Venustus cichlid
Nimbochromis venustus
Also known as giraffe cichild, Giraffe Hap, Giraffe cichlid
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–82°F
- 24–28°C
- pH
- 7.5–8.5
- Adult size
- 11.8 in
- 30 cm
- Minimum tank
- 74 gal
- 280 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Lake Malawi
Overview
This is a predator that eats smaller fish in the wild, so do not house it with anything bite-sized. Give it a big tank, 280 liters or more, with sand to dig in and rock piles to break up sight lines. It sits in the middle and lower water and is mostly peaceful for its size, but it needs room and robust tankmates. Feed quality cichlid pellets plus meaty frozen foods like shrimp.
In the wild
This cichlid lives in Lake Malawi, mostly over sand and in the in-between zones where sand meets rock. It hunts across open bottom, so it needs a tank with a sandy floor and some rockwork for structure. Match the lake with hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5 to 8.5) in the mid to high 20s C.
Good to know
It is a Malawi cichlid in the family Cichlidae and grows large for the group, up to about 30 cm. Its blotchy gold and brown pattern earns it the nickname giraffe cichlid. It is a maternal mouthbrooder, with the female holding eggs and fry in her mouth, though home spawning records are limited. Mature males develop a blue face over the yellow body.
Did you know
It hunts by playing dead. The fish will sink to the sand and lie still, partly buried, using its mottled pattern to look like a dead, decaying fish on the bottom. When a curious smaller fish comes in to investigate, it snaps to life and grabs the meal.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
Venustus cichlid is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.
Common questions
What size tank does a Venustus cichlid need?
A Venustus cichlid needs at least 74 gal (280 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Venustus cichlid need?
A Venustus cichlid is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.
How big does a Venustus cichlid get?
An adult Venustus cichlid reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).
Related species
10.2 in (26 cm)74 gal (280 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Kaligono
Nimbochromis polystigma
10.2 in (26 cm) · 74 gal (280 L)
9.8 in (25 cm)74 gal (280 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Livingston's cichlid
Nimbochromis livingstonii
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9.8 in (25 cm)74 gal (280 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Fusco hap
Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus
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9.8 in (25 cm)159 gal (600 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Linn's hap
Nimbochromis linni
9.8 in (25 cm) · 159 gal (600 L)
11.8 in (30 cm)119 gal (450 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)Pantano cichlid
Cincelichthys pearsei
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11.8 in (30 cm)65 gal (245 L)72–84°F (22–29°C)Severum
Heros efasciatus
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