Common name(s}: Elongatus Mpanga, Elongate Mpanga, Mpanga elongatus

Scientific name: Pseudotropheus sp. "elongatus mpanga"

Family:Cichlidae

Origin: Lake Malawi, Africa

Maximum size: 5" (13cms)

Care: The Elongatus Mpanga is a mbuna cichlid. This is a territorial fish that will guard its territory heavily. The male can be very aggressive towards other fish in the tank and to other females. The minimum male to female ratio should be 1:2 minimum (the more females the better). The fish in general is fairly hardy and does best in water between 75-82 degrees with a ph pf 7.5 to 8.5. The minimum tank size is 50 (US) gallons or 180 liters. If keeping this species it is very important to provide hiding places for smaller less aggressive fish in the tank.

Feeding: This fish will do very well on quality flake food with a high vegetable content that includes spirulina. I would recommend feeding twice a day for no more than thirty seconds at a time.

Sexing and Breeding: As young fish Mpanga are difficult to sex but when the fish begin to mature the dark blue bars, yellow fin tips and egg spots begin to show in the males. As they get older the males will grow faster and larger then the females. Females are darker than the males with a slimmer body shape. As for breeding, I will update this post if I am successful.

Adult male (showing mature colouration)





Juvenile male






This post has been edited by tanks a lot: Nov 12 2006, 10:14 PM