Since this cichlid is tolerant to slight salt, there is no harm in keeping them in water that is brackish. At times salt acts as a buffering mediator to enhance the carbonate hardness of the water. Rift Lake cichlids require water that is alkaline, hard. As far as all Malawi, Lake Fish are concerned- one can understand the necessity of observing the limitations of the tank. The pH value, chemistry and clarity of the Malawi Lake are well known. When this evaporates, the content of alkali in it becomes rich in minerals. The streams that terminates in the Malawi Lake, contains a high content of minerals. By this process, the egg gets fertilized in her mouth. This activity of hers stimulates the male to discharge the sperm (milt cloud) and she then inhales the milt cloud. The male flashes out its anal fin, which has “egg designed spots” By this- the female falsely understands them as her own eggs and attempts to absorb them in her mouth. The female lays as many as 20 to 30 eggs and immediately stores them in its mouth till they are fertilized. When that violent fish is replaced from that tank, they are motivated to spawn. Suppose the Red Zebra refuses to spawn, it indicates the presence of a violent natured fish in that tank. For them to lay eggs, they require a slate or a flat surface where the male resides.

In order to prepare them for breeding, feed them twice daily. In order to get 7 baby fry with color variations, get them young (Not Infants), as the color is not conspicuous when they are infants. They are sexually developed when they grow to a length of 3 in. In the pursuit, of leisure, you can find many color morphs of males and females.īreeding Red Zebra in custody has been successful. The Mbuna varieties with irregular discoloration are only a few. Besides, the egg shaped spots are not more than 3, on the fins, at the anal. The color of the female Red Zebra ranges from beige (with a brown tint) to orange (with a red tint). In nature, the color of the matured males is pale blue, having dark colored vertical bands, besides which, they have 4 to 7 spots in the shape of eggs on the fins at the anal. The females and males are differently colored. If well cared for, their life span goes up to almost 10 years. In aquariums at homes, they grow bigger in size, with males attaining lengths of about 5 in. In the wild, they grow to a length of 4in. The Red Zebra possesses a specific muscular Mbuna shape, even though they have a stockier body, compared to the other zebras. Most of them are concentrated adjacent to the Minos reef- however, few gather close to Meluluca and Mozambique

You can see them in the five sites, such as Chilucha, Minos reef, Nkhunga, Metangula and Masinje. This fish is widespread in the rocky shorelines of Lake Malawi in Africa. In the year 1995, Konings gave an explanation of the Red Zebra, whose scientific name is Maylandia Estherae, it was earlier named Pseudotropheus Estherae. Finally, now, the Red Zebra is placed in the Maylandia Estherae species and is termed as Esther Grant’s Zebra. After the new revisions in the genus Pseudotropheus, again an identity crisis took place, which replaced all the Zebra-type Cichlids to their own genera, as well as included both Metriaclima Esther and Maylandia Estherae in the list of this Cichlid. Later, in 1995, the Konings included this variety as a member of its own species named as Pseudotropheus Estherae. In the beginning, it was assumed to be from the group of Zebra Cichlid, a Pseudotropheus zebra variety, and was commonly termed as Orange Blue Mouth Breeder.

This species of Cichlid have a long history that includes the ups of popularity and downs of identity.

Red zebra cichlid max size