Telmatochromis temporalis 'Shell'

The shell form of Telmatochromis temporalis is a naturally compact variant that has fully committed to a shell-dwelling lifestyle on sandy lake-floor habitats in Lake Tanganyika. While the standard temporalis form uses rocky crevices, this shell variant is found predominantly on open sandy flats where Neothauma shell accumulations provide the only available cover, and it has adapted both its behaviour and, to some extent, its body depth to exploit these structures.

In the aquarium it behaves like a true shell dweller: selecting a single large shell, cleaning the interior, and spawning within it. The female guards the clutch and the emerging fry with considerable tenacity, while the male defends the surrounding sandy territory. The species is relatively peaceful toward unrelated species occupying different ecological niches.

For best results, set up a sandy-bottomed aquarium of 60 L or more with an abundance of large shells — Neothauma replicas or large escargot shells work well. The shell form's smaller size relative to the standard temporalis makes it suitable for mid-sized Tanganyika community tanks alongside Cyprichromis or calm Julidochromis.

Water: pH 7.8–9.0, GH 10–20, KH 8–16, temperature 24–27 °C; stable and hard. Tank: 60 L; fine sand; several large shells; minimal rock; moderate flow. Feeding: Pellets, flake, frozen Artemia and Cyclops; twice daily feeding. Breeding: Shell-spawner; female guards; male defends territory; fry accept Artemia nauplii. Compatibility: Compatible with Cyprichromis and Julidochromis; avoid competing shell dwellers.