The Turkana Jewel Cichlid is known only from Lake Turkana (formerly Lake Rudolf) in Kenya, where it lives in hard, alkaline water.

Jewel Cichlids are pair-bonded substrate spawners. The water should be alkaline with the temperature set towards the higher end of the preferred range, and there should be plenty of flat rocks such as slate for the female to deposit her eggs on to. Once a pair has formed, compatibility is reinforced by having suitable tankmates to provide a focus for territorial aggression.