Leleupi Kitumba

About Leleupi Kitumba

The Neolamprologus leleupi Kitumba offers a dramatically different appearance from the classic yellow or orange leleupi. This beautiful Lake Tanganyika locality variety displays a deep chocolate-brown to bronze body with warm burnt-orange coloration through the dorsal, tail, and lower fins. Its pale eye creates an especially striking contrast against the darker body.

Kitumba Leleupi are active, intelligent rock-dwelling cichlids that spend much of their time exploring caves, crevices, and the spaces between rocks. Their coloration may shift slightly depending on age, mood, lighting, and aquarium conditions, but the distinctive dark body and orange fins remain the defining features of this variety.

Provide a sandy substrate with plenty of securely stacked rocks and multiple caves. These fish can become territorial, particularly toward their own species and when preparing to spawn, so broken lines of sight and separate hiding places are important. They are best kept individually, as a compatible pair, or with similarly sized Lake Tanganyika cichlids in an appropriately spacious aquarium.

The Kitumba Leleupi is a cave-spawner. A bonded pair will select a protected crevice where the female deposits the eggs and guards the spawning site. Juveniles cannot be reliably sexed.

Feed a varied diet consisting of quality cichlid flakes or small pellets supplemented with foods such as brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and other appropriately sized meaty foods.

Care at a Glance

Adult size: Approximately 4 inches
Temperament: Territorial; moderately aggressive
Minimum aquarium: 30 gallons, with additional space recommended for pairs or communities
Temperature: 75–80°F
pH: 7.8–9.0
Water: Hard and alkaline
Diet: Omnivore with a preference for protein-rich foods
Habitat: Sand with abundant rocks, caves, and crevices
Breeding: Cave-spawner