Common Name: Brown Julie
Scientific Name: Julidochromis Dickfeldi
Origin: This species is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. It inhabits rocky shorelines in the southwest part of the lake, occurring between Kapampa and Ndole, always occurring in shallow water.
Appearance: The Dickfeld’s Julie has a slender elongated body that is slightly different from most of the Julies. They have a larger dorsal fin towards the front portion, and a more pointed snout. It has a wonderful blue sheen in the body as well as blue fringing on the dorsal and tail. The dorsal fin appears larger than in the other Julies while the 3 horizontal stripes are more intense than in ornatus.
Size: The female grows to 4 1/3 inches (11 cm), with the male being a little smaller. It can reach 9 cm (3 in) in length and weighs up to 2 grams.
Lifespan: This species can have a lifespan of 5 – 7 years with proper care.
Diet: It feeds on zooplankton and other small invertebrates. Live and frozen foods should comprise a large proportion of the diet. Dried foods can be fed, but less often. Some vegetable matter, such as spirulina or blanched spinach should also be fed.
Aquarium Setup: Should be housed in a Lake Tanganyika biotope setup, with piles of rocks arranged to form caves filling much of the aquarium. A sandy substrate is preferable and the aquarium should be well-oxygenated2.
Water Conditions: Temperature: 73-81°F (23-27°C), pH: 8.0-9.2, Hardness: 10-25°H.
Behavior and Compatibility: A territorial species. It can be maintained successfully with other small to medium-sized Tanganyikan cichlids that occupy different areas of the tank such as Neolamprologus shelldwellers and Cyprichromis species.