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Blotch melanochromis

Melanochromis baliodigma

Also known as Baliodigma mbuna

FreshwaterFish

Blotch melanochromis (Melanochromis baliodigma)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
7.5–8.5
Adult size
4.3 in
11 cm
Minimum tank
66 gal
250 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Malawi

Overview

The blotch melanochromis is an aggressive, rock-dwelling mbuna from Lake Malawi. It suits a keeper with some experience and a tank built around rockwork.

Did you know

The blotch melanochromis is the odd one out in a genus known for tidy horizontal stripes. Its markings are smudged into ragged blotches. That broken pattern is thought to work as camouflage against the mottled rock it hunts over.

Caring for the blotch melanochromis

The blotch melanochromis is aggressive, so plan the tank around its temper rather than its size. Give it at least 66 gal (250 L), with room to build the rock piles it needs. Stack the rock over a sandy floor to form caves and crevices, with clear territories and sight breaks. Leave open swimming lanes between the piles.

Keep the water hard, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) with a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. Run good filtration and keep the oxygen steady. Feed a mixed diet of quality cichlid pellets, spirulina flake and frozen foods such as mysis or brine shrimp.

Keep one male with a few females, so his aggression is spread out. It works the lower half of the tank and treats anything small enough to swallow, including fry, as food. Choose robust tank mates of similar size and temperament, and pick them with care.

It is a maternal mouthbrooder, and breeding it is of medium difficulty. The female holds the eggs and fry in her mouth for about three weeks, then releases free-swimming young.

Good to know

Melanochromis baliodigma belongs to the cichlid family. Its scientific and common names both point to its chain of dark blotches.

In the wild

The blotch melanochromis lives in Lake Malawi, where sandy patches meet rock around Membe Point. It hunts through the broken stone of the shoreline, where the water is hard, alkaline and warm.

Common questions

What size tank does a blotch melanochromis need?

A blotch melanochromis needs at least 66 gal (250 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a blotch melanochromis need?

A blotch melanochromis is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.

What does a blotch melanochromis eat?

A blotch melanochromis eats a mixed diet of quality cichlid pellets, spirulina flake and frozen foods such as mysis or brine shrimp.

How big does a blotch melanochromis get?

An adult blotch melanochromis reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).

How does a blotch melanochromis breed?

The blotch melanochromis is a maternal mouthbrooder. The female holds the eggs and fry in her mouth for about three weeks before releasing free-swimming young. Breeding it is of medium difficulty.

Related species