Kenyi cichlid
Maylandia lombardoi
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–82°F
- 24–28°C
- pH
- 7.5–8.5
- Adult size
- 5.5 in
- 14 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
- Herbivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Mouthbrooder · Easy
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Lake Malawi
Overview
The Kenyi cichlid is an aggressive mbuna from Lake Malawi for a big rocky tank. It takes a little more care than a beginner fish.
Did you know
Newborn Kenyi fry are bright blue, and only the males change to yellow as they mature. A tank of young fish looks all one color until the males start showing their adult coats.
Caring for the Kenyi cichlid
Give Kenyi cichlids at least 53 gal (200 L), so the males can spread out. Build a big rocky tank with lots of stacked rockwork.
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 a vegetable-based diet of spirulina flake, algae-based pellets and blanched greens. Too much protein causes digestive problems in mbuna, so go easy on meaty foods.
Kenyi cichlids are territorial, and the males are the worst offenders. Keep one male with several females, so aggression spreads around instead of landing on one fish. Choose any other tank mates with caution.
The sexes look completely different. Males are yellow, while females are blue with dark vertical bars. They are maternal mouthbrooders, and breeding them is easy.
Good to know
The Kenyi cichlid, Maylandia lombardoi, is a mbuna in the family Cichlidae. It was originally described as Pseudotropheus lombardoi. Wild populations are stable for now.
In the wild
Kenyi cichlids come from the rocky shores of Lake Malawi in East Africa, where the water is hard and alkaline. They live among piles of rock that give them cover and territory lines.
Common questions
What size tank does a Kenyi cichlid need?
A Kenyi cichlid needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Kenyi cichlid need?
A Kenyi cichlid is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.
What does a Kenyi cichlid eat?
A Kenyi cichlid eats a vegetable-based diet of spirulina flake, algae-based pellets and blanched greens. Keep meaty foods to a minimum, since too much protein upsets a mbuna's digestion.
How big does a Kenyi cichlid get?
An adult Kenyi cichlid reaches about 5.5 in (14 cm).
How can you tell a male Kenyi cichlid from a female?
Males are yellow. Females are blue with dark vertical bars, so the two sexes look completely different.
How does a Kenyi cichlid breed?
Kenyi cichlids are maternal mouthbrooders. Breeding them is easy.
Related species
5.5 in (14 cm)55 gal (210 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Ice blue zebra
Maylandia greshakei
5.5 in (14 cm) · 55 gal (210 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)55 gal (210 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Zebra mbuna
Maylandia zebra
5.9 in (15 cm) · 55 gal (210 L)
5.1 in (13 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Cobalt blue cichlid
Maylandia callainos
5.1 in (13 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)
4.7 in (12 cm)30 gal (115 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Aurora cichlid
Maylandia aurora
4.7 in (12 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)
3.9 in (10 cm)45 gal (170 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Red zebra cichlid
Maylandia estherae
3.9 in (10 cm) · 45 gal (170 L)
5.5 in (14 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Slim zebra
Maylandia tarakiki
5.5 in (14 cm) · 66 gal (250 L)