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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Greshake's zebra
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Variations

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Greshake's zebra

Maylandia greshakei · Greshakei, Greshake zebra, Metriaclima greshakei, Red cheek zebra

Aggressive; best with other robust mbuna in a rocky tank.

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13.4 cmAdult size ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
154 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Greshake's zebra is aggressive and will bully peaceful neon tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like greshake's zebra need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Greshake's zebra is aggressive and will bully peaceful cardinal tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like greshake's zebra need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Greshake's zebra is aggressive and will bully peaceful black neon tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like greshake's zebra need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like greshake's zebra need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.8–8.6 vs 5.5–7.5). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like greshake's zebra need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: 7.8–8.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

59 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓10–25 dGH
Group size ✓4 or more
Temperament ✓Aggressive
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–6 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Aggressive; best with other robust mbuna in a rocky tank.

  • cave

Food

Quality spirulina-based cichlid pellets and flake once or twice a day; keep protein low and add vegetable matter such as spirulina and blanched greens.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males are far more colourful than females.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

A maternal mouthbrooder, spawned as a harem of one male and at least 3 females; the female carries the eggs for up to 3-4 weeks before releasing free-swimming fry.

Pairing

Keep one male with 3-5 females; a lone female is harassed to exhaustion and two males will fight.

Setup

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.

What starts it

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.

Eggs

The female carries the eggs for up to 3-4 weeks. No sourced egg count found.

Raising the fry

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.

Common mistakes
  • Too few females so the male harasses them
  • Mixing similar-looking mbuna that hybridise
  • Soft or acidic water
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Malawi – south-eastern arm
Rivers and lakesLake Malawi (south-eastern arm)
HabitatRocky shoreline
Native rangeAbout 40 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the greshake's zebra

A Lake Malawi mbuna known only from Makokola in the southeastern arm, where it lives on sediment-covered rocky reefs and feeds largely on plankton. Listed as Near Threatened because of its tiny range; an albino form exists in the hobby.

This zebra mbuna was described in 1984 by Meyer and Förster. Its ice-blue body and red-orange dorsal fin make it a showy fish. Like other Maylandia, it is a mouthbrooding algae grazer.

First described by Meyer & Förster in 1984.

  • Males have a pale blue body with an orange-red top fin.
  • Females are usually much plainer, often brownish.
  • It belongs to the zebra mbuna group, which shows huge colour variation.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources