Melanochromis sp. "Blotch"

This fish has not yet been assigned a species name.

Scientific name: Melanochromis sp. "Blotch"
Size: 4-5" (10-12.5cm)
Origin: Lake Malawi, East Africa
Tank setup: A large tank with many rock caves
Compatibility: Combine with other mbuna species
Temperature: 23-28oC (73-82oF)
Water chemistry: Hard and alkaline: pH 7.6-8.6 ; GH 7 ; KH 10-12
Feeding: Carnivorous: feed live, frozen and flake foods.
Breeding: Mouthbrooder, see general article linked below.

Melanochromis Chipokae

+

Scientific name: Melanochromis chipokae
Size: 4" (10cm)
Tank setup: A large tank with many rock caves
Origin: Lake Malawi, East Africa
Compatibility: Can be very aggressive, combine with larger and more aggressive mbuna species. Do not keep more than one male (or similar males of other Melanochromis). Ideally, at least three females should be kept, to prevent constant harassment of a single female.
Water chemistry: Hard and alkaline: pH 7.6-8.6 ; GH 7 plus ; KH 10-12
Temperature: 23-28oC (73-82oF)
Sexing: Colouration in juveniles is identical, and similar to M. auratus, but males become much darker in colour (see photo).
Feeding: Carnivorous: feed frozen/live foods along with flake/granular foods.
Breeding: Mouthbrooder, see general article linked below.

Melanochromis Auratus, Malawi Golden Cichlid

Scientific name: Melanochromis auratus
Common name: Malawi golden cichlid
Origin: Lake Malawi, East Africa
Size: 4" (10cm)
Tank setup: A large tank with many rock caves
Compatibility: Can be very aggressive, combine with other larger mbuna species. It is not advisable to keep more than one male (or similar males of other Melanochromis). At least three females should be kept, to prevent constant harassment of a single female.
Water chemistry: Hard and alkaline: pH 7.6-8.6 ; GH 7 plus ; KH 10-12
Temperature: 23-28oC (73-82oF)
Feeding: Feeds on algae and the organisms within it. Will accept most aquarium foods, include a vegetable component in the diet.
Breeding: Mouthbrooder, see general article linked below.
Sexing: Colouration in juveniles is identical, but older males show much darker colour.

Labidochromis Caeruleus

The Yellow Labidochromis is a mainstay in the hobby. I have never gone into a pet store that sells fish, and not seen it for sale. this is for a very good reason. The Yellow Labidochromis is a beautiful fish, with a rich golden-yellow color with dark blue-black fins. Everyone can see the beauty of this fish. This fish has been around a while, being first typed by fryer in 1956. The fish that the species was originally described from was white, with blue fins. This fish gets its' name from the blue fins, as caeruleus means blue in Latin. Electric Yellows have a lot of different location types, each yielding change. Probably one of the most commonly kept and easily recognized of the Malawi mbuna. This species is not overly aggressive, and should mix well with other low to medium aggression mbuna.

Common name: Yellow lab, Electric yellow, Canary cichlid
Scientific name: Labidochromis caeruleus
Size: 4" (10cm)
Origin: Lake Malawi, East Africa
Tank setup: Typical rocky Malawi tank
Temperature: 23-28oC (73-82oF)
Compatibility: Combine with other mbuna species, not overly aggressive.
Water chemistry: Hard and alkaline: pH 7.6-8.6 ; GH 7 plus ; KH 10-12
Feeding: Small crustaceans and insect larvae, will accept most aquarium foods. More omnivorous than many mbuna, but the diet should still include a strong vegetable component.
Sexing: There is no obvious colour difference between males and females, but males may show more black on the fins, particularly the ventral fins. They may also exhibit a brownish patch in the area between the eye and mouth.
Breeding: Mouthbrooder. There is no defined territory for spawning.

Iodotropheus Sprengerae

This species is not particularly aggressive and may be bullied by more aggressive tankmates. The base colour of this species is brown, but with the right feeding, the adults should develop an attractive purple sheen.

