All fish / Cichlidae

Elegans Mbuna

Maylandia elegans

Also known as pseudotropheus elegans, metriaclima elegans, elegans cichlid, maylandia elegans

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This is a small mbuna from Lake Malawi with a bluish body crossed by dark vertical bars. Males show brighter blue colour than females. People keep it for its colour and lively behaviour in a rocky Malawi set-up, and it stays smaller than many relatives.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

7.5 to 8.6

Smallest tank

250 litres

Keep as

One male with several females, in a crowded mbuna community

Diet

Omnivore: mainly plant-based foods such as spirulina flakes and pellets, plus some small crustaceans

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

6 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Malawi (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania)

Breeding

It is a maternal mouthbrooder: the female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth for about three weeks. Breeding happens readily in a well-kept mbuna tank with plenty of rocks and more females than males.

Good to know

Males defend territories and harass rivals, so give the tank plenty of rockwork and avoid keeping a single pair. Do not mix it with closely related Maylandia species, as they can hybridise, and feed little meaty food to lower the risk of Malawi bloat.