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
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Mouthbrooder
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Lake Malawi
Overview
The Venustus cichlid is a large, predatory hap for a big tank with sand and rock. It needs some experience to keep well.
Did you know
The Venustus cichlid hunts by playing dead. It will sink to the sand and lie still, partly buried, and its mottled pattern makes it look like a dead, decaying fish. When a curious smaller fish comes in to investigate, it snaps to life and grabs the meal.
Caring for the Venustus cichlid
Give a Venustus cichlid a big tank of at least 74 gal (280 L). Provide a sandy floor to dig in and rock piles to break up sight lines. It sits in the middle and lower water.
Match the lake with hard, alkaline water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. Feed quality cichlid pellets plus meaty frozen foods like shrimp.
It is mostly peaceful for its size, but it needs room and robust tank mates. It is also a predator that eats smaller fish in the wild, so do not house it with anything bite-sized.
It is a maternal mouthbrooder, and the female holds the eggs and fry in her mouth. Home spawning records are limited.
Good to know
The Venustus cichlid is a Malawi member of the family Cichlidae, and it grows large for the group. Its blotchy gold and brown pattern gives it the nickname giraffe cichlid. Mature males develop a blue face over the yellow body.
In the wild
The Venustus cichlid lives in Lake Malawi, mostly over sand and in the in-between zones where sand meets rock. It hunts across the open bottom.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The 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.
What does a Venustus cichlid eat?
A Venustus cichlid is a predator that eats smaller fish in the wild. In the tank, feed it quality cichlid pellets plus meaty frozen foods like shrimp.
How big does a Venustus cichlid get?
An adult Venustus cichlid reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).
How does a Venustus cichlid breed?
A Venustus cichlid is a maternal mouthbrooder, and the female holds the eggs and fry in her mouth. Home spawning records are limited.
Related species
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