Moorei Cichlid

General information

This specie’s individuals develop a large lump on their foreheads, have a blue body coloration and black markings on the fins. Males can reach 10 inches while females only reach 8 inches. To keep this species in captivity, the aquarium should have water pH between 7.5 and 8.8 and water temperature between 77ºF and 84ºF. The tank should have a sandy substrate and plenty of open space to swim, rocks aren’t essential but if present they should be  kept on the corners of the tank since these fish get startled easily and may injure themselves. This species is peaceful and shouldn’t be kept with aggressive species like Mbunas, good tankmates are Peacock Cichlids of the Aulonocara genus and Frontosa species. It should be kept in groups of 3 or more females to one male.

This species is carnivorous. In the wild it feeds on invertebrates. In an aquarium it can be fed with bloodworm, brine shrimp, prawns and high quality pellets.

Mature males are, usually, larger than females.

It takes many years for this species to reach sexual maturity. To breed this species in captivity, the breeding aquarium should be at least 60 inches and have some flat rocks to provide potential spawning sites. There should be one male to 3 to 6 females. The male starts by choosing a spawning site and displaying intense color. When a female is interested, she will lay her eggs in the male’s spawning site, the male will fertilize them and the female will pick up the fertilized eggs in her mouth. She will carry the eggs for 3 weeks before releasing the free swimming fry. After the fry are released, they can be fed with brine shrimp and crushed flake food.

This species can be found in Lake Malawi, Africa.