Blue Victoria mouthbrooder
Astatotilapia nubila
Also known as Haplochromis nubilus, Astatotilapia nubilus
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 73–81°F (23–27°C)
- pH
- 7.0–8.5
- Adult size
- 4.3 in (11 cm)
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal (200 L)
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- Tankmates with caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Breeding
- Easy
- Rarity
- Rare
- Origin
- Lake Victoria basin
- Family
- Cichlidae
Overview
This is a hardy, scrappy haplochromine from the Lake Victoria basin. It does not shoal, so keep a single male, or a male with a female or two for breeding, and expect two males to fight. It uses the middle and lower water near cover, and a displaying male turns aggressive, so provide rock, plants, and hiding places for weaker fish and pick tankmates that can hold their own. It is an unfussy eater: quality flake and pellets, frozen bloodworm, mysis, and some vegetable food all work. A tank of around 200 liters or more, aquascaped with rock and dense planting, gives lower-ranking fish room to escape.
In the wild
Astatotilapia nubila ranges widely through the Victoria basin, including satellite lakes and rivers, favoring weedy, swampy margins and papyrus edges rather than open rock. Give it a mix of rockwork, dense planting, and some open sand. The water is warm and hard to neutral, so hold 23 to 27 C and a pH of 7.0 to 8.5; it also breeds well in neutral water.
Good to know
Astatotilapia nubila, also known as Haplochromis nubilus, belongs to the cichlid family and reaches about 11 centimeters. Its name comes from a word for dark-clouded, and a displaying male darkens to near-black over blue with red trim on the fins. It is a maternal mouthbrooder and one of the easier haplochromines to breed, the female incubating the brood in her mouth.
Did you know
This is one of the most widespread and adaptable cichlids of the Victoria basin, at home in rivers and small satellite lakes as well as the main lake. That flexibility helped it hang on where many specialized Victoria cichlids were lost after the Nile perch was introduced.
Common questions
What size tank does a Blue Victoria mouthbrooder need?
A Blue Victoria mouthbrooder needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH do Blue Victoria mouthbrooder need?
Blue Victoria mouthbrooder are comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.5.
How big do Blue Victoria mouthbrooder get?
An adult Blue Victoria mouthbrooder reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
- Imperial Tropicals Freshwater fish and inverts bred at a Florida hatchery
- The Wet Spot Tropical Fish Large selection of quarantined tropical freshwater fish, with live arrival guarantee and Next Day Air flat rate shipping to all US locations
…or ask your local fish store.
Appears in
Keeping Blue Victoria mouthbrooder?
Track water tests, reminders and stocking fit.
Planning tankmates
See how Blue Victoria mouthbrooder fits a stocking plan. Open the stocking calculator
Add to your site
Show this species on your own site: a shortcode for WordPress, or an HTML embed for anywhere else.
Related species
Zebra obliquidens
Astatotilapia latifasciataFreshwater4.9 in (12.5 cm)30 gal (115 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Burton's mouthbrooder
Astatotilapia burtoniFreshwater5.1 in (13 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Eastern happy
Astatotilapia callipteraFreshwater5.9 in (15 cm)66 gal (250 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Auratus cichlid
Melanochromis auratusFreshwater4.3 in (11 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Chidunga zebra
Metriaclima patrickiFreshwater4.3 in (11 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Aurora cichlid
Maylandia auroraFreshwater4.7 in (12 cm)30 gal (115 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)