Blue johanni cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

This is an aggressive, territorial fish, especially the males, so it needs a tank around 170 liters or larger with lots of rockwork to spread out the aggression. Keep one male with several females and pick tankmates that can hold their own, like other mbuna. Feed a diet built on algae and plant matter, with cichlid pellets and the occasional frozen food. Avoid foods too high in protein, which these fish handle poorly.

In the wild

The blue johanni comes from the rocky coastal zones of Lake Malawi, where broken rock gives every fish a cave to claim and defend. Build the tank the same way, with plenty of stacked rock and tight crevices so fish can break each other's line of sight. The water is hard, alkaline, and well oxygenated, so keep pH at 7.5 to 8.5 and temperatures in the mid to high 20s C.

Good to know

Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos is a mbuna in the family Cichlidae, with males reaching about 10 cm and females a touch smaller. Males are electric blue with darker stripes, and females and young fish look very similar, blue-black with light-blue stripes. It's a maternal mouthbrooder and is listed as Critically Endangered in the wild.

Did you know

The name cyaneorhabdos means "blue stripe." This species was once lumped in with the related Melanochromis johannii, which is why the common name stuck even after it was described as its own species.

Related species

• 

  Auratus cichlid

  Melanochromis auratus

  4.3 in (11 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Johanni cichlid

  Melanochromis johannii

  4.7 in (12 cm)42 gal (160 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
• Chipokee cichlid

  Melanochromis chipokae

  4.7 in (12 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Pearl of Likoma

  Melanochromis joanjohnsonae

  3.9 in (10 cm)45 gal (170 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Afra cichlid

  Cynotilapia afra

  3.9 in (10 cm)29 gal (110 L)77–84°F (25–29°C)

• 

  Blood-red jewel cichlid

  Hemichromis lifalili

  3.9 in (10 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–79°F (23–26°C)