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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Kenyi cichlid
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Variations

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Kenyi cichlid

Maylandia lombardoi · Kenyi, Lombardoi, Kennyi, Yellow kenyi, Metriaclima lombardoi

One of the most aggressive mbuna.

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12 cmBody length, without tail ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
205 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Kenyi cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful neon tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like kenyi cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Kenyi cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful cardinal tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like kenyi cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Kenyi cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful black neon tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like kenyi cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like kenyi 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 kenyi 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

57 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 ✓6 or more
Temperament ✓Aggressive
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–6 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

One of the most aggressive mbuna. Needs a large, rocky, overstocked tank and should be kept in a harem with more females than males.

  • 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.

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Male or female

Dominant mature males are yellow and females are blue with dark bars, the reverse of most mbuna. Sub-dominant males can stay blue like females, and brooding females can turn yellow.

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 one male with several females; the female carries the eggs for around 3 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

10-30 eggs per spawn, held in the female's mouth for about 3-4 weeks.

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 – Malawi
Rivers and lakesLake Malawi (Mbenji Islands and Nkhomo Reef)
HabitatRocky reefs and islands
Native rangeAbout 40 km across
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The story of the kenyi cichlid

A Lake Malawi mbuna in which females are blue and dominant males turn yellow, the reverse of most mbuna; one of the most aggressive mbuna.

American ichthyologist Warren Burgess described this mbuna in 1977, originally in the genus Pseudotropheus. It is famous for a colour reversal between the sexes. It is hardy and breeds readily, but is one of the more aggressive mbuna.

First described by Warren E. Burgess in 1977.

  • Adult males turn bright yellow, while females and young stay blue with dark bars.
  • This colour pattern is the opposite of what many other zebra mbuna show.
  • It spends much of its time grazing algae off rocks.

Sources

14 facts checked with sources