Kenyi Cichlid

General information

Males are yellow and reach 6 inches while females are blue with black stripes. To keep this species in captivity, the water should be very clean  and have some flow, its temperature should be between 78ºF and 82ºF and its pH should be between 7.8 and 8.6. The tank should have a sandy substrate, plenty of rocks and hiding places. It is a highly aggressive species so it is best kept in a species only tank or in a community tank with other African Cichlids of the same size and attitude. It should be kept in a group of several females to a male and it is recommended to only keep one male per tank.

This species is herbivorous. In the wild, it feeds on biofilm and plankton. In captivity, it can be fed with spirulina, Romain lettuce, algae and prepared Cichlid foods.

Mature males are yellow while females are blue with dark stripes.

The female lays her eggs on the substrate, the male fertilizes them and the female picks them up with her mouth. After 10 days, the eggs hatch but the fry will remain in the female’s mouth 15 more days. Once the fry are free swimming, they can be fed with prepared foods for Cichlids.

This species can be found in Lake Malawi, Africa.