Blue mbuna – 12cm

The Blue Mbuna (Labeotropheus fuelleborni) is a species of cichlid found in Lake Malawi where it inhabits areas with rocky substrates. This species can reach a length of 30 cm.  They are a very territorial fish but are hardy and easy to keep.

You can think of Blue Mbuna as a freshwater reef fish. The colourful blue mbuna like to bask in clear blue, sunlit waters and live in and around the rocky outcrops. Cichlid paradise!

Behaviour

If you try to keep several males together, they will become very aggressive in order to protect their territory and food source.  Pile rocks high in order to obscure the line of sight across the aquarium. Make a visual barrier and two males will separate and coexist, each defending his own tiny territory. Add lots and lots of rocks and you can keep even more males in this way.

They are very active fish. Whenever they sense movement outside of the tank, they will follow it in the hope that they are about to be fed.  Don’t believe them because if you overfeed them they will suffer from bloat.

Tank Conditions

Since their natural habitat is a large lake, the mbuna are used to clean, clear water, which is free of pollutants and rich in oxygen. In the aquarium this means they need lots of mechanical and biological filtration.  You will also need to perform plenty of water changes to keep nitrate at low levels. You should add extra aeration by way of an airstone or Venturi outlet on a filter.

Lake Malawi is very rich in minerals. This means that your Mbuna need a high pH, KH (carbonate hardness,) and GH (general hardness). If you have hard tap water your mbuna fish will do really well. These fish do not like soft, acidic water conditions. So do not use reverse osmosis water without adding plenty of Malawi cichlid salts. However, the salt used should be in very small amounts, as too much salt can have severe consequences for the fish’s health.

Decor should include some lime-based decor or filter media to keep those minerals high and pH, KH and GH buffered.  Use Seachem Malawi Buffer to ensure good water conditioning for you Mbuna.

Compatibility

Mbuna tank mates should be fairly mild mannered. Choose some of the smaller species and avoid large aggressive species.

It is a good idea to include other fish from the cichlid species because they require similar water conditions and can coexist.

Feeding

In their natural environment they eat algae which is scraped off of rocks using specialized teeth. They can be fed spirulina pellets, flakes, and a fairly wide variety of veggies. Excessive protein should be avoided, especially meats/fish etc, as it can lead to bloat, the number one killer of many Malawi Cichlids.  We have a good range of Cichlid food that is ideal for these fish.

Do not feed them bloodworms because they are high in chitin and can cause bloating.  You will find that if you do not feed your Mbuna for one day each week, they will find and eat algae. This means that you have a cleaner tank and healthier fish with a reduced risk of bloat.  Bloat which is often caused by overeating can be seen when their necks and bellies become abnormally large.

Care

Since mbuna need to be crowded we recommend inhabiting a 90cm tank with 20 similarly sized fish.  You need to make sure that they have a good water flow with plenty of air and that