Cobalt Cichlid Habits?

[BDawg364]

Ok, so I got a new 55g tank Monday, and the guy gave me 6 Cobalt Cichlids, I believe they are all males, and I don't know what to do with them. I know I want to keep them, but I don't know anything about them. What do they eat? What water do they like? What other cichlids do they get along with? They are in the 55 with a divider, but all thats in the tank is gravel. Does anyone have any advice on them?

 

[Honda12]

They are a cichlid form lake malawi in a group called mbuna. What they would be most comfortable with a lot of rocks in the tank that make up a lot of differn't hideing spots and territorys. Any other malawi mbuna should be fine with them. You don't neccesarly have all males cause the females are the same color if you have what I believe you have. Here they are on cichlid forum and you can go under profiles of malawi mbuna and get an idea of other tankmates.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=787
They prefer hard alkaline water with a ph of about 7.8 or higher. But you can probably get away with a bit lower ph. As far as food you can really feed then any type of african cichlid pellets or flakes. Malawi mbuna in the wild feed mainly on algea so you don't want to feed them to high of a protein diet. But like I said before any african flake or pellets should be fine. I feed my cichlids new life spectrum. Hope this helps and good luck with them.

 

[SinisterKisses]

There's actually quite a few cichlids that go by the 'cobalt' trade name....after checking out the link that honda provided, do you have M. callainos, or are they something else?

 

[Ash]

Yah there are a few that go by the name there is cobalt blue
Pseudotropheus M. c (mentioned above) and there is cobalt blue Zebra Pseudotropheus those are both different, the first on is more of an all blue and theother one has a hint of stripes on it.

 

[Scotty]

Ok, so I got a new 55g tank Monday, and the guy gave me 6 Cobalt Cichlids, I believe they are all males, and I don't know what to do with them. I know I want to keep them, but I don't know anything about them. What do they eat? What water do they like? What other cichlids do they get along with? They are in the 55 with a divider, but all thats in the tank is gravel. Does anyone have any advice on them?

Hi BDAWG, Great that you were given these fish. The only real way of telling whether you have only males is to vent them. Take them out of the water and check to see if there are any that have a small and large hole. Sometimes the Anal fin is a lot more pointed in the male than the female but this is not too reliable. Feed mainly spirulina food. You must put in some rocks to create hiding spaces as in the lake the Mbuna live in the rocky habitat. You coul look at putting in some sand together with some Vallisneria grass. Need to look at doing regular weekly 20% water changes if you want your fish in top condition. Try to keep the ph at around 8. Enjoy these fish they are great. I have two and the compliment the tank wonderfully.

 

[mikeyd1976]

I'm trying to figure out what kind of these fish mine are as well. I bought them as cobalt blues.

 

[Ash]

I'm trying to figure out what kind of these fish mine are as well. I bought them as cobalt blues.

Prob. a colbalt blue pseudotropheus, most lfs sell them as colbalt blue in mixed tanks.. is it all blue or does it have the stripes? It could also be a m. callainos or possibly a cobalt blue zebra if thats it then it will have stripes. Got any pics?

 

[Scotty]

Thats the problem when you don't stick to the true scientific name for the fish. The only cobalt blue I am aware of, which is the common name given to a fish, is the Metriaclima callainos. Vent them otherwise you mught be lucky by looking at the anal fin. Males tend to have more egg spots and the fins tend to be more pointed.

 

[bob_tom]

i have a Metriaclima callainos and he is a terror in my 200 gal the only fish he does not chase is my Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" (Msuli) so you could get one of those for tankmate. but it might also depend on the Individual fish.

 

[runwithit]

Metriaclima callainos (cobalt zebras) will show faint stripes when stressed or less dominant, but typically they are powder blue with females sometimes a little grayer-bluish in color (like someone said earlier... venting is the only true way of knowing... or if one is holding). I have two... males unfortunately... I would love to have a male and a female... from pictures I've seen of other peoples fry on the cichlid-forum, they are bright blue and show great color.