Cobalt blue cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

Expect aggression and plan around it. Keep one male with several females in a tank of at least 170 liters, packed with rock to break up territories. In the lake it grazes algae off rocks, so its diet should lean vegetable, with a quality cichlid pellet plus spirulina and only occasional protein foods. Too much meaty food causes digestive trouble in mbuna, so go easy there.

In the wild

The cobalt blue cichlid is a Lake Malawi mbuna that lives along rocky shores in clear, hard, alkaline water. It needs that same setup in the tank, so build up rockwork with caves and crevices for territory and shelter. Keep the pH high, around 7.5 to 8.5, and the temperature in the mid to high 20s C to match the lake.

Good to know

This is Maylandia callainos, in the family Cichlidae, reaching about 13 cm. It is a maternal mouthbrooder, with the female holding the eggs and fry in her mouth until they are free-swimming. Both sexes carry the blue color, which is unusual since in many mbuna only the males are bright.

Did you know

These fish can shift their shade depending on mood and dominance, darkening or paling as they square off over territory. A dominant male holding court usually shows the deepest, most even blue.

Related species

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  Kenyi cichlid

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• 

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• 

  Burton's mouthbrooder

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• Elongate mbuna

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• Red cheek tropheops

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• 

  Zebra obliquidens

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