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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Saulosi cichlid
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Saulosi cichlid

Chindongo saulosi · Saulosi, Saulosi mbuna, Pseudotropheus saulosi, Taiwan reef

Less aggressive than many mbuna but males can be bullies in groups; keep more females than males.

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8.6 cmAdult size ✓
23–27 °CTemperature ✓
7.4–8.4pH ✓
208 LSmallest tank ✓
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Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Saulosi cichlid is tropical.
  • Rift lake cichlids like saulosi cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Saulosi cichlid only grows to 8.6 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like saulosi cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (23–27 °C vs 10–22 °C). No setting suits both.
  • Rift lake cichlids like saulosi cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like saulosi cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.4–8.4 vs 5–7). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like saulosi cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.4–8.4 vs 4.5–7). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

65 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 ✓7–30 dGH
Group size ✓6 or more
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Less aggressive than many mbuna but males can be bullies in groups; keep 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

Easily colour-sexed as adults: males turn blue with several vertical black bars; females stay yellow. Young and subordinate males can look like females.

Health

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

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Maternal mouthbrooder; keep one male with several females. The female holds the eggs for about 13-18 days 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

Small broods: usually fewer than 20 fry, most often 10-15; held about 13-18 days.

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 (Taiwanee Reef near Chizumulu Island)
HabitatRocky reef in clear water
Native rangeAbout 10 km across
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The story of the saulosi cichlid

A small mbuna found only on Taiwan Reef in Lake Malawi, where adult males are blue with black bars and females yellow. Described by Ad Konings in 1990 and named after Saulos Mwale, who caught over 3,000 fish in one day on the collecting trip. It is listed as Critically Endangered, and captive-bred fish have been used to restock the reef.

Konings described this mbuna in 1990, from a single reef near Chizumulu Island. It was later moved to the new genus Chindongo in 2016. Its tiny natural range makes captive-bred fish especially important for the hobby.

First described by Ad Konings in 1990. Named for Named after Saulos Mwale, a diver who collected fish at Lake Malawi.

  • All young are yellow; males turn blue with black bars as they mature.
  • Females stay bright yellow throughout their lives.
  • It is known from essentially one reef in the wild.

Sources

14 facts checked with sources