Johanni cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

This is an aggressive mbuna best kept in a rocky tank of at least 160 liters with many hiding spots so fish can dodge a dominant male. It works the middle and lower water around the rocks. Feed a quality mbuna or vegetable-based diet and go light on protein-rich foods, which these algae grazers handle poorly. Keep it with other robust mbuna and crowd the rockwork to spread aggression around.

In the wild

The johanni cichlid is a Lake Malawi mbuna from rocky shorelines full of crevices and caves. That rock gives it both shelter and territory, and the lake water is clear, hard, and alkaline. Build the tank around heavy rockwork with lots of caves over a sand base. Keep the pH high, from about 7.5 to 8.5, and temps in the mid 20s C.

Good to know

Melanochromis johanni is a cichlid (family Cichlidae) reaching around 12 cm, with strong sexual dimorphism. Males are dark blue with pale blue stripes, while females and juveniles are bright orange-yellow. It is a maternal mouthbrooder, with the female holding eggs and fry in her mouth, and home breeding is on the harder side. It is not considered endangered.

Did you know

The color split is striking. A single brood starts out all yellow, and only the males darken to blue as they mature, so you can't reliably sex juveniles by color.

Related species

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