- Common name
- African butterfly cichlid
- Scientific name
- Anomalochromis thomasi
- Category
- Freshwater fish
- Group
- West African cichlids
- Environment
- Freshwater aquarium
- Origin
- Coastal river systems from the Konkouré River in Guinea to the St John River in Liberia
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- Up to 5.0 cm standard length; about 6.5 cm total length
- Expected lifespan
- Plan for 6–10 years under stable care.
- Minimum housing
- At least 100 L with a 75 cm or longer footprint for one compatible pair
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C
- pH
- 6.0–8.0
- Hardness / minerals
- 5–12 dGH
- Salinity
- Freshwater; 0 ppt routine salinity
- Lighting
- Subdued to moderate
- Placement / zone
- Bottom and lower water
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the full adult group, with accessible mechanical prefiltration and guarded intakes. Flow must suit the species while ammonia and nitrite remain undetectable.
- Aeration
- Maintain reliable surface agitation and oxygen exchange at all times. Increase aeration during hot weather, medication, transport recovery or any rise in stocking load.
- Maintenance
- Change water regularly according to measured nitrate and waste, siphon trapped food and detritus, rinse mechanical media in removed aquarium water and verify that every fish is feeding and maintaining condition.
Identity and search names
Single-species profile for Anomalochromis thomasi. Preserve permanent AquaNexus ID 11, slug african-butterfly-cichlid and route species/african-butterfly-cichlid/index.html; retain former combinations, locality labels and trade names only as searchable aliases.
Search names: Thomas’s cichlid, African butterfly dwarf cichlid
Environment and housing
Provide fine sand, wood, plants, leaf litter, flat spawning surfaces and visual barriers that divide the aquarium into separate areas.
Social structure: Maintain one compatible pair; separate fish if persistent aggression occurs
Feeding and nutrition
Feeding ecology: Small aquatic invertebrates, quality prepared foods and varied frozen or live foods
Feeding routine: One or two measured feeds daily
Breeding, reproduction or spread
Biparental open-substrate spawner; eggs are placed on a cleaned stone, leaf or other exposed surface
Parental care: Both parents guard eggs, larvae and free-swimming fry
Detailed care and app-ready planning
- Identity scope
- Single-species profile for Anomalochromis thomasi. Preserve permanent AquaNexus ID 11, slug african-butterfly-cichlid and route species/african-butterfly-cichlid/index.html; retain former combinations, locality labels and trade names only as searchable aliases.
- Adult size and space
- Expected adult size: Up to 5.0 cm standard length; about 6.5 cm total length. Minimum permanent housing: At least 100 L with a 75 cm or longer footprint for one compatible pair. Plan around adult dimensions, activity, social structure, aggression, oxygen demand and waste production rather than sale size.
- Social structure
- Maintain one compatible pair; separate fish if persistent aggression occurs
- Swimming zone or placement
- Primary zone: Bottom and lower water. Keep that zone usable for movement, feeding, refuge and escape.
- Feeding ecology
- Small aquatic invertebrates, quality prepared foods and varied frozen or live foods
- Feeding plan
- One or two measured feeds daily
- Water stability
- Maintain 23–27 °C; pH 6.0–8.0; hardness or minerals: 5–12 dGH; salinity: Freshwater; 0 ppt routine salinity. Stable oxygenation and nitrogen-cycle control matter more than chasing one exact value.
- Habitat structure
- Provide fine sand, wood, plants, leaf litter, flat spawning surfaces and visual barriers that divide the aquarium into separate areas.
- Compatibility plan
- Use peaceful tank mates that tolerate the same water and do not invade the pair’s breeding territory.
- Breeding or reproduction plan
- Biparental open-substrate spawner; eggs are placed on a cleaned stone, leaf or other exposed surface Parental care: Both parents guard eggs, larvae and free-swimming fry.
- Quarantine
- Quarantine new livestock in a separate cycled system for at least 30 days. Observe appetite, respiration, waste, skin, fins and behaviour; use dedicated equipment and never add transport water to the established aquarium.
- Welfare checks
- Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding, and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. A normally mild pair can become strongly territorial around a brood; visual barriers and separation capacity remain necessary.
- Biosecurity and release
- Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
- Main risk
- A normally mild pair can become strongly territorial around a brood; visual barriers and separation capacity remain necessary.
- Adult projected load
- A bonded adult pair has a modest waste load but a high territorial load during spawning. Project space and filtration for courtship, fry feeding and temporary separation if one partner is attacked.
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the full adult group, with accessible mechanical prefiltration and guarded intakes. Flow must suit the species while ammonia and nitrite remain undetectable.
- Aeration
- Maintain reliable surface agitation and oxygen exchange at all times. Increase aeration during hot weather, medication, transport recovery or any rise in stocking load.
- Maintenance
- Change water regularly according to measured nitrate and waste, siphon trapped food and detritus, rinse mechanical media in removed aquarium water and verify that every fish is feeding and maintaining condition.
- Overridable warnings
- Non-overridable: separate fish under persistent pair aggression, preserve visual barriers and maintain stable clean water. A smaller or differently arranged system is not an acceptable override unless the adult pair can retreat, feed and spawn without injury.
Compatibility, welfare and risk
Compatibility: Not applicable
Welfare: Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding, and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. A normally mild pair can become strongly territorial around a brood; visual barriers and separation capacity remain necessary.
Main warning: A normally mild pair can become strongly territorial around a brood; visual barriers and separation capacity remain necessary.
Biosecurity and release
Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.