Elongate mbuna
Chindongo elongatus
Also known as Pseudotropheus elongatus, Slender mbuna, Elongatus
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F
- 24–27°C
- pH
- 7.8–8.6
- Adult size
- 5.1 in
- 13 cm
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal
- 200 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Social
- Own kind
- One male per tank
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Easy
- Rarity
- Common
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Rocky shallows of Lake Malawi in East Africa.
Overview
Keep one male with several females in a rocky tank of at least 200 liters with hard alkaline water at 24 to 27 C, pH 7.8 to 8.6. It is a feisty mbuna, so give it plenty of caves and pair it only with other assertive rock dwellers. Feed a vegetable based diet of spirulina and algae pellets with light frozen treats. Its slim shape lets it defend narrow crevices as territory.
In the wild
The elongate mbuna is a slim rock dweller from the shallow rocky zones of Lake Malawi. It works its way through cracks and over rock faces grazing algae and small animals. Males are usually dark with bright blue or yellow highlights depending on the local form.
Good to know
Once grouped under Pseudotropheus, this fish became the basis of the genus Chindongo in a 2016 revision of the elongate mbuna. Many geographic variants exist under trade names like Mpanga and Chewere. It is a maternal mouthbrooder like other mbuna.
Did you know
Its long slim body suits life in tight rock cracks, where a stockier mbuna could not follow.
Common questions
What size tank does an Elongate mbuna need?
An Elongate mbuna needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does an Elongate mbuna need?
An Elongate mbuna is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 7.8–8.6.
How big does an Elongate mbuna get?
An adult Elongate mbuna reaches about 5.1 in (13 cm).
Related species
3.9 in (10 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Dwarf mbuna
Chindongo demasoni
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Chindongo socolofi
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3.9 in (10 cm)42 gal (160 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Saulosi mbuna
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