All fish / Cichlidae

Blue Fuelleborni

Labeotropheus fuelleborni

Also known as fuelleborn's cichlid, blue mbuna, fuelleborni cichlid, fuelleborni, fulleborni, red top fuelleborni, marmalade cat fuelleborni, orange blotch fuelleborni, ob fuelleborni, labeotropheus fulleborni, ラベオトロフェウス・フエレボルニ, 富氏唇鱼

A sturdy mbuna with a blunt, overhanging snout built for scraping algae off rocks. Males are usually bright blue with faint dark bars and often an orange dorsal fin, while many females are blotched orange and black. It is kept for its strong colours and lively behaviour in rocky Malawi set-ups.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

7.5 to 8.6

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

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

Diet

Herbivore: algae, spirulina and vegetable-based pellets and flakes, with few protein-rich foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Malawi (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania)

Breeding

A maternal mouthbrooder; the female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth for about three weeks. It breeds readily in a well-kept community of mbuna with one male to several females.

Good to know

Males are highly territorial and can kill rivals or weaker tankmates, so keep it only with other robust mbuna and provide plenty of rockwork. A high-protein diet can cause Malawi bloat.