Who Gives A Fish Forums

I recently recorded a short video of my Neolamprologus leleupi. Scooped them out of the tank for some outdoor filming.

Their appearance is quite striking, in my opinion - one of the more attractive Tanganyika cichlids out there. Beauty is subjective, of course.

Those Neolamprologus leleupi are quite stunning, the coloration is particularly eye-catching. I've always been drawn to their slender build, it sets them apart from some of the other Tanganyika cichlids.

Those are lovely cichlids - I used to have some, but they were extremely aggressive, which I expected to some extent, given they're Africans, but what I didn't expect was how that aggression persisted despite a well-rocked tank with ample space. I eventually had to let them go.

creekdwlr wrote: ↑Fri May 23, 2025 5:36 am Those are lovely cichlids - I used to have some, but they were extremely aggressive, which I expected to some extent, given they're Africans, but what I didn't expect was how that aggression persisted despite a well-rocked tank with ample space. I eventually had to let them go.

My experience with African Cichlids wasn't exactly pleasant. My daughter brought home 8 young adults from college that she rescued, and before I knew it, they took over my entire 55-gallon tank. I had to relocate all my other fish to prevent them from getting killed. The only exception was my pleco, which they seemed to leave alone for some reason. Then, they started having fry, and within a year, my tank was overflowing with them. I ended up giving away over 50 of them. It was an interesting experience at first, watching them and all, but I never kept cichlids again after that. They were indeed nice-looking fish, but the aggression was just too much.

Those Neolamprologus leleupi are gorgeous, Emeraldsea.

oldraider wrote: ↑Fri May 23, 2025 4:34 am Those Neolamprologus leleupi are quite stunning, the coloration is particularly eye-catching. I've always been drawn to their slender build, it sets them apart from some of the other Tanganyika cichlids.

You might find dwarf cichlids a better fit, they're generally easier to handle.

creekdwlr wrote: ↑Fri May 23, 2025 5:36 am Those are lovely cichlids - I used to have some, but they were extremely aggressive, which I expected to some extent, given they're Africans, but what I didn't expect was how that aggression persisted despite a well-rocked tank with ample space. I eventually had to let them go.

I can see why you had to rehome them, creekdwlr. Aggressive fish can be quite a handful. My experience with African Cichlids was similar, they took over my tank and I had to give them away. I do enjoy a mix of personalities in my collection though, it keeps things interesting.

I'm currently hooked on shoal/schooling fish, mainly small tetras, and I've developed a fascination with fancy guppies as well. When I first started keeping fish over 30 years ago, I was like a kid in a candy store - I wanted everything. I didn't have the knowledge back then to properly care for some of the fish I kept, and I'm still learning today.

creekdwlr wrote: ↑Fri May 23, 2025 5:36 am Those are lovely cichlids - I used to have some, but they were extremely aggressive, which I expected to some extent, given they're Africans, but what I didn't expect was how that aggression persisted despite a well-rocked tank with ample space. I eventually had to let them go.

I'm with you on that - I don't mind a bit of aggression in my fish. What I do prefer is when they're not always on high alert, you know, can chill sometimes too. I've had my share of those super aggressive ones and I just can't be bothered with the stress of possibly waking up to a massacre in the tank. That's why I mainly stick to dwarf cichlids - they've got so much personality and are just gorgeous, plus they can get feisty every now and then, but it's manageable.