2 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Aggressive when breeding; keep in a big rocky tank with other robust mbuna.
61 species in our list are a good match.
Aggressive when breeding; keep in a big rocky tank with other robust mbuna.
Algae-based pellets and spirulina flakes; occasional greens.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Males are larger and far more colourful than females.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate
A maternal mouthbrooder, spawned as a harem of one male and at least 3 females; the female carries the brood for up to 3-4 weeks.
Keep one male with 3-5 females; a lone female is harassed to exhaustion and two males will fight.
150-250 L rockwork tank with many caves, hard alkaline water (pH 7.8-8.6) and strong filtration. Keep a bare 60 L tank handy to move a holding female.
Stable warm water (26-28 C), regular water changes and a good male-to-female ratio; the male displays and leads a female to a flat rock or cave.
25-60 eggs per brood, carried for up to 3-4 weeks.
The female releases free-swimming fry after 3-4 weeks. Feed finely crushed flake, spirulina powder and newly hatched brine shrimp from day one; do small daily water changes. Remove the female after release so she can recover.
A widespread Lake Malawi mbuna with an overhanging snout used to scrape algae from rocks. It is territorial over rocks and sometimes forms feeding schools of hundreds that raid other fishes' algae gardens.
Ernst Ahl described this mbuna in 1926, honouring Friedrich Fülleborn, who explored the Lake Nyasa region. Its fleshy, rounded snout makes it look different from other cichlids. It has been kept in aquariums since the early days of the mbuna trade.
First described by Ernst Ahl in 1926. Named for Named after German physician and explorer Friedrich Fülleborn.
15 facts checked with sources
Valid name, Ahl 1926. FishBase common name: blue mbuna.
FishBase: Labeotropheus fuelleborni summaryLegacy had no family.
FishBase: Labeotropheus fuelleborni summarySeriously Fish 17.5 cm SL matches legacy 17 cm. FishBase's 30 cm SL (females 8.7 cm SL) looks like an outlier; treat with caution.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus fuelleborni · FishBase: Labeotropheus fuelleborni summaryFishBase lists 22-25 °C.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus fuelleborniFishBase 7.5-8.5.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus fuelleborniLegacy had no hardness.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus fuelleborniSeriously Fish base 90 x 45 cm; 90 x 45 x 38 cm ≈ 154 L. Legacy 250 L exceeds the source minimum; a larger tank is sensible for a 17 cm fish.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus fuelleborniOne male with at least 3 females = 4 fish.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus fuelleborniSeriously Fish difficulty 4 of 8.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus fuelleborniLegacy had no native range.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus fuelleborni · FishBase: Labeotropheus fuelleborni summaryLegacy colour details (blue males, orange-blotched females) vary by locality and were not confirmed in a fetched source.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus fuelleborniDifferent colour forms may hybridise and should not be mixed (Seriously Fish).
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus fuelleborniLegacy said 10-30 eggs.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus fuelleborniLegacy 'males blue, females orange-blotched' not confirmed; replaced with sourced facts. IUCN: Least Concern (2018).
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus fuelleborni · FishBase: Labeotropheus fuelleborni summary