Care
Burton's Mouthbrooder is found in Lake Tanganyika and surrounding creeks and rivers. Due to its wide distribution, many different colour varieties occur. These fish can be moderately aggressive, particularly the dominant males, and they should only be kept with other Tanganyikan cichlids of a similar disposition. They are not suitable for housing alongside small shell-dwellers. It is best to keep a single male with a harem of 4 or 5 females as the males will not tolerate each other unless the tank is extremely voluminous. Rocks should be used to create small outcrops and plenty of caves. The more visual barriers there are, the better. The best choice of substrate would be coral sand or aragonite, which will help to keep the water hard and alkaline. The Tanganyikan aquarium that houses this species should be at least 4ft long, with a good amount of filtration, water movement and oxygenation. Burton's Mouthbrooders are intolerant of poor water conditions, so ensure frequent small partial water changes are carried out.
Feeding
Flake, green flake, slow-sinking pellets/granules, frozen foods such as vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, Mysis shrimp, chopped krill, mosquito larvae etc.
Breeding
Easy to breed. The male excavates small pits in the gravel and then entices the female to deposit her eggs. The male releases his milt and the female then takes the fertilised eggs into her mouth and broods them for 14-20 days (temperature dependent).
