Polleni Cichlid

About the Polleni Cichlid

The Polleni Cichlid, Paratilapia polleni, is a captivating fish also called the Starry Night Cichlid or Black Diamond Cichlid due to its distinctive appearance. Hailing from Madagascar, they are relatively large, reaching 10-12 inches in length, and can be somewhat aggressive towards conspecifics or similarly sized tank mates.

Husbandry & Care

Temperament: Semi-Aggressive/Aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 55 Gallons for a M/F Pair

Water Temperature: 62-82 °F

Water pH: 6.5-8.0

Social Group: Solitary or M/F Pair

Diet: Carnivore; chopped earthworm, shrimp, prawn, mussel, tilapia, frozen brine shrimp/bloodworms/mysis, high-quality commercial cichlid flakes/pellets, spirulina.

Compatible with: Rift Lake Cichlids and Semi-Aggressive Central American Cichlids of similar or larger size. Not recommended to have tank mates due to territorial nature and does best in a species-only tank that is environmentally complex.