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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Venustus cichlid
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Variations

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Venustus cichlid

Nimbochromis venustus · Venustus, Giraffe cichlid, Venustus hap, Nimbochromis venustus

Predatory; do not keep with small tank-mates.

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25 cmAdult size ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
205 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Venustus cichlid eats animals up to about 10 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like venustus cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Venustus cichlid eats animals up to about 10 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like venustus cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Venustus cichlid eats animals up to about 10 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like venustus cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like venustus cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like venustus 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

45 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 ✓Can live alone
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 6–10 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Predatory; do not keep with small tank-mates. Fine with other large cichlids in a big tank.

  • sand

Food

Quality cichlid pellets and flakes plus frozen mysis, krill and chopped fish a few times a week.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males grow larger and are more colourful, with blue and yellow on the body that intensifies when breeding; females are plainer with the dark blotched pattern.

Health

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

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Polygamous maternal mouthbrooder; one male with 3-6 females. The female carries the brood about 3 weeks, then guards the fry for about 10 more days, taking them back into her mouth when disturbed.

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

Up to about 120 eggs, carried by the female for around 3 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 (sandy coasts)
HabitatSandy bottoms, often near rocks
Native rangeAbout 300 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the venustus cichlid

A large Lake Malawi ambush predator with a blotched 'giraffe' pattern, often sold as the giraffe cichlid or giraffe hap. Its name means beautiful.

Boulenger described the venustus in 1908, then in another genus. Its giraffe-like pattern made it one of the most recognisable Malawi haps. It is a large predator that can exceed 20 cm.

First described by George A. Boulenger in 1908. Named for Venustus means 'beautiful' in Latin.

  • It sometimes buries itself in sand to ambush small fish.
  • The spotted pattern is why it is sometimes called the giraffe cichlid.
  • Mature males develop a blue face with yellow tones.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources