Bumblebee cichlid
Pseudotropheus crabro
Also known as hornet cichlid
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–82°F
- 24–28°C
- pH
- 7.5–8.5
- Adult size
- 5.9 in
- 15 cm
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal
- 200 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Social
- Own kind
- One male per tank
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Lake Malawi
Overview
The bumblebee cichlid is an aggressive fish from Lake Malawi for a rocky tank of other robust cichlids. It is best with a little experience.
Did you know
Bumblebee cichlids change color hard depending on mood. Their usual yellow-and-black bars can flip to a near-solid dark coloration. That happens when a fish is dominant, breeding, or sneaking up on a catfish nest.
Caring for the bumblebee cichlid
Give bumblebee cichlids a tank of at least 53 gal (200 L) with heavy rockwork. Use lots of rock to create caves and territory boundaries, and break up sightlines to spread out the fighting.
Keep the water hard and alkaline, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. Feed cichlid pellets and vegetable matter, with the occasional meaty treat.
Bumblebee cichlids are aggressive, especially around spawning. Keep one male per tank, with other robust Malawi cichlids that can hold their own. Do not mix them with small or timid fish. They sit in the middle and lower water near their rocks.
Good to know
The bumblebee cichlid is a Malawi mbuna in the family Cichlidae. Despite the mbuna label, it is not a strict algae grazer but an opportunistic omnivore. In the wild it has the unusual habit of raiding the nests of the large catfish Bagrus meridionalis for eggs and fry. It will also pick parasites off the catfish.
In the wild
Bumblebee cichlids live in the rocky zones of Lake Malawi, around caves and broken rock in fairly shallow water. The lake is hard and alkaline.
From published sources
Tank mates
Each fish here is named as a tank mate for the bumblebee cichlid by at least two published care guides. Keep it in a crowded mbuna tank of at least 70 gallons (265 liters), with one male to several females.
Sources: Fishkeeper (Maidenhead Aquatics), Fishkeeping World.
Common questions
What size tank does a bumblebee cichlid need?
A bumblebee cichlid needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a bumblebee cichlid need?
A bumblebee cichlid is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.
What does a bumblebee cichlid eat?
A bumblebee cichlid eats cichlid pellets and vegetable matter, plus the occasional meaty treat.
How big does a bumblebee cichlid get?
An adult bumblebee cichlid reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).
What fish can live with the bumblebee cichlid?
Published care guides name red zebra cichlid. Keep it in a crowded mbuna tank of at least 70 gallons (265 liters), with one male to several females.
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