Common name/s: Electric Blue Johannii, Blue Mbuna
Scientific name: Melanochromis johannii; previously Pseudotropheus johannii
Family: Cichlidae
Origin: Lake Malawi (Africa)
Maximum size: 6"
Care: These fish require a tank of at least 40 gallons, and prefer other cichlids of the mbuna family. One of the more popular of African cichlids, you will probably be able to find this fish in one of your LFS. They are decently hardy, and can take a little bit of a begginers' mistakes. Prefers a PH of about 8. These fish usually swim around the middle, or lower levels of the tank. Prefers a temp of around 78-82 degresse F.
Feeding: Feed daily. Eats pellets, sticks, flakes, blood worms* and baby shrimp.
* Blood worms should not be part of this species staple diet. If fed blood worms it should only be done rarely as a treat as they are known to cause issues with digestion and bloat.
Sexing and breeding: Easy to breed, this fish will produce about a dozen or more with each batch of fry. Since these fish are mouth brooders the female is best removed to another tank, and when she stops feeding and her brood pouch (Buchal Pouch) is full. After 14 days or so, the female will spit out her fully formed fry, and quickly lose intrest in them. You can put her back in your main tank. the fry are pretty big already, so you can just feed them broken up flakes.
Scientific name: Melanochromis johannii; previously Pseudotropheus johannii
Family: Cichlidae
Origin: Lake Malawi (Africa)
Maximum size: 6"
Care: These fish require a tank of at least 40 gallons, and prefer other cichlids of the mbuna family. One of the more popular of African cichlids, you will probably be able to find this fish in one of your LFS. They are decently hardy, and can take a little bit of a begginers' mistakes. Prefers a PH of about 8. These fish usually swim around the middle, or lower levels of the tank. Prefers a temp of around 78-82 degresse F.
Feeding: Feed daily. Eats pellets, sticks, flakes, blood worms* and baby shrimp.
* Blood worms should not be part of this species staple diet. If fed blood worms it should only be done rarely as a treat as they are known to cause issues with digestion and bloat.
Sexing and breeding: Easy to breed, this fish will produce about a dozen or more with each batch of fry. Since these fish are mouth brooders the female is best removed to another tank, and when she stops feeding and her brood pouch (Buchal Pouch) is full. After 14 days or so, the female will spit out her fully formed fry, and quickly lose intrest in them. You can put her back in your main tank. the fry are pretty big already, so you can just feed them broken up flakes.
