That’s bigger than Wales…Ī lake of that size comes complete with waves, rocky cliffs and sandy beaches. Its 360 miles long, 50 miles wide and some 11,000 square miles in area. Malawi is the ninth largest lake in the world and the second deepest, at 706m. It filled with river water and fish - and these then changed, evolved and adapted to suit their new, lacustrine environment.Īnd it’s big. Mbuna are endemic to Lake Malawi in Africa’s Great Rift Valley - a 3,700-mile long trench created by the African tectonic plate tearing apart. To keep mbuna at their best we must first look at how and where they live in nature. Image by AquariumPhoto.dk Mbuna in nature Metriaclima lombardoi is a larger, more aggressive species and is best avoided by the novice mbuna keeper. This all adds to the overall appeal of mbuna. You wouldn’t be able to keep 30 Central American species in one tank - it would be chaos - and even a community tank of fish from many different, very varied genera would struggle to hold that many because so many species need to be kept in groups of their own kind. An average mbuna community could hold 30 different species - a large tank 50 or more. No other aquarium is capable of holding as many different species of fish per volume as a Malawi cichlid tank. Next is the number of species you can keep together. Yellow and orange are common mbuna colours but importantly, and rarely for any wild-type tropical fish is blue, and this is where the mbuna excel, with literally hundreds of bright blue species, which have tricked many an onlooker into thinking these totally freshwater fish are in fact marine. One qualification any aquarium fish needs to become really popular is colour, and mbuna deliver this in swathes. The mbuna as they are known (pronounced mmm-boon-a or mu-boon-a,) are hardy, easy to keep, easy to breed, and widely available. ESA Certification- Emotional Support Animals.Above: Cynotilapia afra has the mbuna's classic blue vertical bars.įishkeepers the world over struck gold with the introduction of the small colourful rock dwelling cichlids from East Africa’s Lake Malawi. Required Habitat: Minimum 50 gallon (189 litres) tank, temperature between 23 and 28 deg C (74 to 82 F), rocks and caves for hiding, vegetation as mostly herbivorousĭiet: Herbivore (algae) but will eat flake food. Socializes with: Other Mbuna or Lake Malawi Cichlids, but avoid gentler, less aggressive Cichlids like the Peacock. Zebra African Cichlids (Maylandia estherae or Metriaclima estherae) are also called Red Zebra Cichlids and are a Mbuna Cichlid (means rock dwelling) species. Originating from Lake Malawi in Africa, they are popular aquarium species like other Cichlids. The males tend to be territorial so consider this if housing more than one male together with a number of females. They might not be one of the most aggressive Cichlids, but Red Zebras can get quite territorial if kept in a subpar environment with the wrong tank mates. They like to school so need a large tank for swimming around in, but with caves for hiding. The Dogtooth Cichlid have vertical black bars on their body and blue and yellow on the rest of their body. Zebra African Cichlids are usually orange or red. The amount of blue and yellow depends on the strain. Dogtooth Cichlid, Afra Cichlid (Cynotilapia afra) Water Temperature Range. Colour can vary from light blue through to orange/red with vertical barring that gives them their zebra name. They usually grow to between 4 and 5 inches (10-12.5cm) in length with males being larger than females. Male Zebra Cichlids are territorial so if housing more than one male in a tank, be sure to consider the space available to determine if it is enough. Each male will need a cave or rock and at least 2 females for his harem.
Common Name: Ice Blue Zebra Cichlid, Williams Mbuna, Red Top Ice Blue. Cichlids do very well in a large community tank with other similar sized Cichlids from Lake Malawi but not less aggressive varieties such as the Peacock.Īs natives of the great African lake, Lake Malawi, Zebra Cichlids are used to an even temperature range with minimal variation between 23 and 28 deg C (74 to 82 F). 7.0-8.0 Hardness Range: 6 - 10 Temperament: Semi-aggressive. Minimum sized aquarium of 50 gallons (189 litres), with 100 gallons (378 litres) being recommended (more if considering more than one male). Live plants, especially algae will be nibbled as they are herbivores. If the tank is large enough you should get to witness natural schooling behaviour. Zebra African Cichlids are herbivores, preferring algae, however, they will eat flake food.
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