TankMatesTankMates
Sign in
Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Maingano cichlid
★New · no ratings yetIllustration

Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Maingano cichlid

Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos · Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos, Maingano, Blue maingano, Cyaneorhabdos, Melanochromis maingano

Aggressive when crowded; keep one male with several females in a rocky tank.

Local price coming soon
· real AED shop prices, never conversions
7.5 cmBody length, without tail ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
150 LSmallest tank ✓
Add to my tankCompare
Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Maingano cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful neon tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like maingano cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Maingano cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful cardinal tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like maingano cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Maingano cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful black neon tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like maingano cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like maingano 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 maingano 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

51 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 3–5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Aggressive when crowded; keep one male with several females 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

Hard to sex: both sexes are blue with black horizontal stripes. Males may be slightly larger and dominant males more intense; females are not yellow or orange.

Health

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

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Maternal mouthbrooder; one male with at least three females. The female carries the eggs for up to 3-4 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 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 – Malawi
Rivers and lakesLake Malawi (Likoma Island area)
HabitatRocky shoreline
Native rangeAbout 15 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the maingano cichlid

A small all-blue striped mbuna known only from one stretch of shore at Likoma Island in Lake Malawi, long sold as Melanochromis 'maingano' after a village there. Both sexes are blue with black stripes. Described in 1997 by Bowers and Stauffer and now listed as Critically Endangered.

This mbuna was kept by aquarists as 'Melanochromis maingano' before it was formally described in 1997. It comes from a small area around Likoma Island. Its electric blue and black stripes make it one of the most striking small mbuna.

First described by Nancy J. Bowers & Jay R. Stauffer Jr. in 1997. Named for Cyaneorhabdos means 'blue stripes'.

  • Males and females share the same blue-and-black striped pattern.
  • 'Maingano' is a trade name that stuck even after the formal description.
  • It stays fairly small, usually under 10 cm.

Sources

14 facts checked with sources