Tigre Tilapia

Tilapia buttikoferi

This is an easily maintained species living happily in slightly acidic to slightly alkaline water. Hardness seems of little import in keeping the species, as Tilapia buttikoferi can be easily kept with Lake Malawi species in a community tank. It is omnivorous, relishing most prepared and frozen foods along with a variety of green plant matter such as nori, lettuce or zucchini.

The species is fast growing, my two fish having grown from 3cm to around 11-13cm in just over a year, although they currently show now interest in spawning. I am going to attempt to obtain a few more specimens in order to avoid inbreeding.

T. buttikoferi demonstrates the importance of not releasing aquarium fishes into local waterways. Otherwise this fish and others similar to it will be lost to the hobby due to necessary import restrictions.

Country of Origin: Riverine West Africa
Diet: Omnivore
Water Chemistry: pH 6.5 - 7.5 (not critical), kH not critical
Temperature: 25 - 28 C

This is a fish that has caused much debate and is now available in Sydney from time to time. The Sydney Branch of the New South Wales Cichlid Society believe the fish is on the noxious species list and is therefore illegal to keep. On this note, I contacted the NSW fisheries department who informed me that “…T. buttikoferi is illegal to keep in outdoor dams or ponds but legal to keep in the home aquarium….”.

I believe it is legal to keep, given the response I received from the state fisheries department and also the widespread nature of its sale throughout Sydney. From a fish keepers point of view this is a stunning West African species that has much appeal both aesthetically with its strong black on white markings and from a well developed personality. The species is moderately aggressive, similar to oscars in nature. It will retaliate if menaced but rarely displays much aggression towards heterospecifics. I originally had a trio of these beautiful fish, the largest, which I believed to be male was killed when it leapt through a small gap in the tank lids. My two smaller T. buttikoferi get along quite well and only display occasion aggression towards each other.