)
Rainfall	about 1034 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons

Measured at 33 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	The giant cichlid (Boulengerochromis microlepis), also known as the emperor cichlid, is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae, endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa. It is the only member of its genus Boulengerochromis and tribe Boulengerochromini. — 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
Behavior	Males reach a length up to 90 cm and females up to 75 cm, possibly making it the largest extant species of cichlid; only the speckled peacock bass (Cichla temensis) of South America attains similar sizes as an adult. The giant cichlid is endemic to Lake Tanganyika, where it occurs in portions of the lake controlled by Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Reproduction	Deposits eggs in abandoned nests of other cichlids, in between stones, or in the sand, if no nests are available. — FishBase
Appearance and size	Maximum length 80.0 cm tl male/unsexed; maximum published weight 4.5 kg. — FishBase
Biology	Inhabits near-shore surface waters. Firm flesh is highly valued. Largest African cichlid. — FishBase
History and naming	The species was originally described as Tilapia microlepis by George Albert Boulenger in 1899. Realizing that it was not a tilapia, the genus Boulengerochromis was coined in 1904 by Jacques Pellegrin. — 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.

Typical adult weight

Reported9.9lb

FishBase 1649.9

Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).

Adult length

Average of sources26.6in

FishBase 16431.5

Seriously Fish species profiles 16721.7

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

Water temperature

Average of sources75–80.5°F

FishBase 16475–79

Seriously Fish species profiles 16775–82

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

pH

Reported7.5–9

Seriously Fish species profiles 1677.5–9

Water hardness

Reported10–25dGH

Seriously Fish species profiles 16710–25

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)
2 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.