Maingano Cichlid

<p><em>Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos</em> has an elongated body, a rounded snout, a continuous dorsal fin, and can reach 4 inches in captivity. This makes it a popular Cichlid in the hobby due to its size, lower aggression levels, and coloration. It has a blue body with bright blue horizontal stripes, females have a lighter blue belly than males.</p> <p>With the right tank mates and proper water parameters, the Maingano Cichlid is popular with beginners and advanced aquarists due to how hardy they are. To keep this species in an aquarium, water pH should be between 7.6 and 8.8 and water temperature should range from 75ºF to 82ºF. Their typical lifespan is around 9 years in the proper conditions. Expect to do 20-50% water changes per week to maintain proper water conditions. Sometimes salt is used as a buffering agent while Maingano Cichlid can tolerate some salt they are not brackish fish and can only tolerate salinity levels of 1.0002</p> <p>The tank should have a sandy substrate, piles of rocks, caves, and areas of open water. These fish are very aggressive and territorial and are best kept in a species only tank, however, they can be kept with other Mbuna as long as these aren’t similar in shape nor color. They do best in a species only tank and you should ovoid overcrowded to avoid aggression. They should be kept in groups of several females to one male. To keep such a group, a 40-gallon tank with 36 inches in length is recommended. If you plan to have other Cichlids species in your aquarium then they need a 100-gallon tank to provide enough room for each of the species.</p> <p>Sometimes the males are mistaken by the <a href="../../fish/freshwater/african-cichlids/electric-blue-cichlid_230" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electric Blue Cichlid</a> because they both have dark blue to black horizontal bands that run across their back, while they are both Cichlids they are two very different species. The females Electric Blue Cichlid have a golden-orange body coloration.</p> <p>Additional tank mates that you can consider for Maingano Cichlid can include other Cichlids like the Cobalt Zebra, Red Empress, African Butterfly Peacock, Electric Yellow Cichlid, Lemon Cichlid, and Cuckoo catfish. Do not put with other Melanochromis Cichlid species as they will attack and/or interbreed.</p>

<p>This species is considered to be omnivorous. In the wild they are primarily herbivores, it feeds on zooplankton and epibenthic invertebrates. In an aquarium, they can be fed with live or frozen foods, spirulina, and prepared foods for Cichlids. They will typically eat live brine shrimp, mysis, high-quality flake, pellets, spirulina, and other preparations for omnivore cichlids. Ideally, they should be fed several times a day as they are an active fish versus one large meal. They are considered messy fish so small feeds will help keep the water quality good</p> <p>Not required but just like all other fish they will benefit from enhancing their foods with vitamins. You should avoid feeding high protein food foods like beef heart as they can cause digestive problems.</p>

<p>The male will seem to have more "dark" stripes due to his darker belly. Females have a lighter blue belly than males.</p>

<p>The Maingano Cichlid has been bred in captivity for some time. The male starts by cleaning his chosen spawning site while displaying a more intense color than usual to get a female’s attention. When a female is interested, she will lay her eggs in the male’s spawning site and pick them up with her mouth, she will then follow the male’s eggs spots on his anal fin thinking those are more eggs to collect and the male will then release his sperm and fertilize the eggs in her mouth. The female carries the eggs for 3 to 4 weeks in the water around 82 degrees before releasing the free-swimming fry. Once the fry is released they can be fed fine powder foods with brine shrimp. For best breeding results, the male should be kept with at least 3 females.</p>

<p>These fish are susceptible to Malawi Bloat if they are not fed a balanced diet, poor water quality, and lack of oxygenation. Other common diseases are ich (white spot) and can be treated by increasing the water temperature to 86 degrees for 3 days. Other ich treatments include using copper in a treatment tank (do not dose copper into your display tank). Other diseases include parasitic infections, fungal infections, and bacterial infections.</p>

<p>This species can be found only at Likoma Island situated the halfway point of the lake, but on the eastern side close Mozambique. The Maingano Cichlid belongs to a group of cichlids called Mbunas which stands for "rockfish" or "rock-dwelling". They are typically found in the rocky areas in depths between 10-33 feet (3-10 meters) versus swimming in open waters. </p>

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