All fish / Cichlidae

Maylandia cyanea

Maylandia cyanea

Also known as pseudotropheus cyaneus, metriaclima cyaneus, cyan hap, cyaneus mbuna, blue zebra mbuna, maylandia cyaneus

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This is a small mbuna from the zebra group of Lake Malawi. Males are powder blue with dark vertical bars and dark fins, and females are duller and brownish. Keepers like it for its bright colour and lively behaviour in rocky Malawi set-ups.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

7.6 to 8.6

Smallest tank

250 litres

Keep as

One male with three or more females, ideally in a stocked mbuna community

Diet

Herbivore: algae, spirulina flakes and pellets, blanched vegetables, with occasional small crustaceans

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

6 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Malawi, rocky shores of the eastern coast (Malawi and Mozambique)

Breeding

It is a maternal mouthbrooder. The female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth for about three weeks, and it breeds readily in a well-kept aquarium.

Good to know

It is not a hap, despite the trade name 'Cyan hap', and males are territorial and aggressive, so give lots of rockwork and avoid putting two males in a small tank. It looks like other blue zebra mbuna and will hybridise with them, so do not keep it with similar Maylandia species.