Malawicichlids

On this page you will find our extensive range of Malawicichlids. We offer you more than 100 species of cichlids from Lake Malawi including many Mbuna's, Utakas and Aulonocaras. Almost all types that we offer are available in different sizes. When ordering, in addition to the desired size, you can also indicate which gender you prefer. We pass this on to the supplier and they ensure that we can deliver the right fish.

When you think of Malawicichlids, you immediately think of busy colorful fish. Nothing is less true. The colors of the Malawicichlids are closest to those of a seawater aquarium. Within the Malawicichlids you can distinguish between 3 groups. The Mbunas, Utakas and Aulonocaras

Mbuna cichlids are also called rock dwellers, they mainly live on the shores and transitional biotopes of Lake Malawi. A Mbuna is characterized by bright, colorful colors and its compact physique. Mbuna are seen as fairly territorial and aggressive residents of Lake Malawi. The best known species that are classified under Mbuna are Labidochromis, Melanochromis and Pseudotropheus. For an Mbuna aquarium you have to create different caves by means of many stackable rocks so that you can nestle between them.

The Utaka cichlids are the largest cichlids from Lake Malawi and are predominantly robbers. Some of these robbers can grow up to 45 cm. Utakas are all carnivores and feed on fish and shellfish. So be careful with smaller fish species and juveniles! In the wild, Utakas live mainly in the open areas of the lake where there are few rocks. A few things are very important for a Utaka aquarium. Because the fish can become so large, they need a lot of swimming space. Provide open spaces with some rocks as decoration. It is also advisable to use sand as ground cover, because they wash sand through their gills and extract food from it. The best known Utaka species are Haplochromis, NImbochromis, Fossochromis and Dimidiochromis.

Aulonocara's also called imperial basses. They can be recognized by the bright colors with lots of blue, yellow and orange. Aulonocaras live in Lake Malawi in the transition areas. This means that they are located between the rocks and in the open areas with sandy soil. For the aquarium it is important to imitate this as well as possible. Aulonocara's are between 12 and 18 cm in size and are omnivorous. This means that they feed on both vegetable food and meat.