Species name: Copadichromis azureus
Synonym: Haplochromis chrysonotus
Common Names: Azureus
Family: Cichlidae (Cichlids) , subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae
Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Max. size: 15 cm / 6 inches
Environment: freshwater
Origin: Lake Malawi: Mbenji Islands Nakatenga and Maleri Islands, Nkhomo Reef near Benga and Eccles Reef south of Makanjila.
Temperament: Relatively non aggressive .
Company: Can be kept with other non aggressive species of the same size. Best kept with other Malawi cichlids.
Water parameters: pH 7.5-8.5, temperature 22-27°C / 72-80° F
Aquarium setup: Requires stone formations that allows the fish good hiding places. Plan the Aquarium setup so that several territories can be formed with natural boundaries. Also make sure there is a lot of free space for these fish to swim on. Don’t use roots in your aquarium since they lower PH levels..
Feeding: Accepts all kinds of food.
Breeding: Mouth-brooder. One male to 4-5 females are kept together. The female will brood for up to 4 weeks. You can tell if a female is brooding by her enlarged mouth and the fact that she isn´t eating. fry are quite small and fragile but will accepts most kinds of food. They grow very fast and a large aquarium is recommended to raise the fry. Brooding females are isolated for more productive breeding. It is recommendable to try to make the isolation as short as possible to avoid that the females loses their social status which may cause fights once they are returned. An alternative is to catch the females and “force” them to spit. Stress to the female can cause her to eat her eggs and fry.
Picture of Copadichromis azureus aka Azureus Cichlid. Copyright www.jjphoto.dk
