Tropheus are very popular in the aquarium among hobbyists. How to best keep these fishes causes much debate among hobbyists. Their highly aggressive conspecific behavior and their tendency to catch "bloat" make them a real challenge. All Tropheus species are algae browsers in the wild and therefore their diet should consist mostly of (but not all!) vegetable matter. Since they are highly aggressive to conspecifics, so it is advisable to keep groups of at least a dozen or more in order to spread out aggression. Their wide variety of available colors and their enthusiasm at feeding time makes them a favorite, despite their challenges.