Tanganyika lampeye

Where they come from

Tanganyika lampeyes (Lacustricola pumilus) come from the Lake Tanganyika region in East Africa, mostly in the little streams, marshy edges, and calm backwaters connected to the lake. They are one of those small "surface" fish that spend a lot of time up top hunting tiny food, with that reflective eye spot that flashes under light.

Even though the name screams Tanganyika, they are not a typical rock-dwelling cichlid companion from the lake itself. Think weedy margins and gentle water more than crashing surf and boulder piles.

Setting up their tank

Give them a tank that plays to their habits: calm, planted, and with a lot of surface area. They look their best when they have room to cruise the top without feeling exposed.

• Tank size: 10-20 gallons works for a group, but 20 is way nicer long-term (more stable, better behavior).
• Group size: keep 8-12 if you can. In small numbers they get shy and you will barely see them.
• Filtration: gentle flow. A sponge filter or a baffled HOB is perfect.
• Cover: floating plants (frogbit, salvinia) or long stems reaching the surface. They love that "roof".
• Substrate and decor: sand or fine gravel, plants, and a few bits of wood or smooth rock for visual breaks.
• Lid: tight-fitting. These can jump, especially at lights-on or during chasing.

Water-wise, they are pretty forgiving, but they do better with clean, stable water than with chasing exact numbers. Neutral to slightly alkaline is fine, and moderate hardness is usually easy. If your tap is liquid rock, they are generally OK with that too as long as the tank is consistent and not swinging all over the place.

What to feed them

These are small-mouthed micropredators. If you feed only big flakes and call it a day, they will survive, but you will not get the best color or the fun hunting behavior.

• Daily staples: small flakes or micro pellets (crush normal flakes between your fingers).
• Best foods: baby brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops, and other tiny frozen/live foods.
• Occasional: finely chopped bloodworms, but keep it small and not every day.
• Frequency: small meals 1-2 times a day. They do better with "snacks" than one big dump of food.

How they behave and who they get along with

Lampeyes are peaceful, quick, and kind of sparkly in motion. Most of their action is near the surface, and the males do little showing-off shimmies with each other. It is more posturing than damage, especially in a decent-sized group.

They are also easy to spook. Fast hands, a loud lid slam, or a bully fish charging around can turn them into jumpers or hiders.

• Great tankmates: small, calm fish that ignore the surface (small tetras, rasboras, small barbs that are not nippy, Corydoras, small loaches).
• Also works: peaceful dwarf cichlids that stay lower, as long as they are not breeding-territorial maniacs.
• Avoid: fin nippers, hyperactive fish, big mouthy fish, and anything that lives at the surface and competes hard (some hatchetfish setups can work, but you have to watch feeding).
• Shrimp: adults often do fine, but babies are a snack if the lampeyes can catch them.

Breeding tips

They are egg scatterers, and in a comfortable tank you might get surprise fry without trying. If you actually want numbers, you will need to outsmart the parents, because they will eat eggs and tiny fry when they find them.

• Use a spawning mop (acrylic yarn) or dense fine-leaf plants (java moss works, so do guppy grass and similar).
• Condition with live/frozen small foods for a week or two.
• Move a pair or trio to a small breeding tank, or just pull the mop every few days and hatch eggs separately.
• Eggs are usually laid in the mop/plants. Keep them clean and gently aerated if you hatch them in a separate container.
• First foods for fry: infusoria, microworms, vinegar eels, then baby brine shrimp once they can take it.

Common problems to watch for

Most issues with this species come from stress and surface-related stuff rather than weird diseases.

• Jumping: usually triggered by sudden light changes, chasing, or feeling exposed. Fix with a lid and some floating cover.
• Getting outcompeted at feeding time: they are quick, but they like small food. If tankmates are pigs, the lampeyes end up thin. Feed smaller foods across the surface and in two spots.
• Shyness and fading color: often from keeping too few, too bright/empty of a tank, or too much aggressive movement around them.
• Surface film and low oxygen at the top: they hang where gas exchange happens. Keep some ripple on the surface.
• Typical community fish illnesses (ich, bacterial fin issues): they are not uniquely prone, but they show stress fast. Quarantine new fish and keep nitrates reasonable.