Home / Fishes / Cichlids / Cichlidae / Otjikoto tilapia

No federal permit to keep

Otjikoto tilapia

Tilapia guinasana

Fishes › Cichlids (Cichliformes) › Cichlidae (Cichlids)

The Otjikoto tilapia (Tilapia guinasana) is a critically endangered species of cichlid fish endemic to Namibia where it was originally only found in Lake Guinas.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Easy

FamilyCichlids

Adult lengthup to 5.5 in

WaterFreshwater

HabitatLives in freshwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 30 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 5.5 in / 14 cm).
Water: Freshwater.
Temperature: 72–79°F (range recorded for this species).
pH: 7–7.8.
Hardness: 0–15 dGH.
Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
Diet: Eats a varied diet: mix quality prepared foods with frozen and live foods. FishBase classes it as a herbivore.

Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.

Care guide

Species care notes

Tank: a base of at least 47 × 12 in (roughly 29 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 66–77 °F, pH 7–7.8, 10–15 dGH.
Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).

Short excerpts from the species profile:

Setup: “The fish will exhibit the most natural behaviour if maintained in a biotope setup.”
Diet: “In nature, it mainly feeds on algae and organisms found within it by grazing the rocky walls of the lake.”
Tankmates: “Can be kept with larger African tetras such as Congo tetras but does best in a species tank to allow the best possible chances of a successful spawn.”

From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167

Group care guide

West, Central and southern African river cichlids and tilapias

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: African rivers, streams and lakes. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Kribensis and other dwarf West Africans do well in planted 20–30 gallon tanks with caves and neutral water.
Tilapias and Serranochromis grow large and are often kept in ponds or for aquaculture.

Sources 117 119 164

Climate & lighting

Water

75–82°F

Sources 117 119 164

Diet

Omnivorous pellets plus frozen foods; tilapias need plant matter.

Sources 117 119 164

Health watch

Several tilapias are invasive and regulated by many states; never release.

Sources 117 119 164

Understanding the animal

About this animal

This very small sinkhole lake contains quite clear water that generally ranges between 18 and 25 °C (64 and 77 °F) depending on season, and the Otjikoto tilapia has been seen down to depths of 67 m (220 ft). Despite deriving its common name from the nearby Lake Otjikoto, it is not native to that lake, rather being an introduced species.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Otjikoto tilapia” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

In the wild

From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.¹

Where it lives	Lives in freshwater, in lakes. Uses both the bottom and open water. Found in deep sinkhole lakes (100 m deep or more, e.g. introduced population in Lake Otjikoto, Namibia) with moderately clear water and with water temperatures ranging from 19 to 27°C.
Water it lives in	Freshwater, 72–79 °F (22–26 °C), pH 7–7.8, hardness 15 dH.
Climate	Tropical climate.
Behavior to plan for	Breeding: nesters.

What this means for care

Keep water within its wild range, 72–79 °F.

FishBase species summary: Tilapia guinasana

From the sources

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	The Otjikoto tilapia (Tilapia guinasana) is a critically endangered species of cichlid fish endemic to Namibia where it was originally only found in Lake Guinas. This very small sinkhole lake contains quite clear water that generally ranges between 18 and 25 depending on season, and the Otjikoto tilapia has been seen down to depths of 67 m. Despite deriving its common name from the nearby Lake Otjikoto, it is not native to that lake, rather being an introduced species. It is rare in the aquarium trade and also kept in garden ponds in southern Africa. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase
Reproduction	Nests are built on narrow rocky ledges and competition for these nest sites is very strong. — FishBase
Biology	Found in deep sinkhole lakes (100 m deep or more, e.g. introduced population in Lake Otjikoto, Namibia) with moderately clear water and with water temperatures ranging from 19 to 27°C. Omnivorous, but feeds mainly on algae and diatoms (, 52307 ). Generally congregate, breed and feed from the near-vertical shores. — FishBase

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Adult length

Average of sources5.5in

FishBase 1645.5

Seriously Fish species profiles 1675.5

Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.

Water temperature

Average of sources69–78°F

FishBase 16472–79

Seriously Fish species profiles 16766–77

Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.

pH

Average of sources7–7.8

FishBase 1647–7.8

Seriously Fish species profiles 1677–7.8

Water hardness

Reported10–15dGH

Seriously Fish species profiles 16710–15

Minimum tank footprint

Reported47in

Seriously Fish species profiles 16747

Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 47 × 12 in (about 29 US gallons).

Federal legal snapshot

No federal permit to keep

No federal law singles out this species for private keepers. State and local rules still apply.

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Not covered by the Animal Welfare Act

The Act only covers warm-blooded animals. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates have no federal care standards, even at licensed facilities; state and local rules may still apply.

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Has a Seriously Fish aquarium species profile
FishBase records it in the aquarium trade (Aquarium=commercial; AquariumFishII=based mainly on breeding)
4 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.