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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Kadango red-fin
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Variations

2 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Kadango red-fin

Copadichromis borleyi · Borleyi, Red fin hap, Kadango, Copadichromis borleyi

Peaceful for a hap but need space; avoid with small fish.

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15 cmAdult size ✓
25–29 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
304 LSmallest tank ✓
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Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (25–29 °C vs 16–24 °C). No setting suits both.
  • Rift lake cichlids like kadango red-fin need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (25–29 °C vs 18–24 °C). No setting suits both.
  • Rift lake cichlids like kadango red-fin need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Kadango red-fin is tropical.
  • Rift lake cichlids like kadango red-fin need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like kadango red-fin need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 25 °C.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like kadango red-fin need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.8–8.6 vs 4.5–7). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

56 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 ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Middle
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful for a hap but need space; avoid with small fish. Can be a good addition to a peacock or hap tank.

  • sand

Food

Cichlid pellets and flakes; add frozen brine shrimp and mysis.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males are larger, far more colourful and longer-finned than females.

Health

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

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Maternal mouthbrooder kept as a harem (one male, 3-4+ females); males defend spawning sites on boulders and the female carries the brood 3-4 weeks before releasing free-swimming fry.

Pairing

One male with 3-5 females in a large tank with open sand; males guard a sand scrape or cave.

Setup

400+ L tank with a sand floor, rockwork with caves and open swimming space, hard alkaline water (pH 7.8-8.6) and strong filtration.

What starts it

Large water changes, varied protein foods and a dominant male displaying in a sand nest or cave.

Eggs

About 60 eggs, carried by the female for 3-4 weeks.

Raising the fry

The female releases fry after about 3 weeks. Feed crushed flake and newly hatched brine shrimp; sort by size often as fry grow unevenly and larger siblings eat smaller ones.

Common mistakes
  • Tank too small for adults
  • Keeping with small fish that become food
  • Not sorting fry by size
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Malawi
Rivers and lakesLake Malawi (rocky coasts, e.g. Kadango)
HabitatOpen water above rocky reefs
Native rangeAbout 300 km across
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The story of the kadango red-fin

A Lake Malawi hap that shoals in open water near rocks and feeds on zooplankton; males are far more colourful than females, with red- and yellow-finned forms.

Iles described this species in 1960, at first in the genus Haplochromis. The trade name 'Kadango red-fin' comes from a collecting site on the lake. It lives in schools that feed on plankton above rocks.

First described by T. D. Iles in 1960.

  • It is a plankton feeder that hovers in schools above rocky areas.
  • Many colour forms exist, named after their collecting sites.
  • Males build small spawning sites on rocks near the bottom.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources