Males are displaying at passing females, showing intense color to them. The males form territories, around a suitable spawning site such as a flat rock. Lavender Mbuna can be sexually mature at only 4 cm in length. Males typically have longer anal fins and have more egg spots on it than females. There is only a small color difference between the sexes. Rusties are sometimes confused with Labidochromis vellicans, but can be distinguished by their more pointed head. Their round head has a rusty color, while their body has a deep lavender purple or bluish sheen. Their latin name came from the greek word ”iodes”, which means iron rust. Regular partial water changes must also be performed.ĭescription: Rusty Cichlid makes a great choice for newcomers to Mbuna. Put some flat stones into their tank to provide spawning sites. Decoration: Sandy substrate with a lot of large rocks which form plenty of caves.Population: 1 male and 3-4 females for 150 litres.Diet: Omnivorous, can be fed with small live and frozen foods, but vegetable matter such as spirulina, lettuce and spinach should form their main diet.Can be combined with other peaceful Malawi species. Males can be territorial with each other, but several can be kept in a larger tank. Social behavior: A relatively peaceful Mbuna and also one of the smallest.Biotope: Inhabits in the southern part of Lake Malwi around the islands of Boadzulu, Chinyankwazi and Chinyamwezi in the shallow, littoral zones of rocky shorelines.Common name: Lavender Mbuna, Rusty Cichlid.Scientific name: Iodotropheus sprengerae.Wood tends to lower pH and is not usually recommended for African cichlid aquariums.
Substrates can range from the whitish coral sand used in saltwater aquariums to black freshwater sand or even regular decorative gravels. Rock "piles" and shelf-like backgrounds are common designs and can be made from tufa rock, lava rock or slate.
Several other groups of cichlids can also be found from these lakes, some of which can be large and aggressive predators research all choices carefully.ĭecor for a Malawi/Victoria aquarium should be very rocky. Mbuna cichlids tend to be more aggressive and may bully the usually more passive Peacocks but some Mbuna cichlids are far more aggressive than others. While aggression and compatibility can vary from species to species, mixing Mbuna and Peacock cichlids is not usually recommended. Two of the most popular groups of these cichlids are the "Peacocks" (mostly the Aulonocara genus) and "Mbuna's" (native term for "rock fish" and including the genera Pseudotropheus, Labidochromis, Maylandia, Melanochromis and others). As with all cichlids, they are very territorial and will not tolerate other cichlids around "their" crevice. They seldom stray far from the rocky bottoms and sides of the lake and will quickly dart into the rocks to hide. Most cichlids in both lakes are rock-dwellers. Several hundreds species of cichlid are found in Lake Malawi, along with many regional variations, but Lake Victoria has far fewer due to the introduction of invasive predators. Malawian and Victorian cichlids are similar in care and temperament, leading to fish from these two lakes being grouped together in the hobby.
They are one of the most popular cichlids exported due to their bright color and lively behavior. The Red Zebra, Metriaclima estherae, has solid yellow-orange coloration, and males may show a faint blue sheen.
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