Species

Ocellatus

Lamprologus ocellatus

moderatesemi aggressivebottom swimmerCichlidae
Add to my tank
Ocellatus
Tank length
15 cm6 in
Start with
1
Temperature
23–26 °C73–79 °F
pH
7.6–9
Adult size
5 cm2 in
Lifespan
5–8 yrs

Bold shell dweller that guards a patch of sand and its snail shells; give every fish several shells and open floor space.Bold shell dweller that guards a patch of sand and its snail shells; give every fish several shells and open floor space.

Tank sizes

Good tankmates

Avoid with

Data used by the planner
Temperature23–26AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence
pH7.6–9AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence
Hardness (dGH)10–30AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · low confidence
OriginLake Tanganyika, East Africacurated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence
Beginner friendlyNocurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Care levelmoderatecurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Activitysedentarycurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Swimming levelbottomcurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Temperamentsemi aggressivecurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Nips finsNocurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Long finsNocurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
TerritorialYescurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Lives in groupsNocurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Minimum group1curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Dietcarnivorecurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence
Lifespan (years)5–8curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence
Months to adult size10curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence
Safe with plantsYescurated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence