Difficulty:Intermediate
Max Growth Size:13 cm
Temperament:Territorial, keep with Rift Lake Cichlids
Preferred Water Parameters:
Temperature:23-27 degrees celsius
pH Level: 7.5-8.5
General Hardness: Hard
Range: Africa: Lake Malawi
Diet: Omivorours. but does better with vegetables. Should not have too much protein and should have no fat. African cichlid flake or pellt foods are good as a staple, but the diet should be supplimented with fresh green vegetables such as spinach, romaine lettuce, peas or zucchi
Reproduction: Mouthbrooder: after spawning, the females incubate the eggs in their mouth until the fry are free-swimming. Males will mate with multiple females. The fry are easily raised
Additional Comments:
Cobalt BlueTemperament: Aggressive towards other species, quite aggressive within species. Cobalt Blue Description: A member of the Mbuna (or “Rock Dwelling” cichlid) family, their environment should be densely decorated with rocks and rock caves, fine gravel, fine gravel with crushed coral, or even sand for substrate, driftwood, Java Ferns, and Java Moss. Top, middle and bottom swimmers, their preferred tankmates may include other Mbuna or Malawi cichlids, and Synodontis catfishes (as bottom feeders).
Cobalt Blues are Omnivores, and do well with fresh spinach, peas, zucchini, and lettuce. Live foods may include crickets, brine shrimp, meal worms, glass worms, and tubifex worms. Frozen foods like beef heart, hi-pro, daphnia, glass worms, plankton, and brine shrimp are also good choices.
Remember, as with most members of the Mbuna family, too much protien foods (meat) may cause them to “bloat”. water changes weekly. Vacuum substrate every 2 weeks, move the rock structures at least once a month, possibly with each substrate cleaning, as this will help to curb the territorial instincts of most Mbuna.