Ice blue zebra

Care at a glance

Overview

The Ice blue zebra is a hardy, colorful mbuna from Lake Malawi for a rocky tank. It is easy to keep.

Caring for the Ice blue zebra

Keep one male with several females in a rocky tank of at least 55 gal (210 L). Ice blue zebras are territorial, so provide caves and mix them only with other sturdy rock dwellers.

Give them hard, alkaline water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 7.8 to 8.6. Feed a vegetable-heavy diet of spirulina flake and algae pellets, with occasional frozen treats.

Males turn pale silvery blue with bright orange top fins, while females are plain brownish gray. That strong difference between the sexes is typical of the group. They are maternal mouthbrooders, with the females brooding the fry in their mouths. Spawning is easy.

Good to know

The Ice blue zebra is a mbuna in the family Cichlidae, and it has been listed under Pseudotropheus, Maylandia and Metriaclima over the years.

In the wild

The Ice blue zebra lives naturally only in a small stretch of the southeastern arm of Lake Malawi, near Makokola. It stays around rocks and the sandy zones between them.

Common questions

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