Aurora cichlid

The aurora cichlid is a mbuna from the rocky shores of Lake Malawi, where it grazes the algae-covered boulders of the intermediate habitat. Males develop a beautiful sky-blue body with a yellow to orange dorsal wash, while females are typically plainer blue-grey. Reaching about 11 cm, it is moderately aggressive and best kept in a harem of one male to several females to spread out his attention. Provide plenty of rockwork with caves and crevices to establish territories, over a sand substrate, in the hard, alkaline water typical of the Rift lakes. Its diet should be predominantly vegetable-based, using spirulina flakes and pellets designed for herbivorous mbuna; too much protein risks Malawi bloat. Combine only with other robust mbuna of similar temperament, and maintain strong filtration to cope with the bioload.