Common name: Rusty cichlid
Scientific name: Iodotropheus sprengerae
Size: 3-4" (7.5-10cm)
Origin: Lake Malawi, East Africa
Compatibility: Combine with other mbuna species, which are not too aggressive.
Tank setup: Typical mbuna tank with many rock caves
Water chemistry: Hard and alkaline: pH 7.6-8.6 ; GH 7 plus ; KH 10-12
Temperature: 23-28oC (73-82oF)
Feeding: Omnivorous: feed live, frozen and flake foods.
Sexing: Colour is identical, but males have clear egg-spots and a longer anal fin.
Breeding: Mouthbrooder. Spawning may produce between 5 and 60 eggs.

Dimidiochromis Compressiceps

Common name: Malawi Eye-biter
Scientific name: Dimidiochromis compressiceps
Synonyms: Haplochromis compressiceps
Origin: Lake Malawi, East Africa
Size: Up to 10" (25cm)
Tank setup: A large tank (suggest 100 gallons plus if kept with other fish) with some rock caves and plenty of open swimming space. Plants such as Vallis can be added.
Compatibility: Predatory towards small fishes. Combine with other open-water Malawi species which are not too aggressive, such as Copadochromis and Aulonocara.
Water chemistry: Hard and alkaline: pH 7.6-8.6 ; GH 7 plus ; KH 10-12
Temperature: 23-28oC (73-82oF)
Feeding: Predator, feed a meaty diet.
Sexing: Males are much more colourful, females are mainly silver.
Breeding: The male may dig a shallow spawning pit and display to attract the female to it. A mouthbrooder, the female will incubate the eggs and fry for about 3 weeks. The male is likely to eat the fry once released. Feed fry on small frozen/live foods such as baby brine shrimp, cyclops and daphnia.
Comments: As the name implies, this cichlid has a strikingly compressed shape. Despite its common name, it is unlikely to take the eyes of tankmates when fed regularly.

Copadochromis Borleyi

Scientific name: Copadochromis borleyi
Common name: Redfin haplochromis
Synonyms: Haplochromis borleyi
Size: 10" (25cm)
Origin: Lake Malawi, East Africa
Tank setup: A large tank (suggest 100 gallons plus) with some rock caves and plenty of open swimming space. Plants such as Vallis can be added.
Compatibility: Combine with other Malawi species which are not too aggressive, such as similar sized 'Hap' species, or less aggressive mbuna in larger tanks.
Water chemistry: Hard and alkaline: pH 7.6-8.6 ; GH 7 plus ; KH 10-12
Temperature: 23-28oC (73-82oF)
Sexing: Males are more colourful, females are relatively drab.
Feeding: Micropredator, feed flake and frozen foods.
Breeding: Mouthbrooder. The spawning site is usually a smooth flat boulder.

Aulonocara baenschi

The peacocks are among the most stunning of all Cichlids. There is a reason why they've earned the name "Peacock." And A. baenschi is no exception. Males of this species take on a strong yellowish-orange color with irridescent blue around their jaw.
Females, like other Aulonocara spp. remain colorless. In my experience with this species, it takes males almost two full years to attain their maximum coloration, but the wait is well worth it. Baenschi are easily distinguished from other yellow-bodied, blue-headed peacocks because of the extremely curved forehead and nose. Note the photo below.

Like many peacocks, A. baenschi is found in areas with scattered rocks on a sandy bottom, but particularly in the region surrounding Nkhomo reef near Benga in Malawi. It feeds on invertebrates that dwell in the sand by lying motionless over the sandy bottom, sensing micro-movements in the substrate. When it finds a target, it darts rapidly into the sand and sifts it by shooting the sand out its gills while retaining the acquired treat.

In the aquarium environment, this cichlid species is best kept with other docile cichlids. Mbuna are too rambunctious for this slow-moving and peaceful peacock. Other peacocks and many of the gregarious Haps and Utaka (e.g., C. moorii, O. lithobates, and Copadichromis spp.) work well as tank mates. They should also be kept in tanks no smaller than 50 gallons if kept with other species as they reach adult lengths of 4-5 inches. A 40-gallon aquarium with only 1 male and 6 females would be an ideal breeding set up. Males tend to be rather aggressive towards females; therefore, it is recommended keeping several females for each male in order to reduce the level of aggression directed at any one female. Broods for adult-sized females range anywhere from 20 to 40 fry.