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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Johanni cichlid
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Variations

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Johanni cichlid

Pseudotropheus johannii · Melanochromis johannii, Johanni, Johanni mbuna, Blue johanni, Melanochromis johanni

Aggressive and territorial.

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10 cmAdult size ✓
23–27 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
154 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Johanni cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful neon tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like johanni cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Johanni cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful cardinal tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like johanni cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Johanni cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful black neon tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like johanni cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like johanni cichlid 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 johanni cichlid 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

53 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 ?5 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 and territorial. Do not house with other Melanochromis or yellow-striped mbuna.

  • 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

Easily colour-sexed: males are blue-black with bright blue horizontal stripes; females and juveniles are orange-yellow. Males are slightly larger.

Health

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

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Maternal mouthbrooder, best spawned in a species tank as one male with at least three females. The female carries the eggs for about 3 weeks.

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 about 3 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 shores
Rivers and lakesLake Malawi (southern Malawi and Mozambique coasts)
HabitatRocky coastline
Native rangeAbout 80 km across
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The story of the johanni cichlid

A feisty mbuna from the southeastern (Mozambique) shore of Lake Malawi, around Masinje Rocks and Cape Ngombo. Males are blue-black with bright blue stripes; females are orange-yellow. Described by David Eccles in 1973; now placed in Pseudotropheus.

Eccles described this mbuna in 1973, originally in the genus Pseudotropheus. Males and females look so different that they were sometimes mistaken for separate fish. It has been a staple of the mbuna hobby for decades.

First described by David H. Eccles in 1973.

  • Males are dark blue with light blue stripes, while females are orange-yellow.
  • Juveniles look like females until males change colour.
  • It feeds on algae and small invertebrates on rocks.

Sources

14 facts checked with sources