Blue nyererei
Pundamilia azurea
Also known as Haplochromis azureus, Ruti Island nyererei
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 73–81°F
- 23–27°C
- pH
- 7.0–8.5
- Adult size
- 4.7 in
- 12 cm
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal
- 200 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Mouthbrooder · Medium
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Lake Victoria, rocky islands
Overview
The blue nyererei is a small but feisty cichlid from Lake Victoria. It holds around the middle and lower water near rock, and it is an intermediate fish to keep.
Did you know
Female blue nyererei choose mates by male color. This blue form and the red one stay separate species largely because females prefer their own shade. Where pollution clouds the water and hides those colors, the two can interbreed, a rare case of species blurring back together.
Caring for the blue nyererei
Give the blue nyererei at least 53 gal (200 L), well aquascaped with rock to help spread the aggression. Build piles of rock that form caves and territories over a sandy floor, with plenty of sight breaks.
Hold the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.5. Run good filtration and keep conditions stable. Feed a varied diet of quality flake and pellets, with frozen mysis, brine shrimp and some vegetable content.
The blue nyererei does not shoal, and it will chase its own kind. Keep a single male, or a male with a female or two if you want to breed. Never house two males together, since they fight hard. A male defends a territory, so choose robust tank mates with care.
The blue nyererei is a maternal mouthbrooder of medium difficulty. The female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth and does all the parental care.
Good to know
Pundamilia azurea, also listed as Haplochromis azureus, belongs to the cichlid family. Males are washed in blue from head to tail, where their close relative the red nyererei burns orange-red.
In the wild
Pundamilia azurea lives at rocky island shores in the Tanzanian part of Lake Victoria. There it keeps to steep beds of broken stone in the Speke Gulf. The lake is warm, with a neutral to alkaline pH.
Common questions
What size tank does a blue nyererei need?
A blue nyererei needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a blue nyererei need?
A blue nyererei is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.5.
What does a blue nyererei eat?
A blue nyererei eats a varied diet of quality flake and pellets, with frozen mysis, brine shrimp and some vegetable content.
How big does a blue nyererei get?
An adult blue nyererei reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).
How does a blue nyererei breed?
The blue nyererei is a maternal mouthbrooder of medium difficulty. The female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth and does all the parental care.
Related species
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Pundamilia igneopinnis
5.1 in (13 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
- 5.9 in (15 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Zebra nyererei
Pundamilia pundamilia
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3.5 in (9 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)
4.7 in (12 cm)30 gal (115 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Aurora cichlid
Maylandia aurora
4.7 in (12 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)
4.7 in (12 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Chipokee cichlid
Melanochromis chipokae
4.7 in (12 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
4.7 in (12 cm)42 gal (160 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Johanni cichlid
Melanochromis johannii
4.7 in (12 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)