All fish / Cichlidae

Rainbow Sheen Cichlid

Chindongo heteropictus

Also known as pseudotropheus heteropictus, maylandia heteropicta, metriaclima heteropictus, rainbow sheen, heteropictus mbuna, thumbi west heteropictus, pseudotropheus heteropicta

No free-to-use photo of this fish yet. Took one yourself? Send it to us and we will credit you.

A small mbuna from rocky shores around one island in Lake Malawi, with males showing a pale blue to yellowish body crossed by dark bars and a lovely iridescent sheen. It stays fairly small for a rock-dwelling cichlid, which makes it a popular choice for Malawi tanks with plenty of rockwork.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

7.6 to 8.6

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

One male with 3 or more females, in a crowded mbuna community

Diet

Herbivore: algae-based flakes and pellets, spirulina, blanched greens, occasional small crustaceans

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

6 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Malawi (Thumbi West Island, Malawi)

Breeding

A maternal mouthbrooder: the female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth for about three weeks after spawning on a rock or in a cave. It breeds readily in a well-kept Malawi tank, and fry are easy to raise on crushed flake.

Good to know

Males are territorial and harass rivals and females, so give plenty of rock caves and avoid one-to-one pairs. Do not keep it with similar barred Chindongo or Maylandia species, as they may hybridise.