At two months the fry will start compete with their mother for food. Scoop them into her mouth for protection, but generally the fry hide from their parent. After hatching, the female may occasionally In the breeding tank with the young while they grow up. The female zebra cichlid keeps the eggs in her mouth for more than a week until they hatch. It's a good idea to remove her to a separate tank at OB Zebra and Fry Zebra Cichlid - Raising FryĪlthough you may not see the spawning activity, the swollen cheeks of theįemale, her disinterest in food and her desire for isolation are all indications The process is then repeated until the female has a brood of between 10 and 50 eggs in her mouth. The male's sperm reaches the females mouth and fertilizes the real eggs that she has previously picked up. As the female nips at the eggs spots, the male releases his sperm. The female then nips at his anal fineggs spots. These spots are the same size and color as the real eggs. Meanwhile the male displays his anal fin egg spots. The female zebra cichlid then releases a couple of eggs into a gravel pit. A female that is ready to spawn will then enter the territory and the two will interact aggressively. The male will establish a territory and its colors will become enhanced when it is ready to breed. The Zebra Cichlid is a mouth brooder and the spawning process is intriguing. For this reason, a male Zebra Cichlid should be kept with several females in a very large tank. Theĭominant male will continually keep harassing and killing off the weakest members of the tank. Zebra cichlids are extremely aggressive to their own and other species. The Zebra Cichlid is too aggressive for Haplochromis and Peacock Cichlids. The Zebra Cichlid can also be kept with synodontis catfish.
The Zebra Cichlid is compatible with other Mbuna Cichlids such as the Picking up rocks in their mouth and moving them, so underground filters are quickly Underground filters are not suitable for mbunas. Red or Cherry Zebra Cichlid Zebra Cichlid - No Underground FiltersĬlean water and proper pH are important in maintaining an mbuna tank.Īlthough some recommend using underground filters, external filters andīio-wheels simultaneously to maintain quality, our experience is that Zebra Cichlids should not be fed live worms, as these can bloat and kill the fish. TheyĪlso enjoy romaine or other lettuce products. Zebras will eat flake foods, spirulina flakes and cichlid pellets. Plastic plants floating at the surface can provide areas of safety for femalesĪnd smaller males. We've had some success keeping Brazilian Ivy floating in their tanks. Zebra cichlids enjoy plants, but will destroy them.
Present, as mbunas keep very busy rearranging it. The aquarium tank should have rocks and hiding spaces to provide escape from aggression of other tankmates. Mbunas is recommended, as this will spread out aggressive behavior. So, Zebra Cichlids should only be kept with other mbunas. So than Haplochromis Cichlids like the Electric BlueĪhli. Mbunas are very territorial, aggressive fish, even more Ice Blue Zebra Zebra Cichlid - Aquarium Setup There is an abundance of confusion on the topic though, so feel free to send in your opinions. Anal fin egg spots are a good indication of a male zebra cichlid, but this isn't always the case. Some sources indicate the color variation isĪpparent already in the fry. Mostįrequently, references indicate that the males are blue, while the females are Information on the sexing of Metriaclima estherae shows a variety of opinon. In our pictures we show a variation which has faint vertical banding, while a solid blue specimen is more likely to be Metriaclima There is much indentification confusion surrounding the Cobalt Blue Zebra. The dark banding is faintly apparent on some zebra cichlids. Zebra Cichlids originally had stripes similar to the unrelated ConvictĬichlid. Cobalt Blue Zebra - Identification Confusion
Name estherae refers his friend Stuart Grant's wife, Esther. The authority on Metriaclima estherae is Ad Konings and the Transitioned through the name Maylandia to end up being called Metriclima. The Zebra Cichlid is sometimes referred to by the scientific name Pseudotropheus Zebra, but subsequently has It is also known as the Red Mbuna, the Cherry Zebra, the Pearl Zebra, the Cobalt Blue Zebra, the Red or Orange Blotch Zebra (OB). The Zebra Cichlid originated in deep rocky waters of Lake Malawi in Africa. Malawi African Cichlids Zebra Cichlid Lake Malawi Mbuna African Cichlid Zebra Cichlid - Common Names
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