Ice blue zebra (William's mbuna)

Maylandia greshakei, the ice blue zebra or William's mbuna, comes from the shallow rocky and sediment-rich shores around Makokola in Lake Malawi. Wild males are powder blue with striking orange dorsal fins, while females are grey-blue; a popular albino strain is also widely traded. This is one of the more manageable mbuna, semi-aggressive rather than outright combative, but still territorial during spawning. House it in a 300 litre or larger tank with plenty of rock caves and hard, alkaline water (pH 7.7-8.6, high mineral content) at 24-27C. Keep one male with several females and combine with robust Malawi cichlids of dissimilar colour. Diet should be predominantly herbivorous, spirulina-based flakes and pellets with occasional greens. Maternal mouthbrooder that spawns readily in the aquarium.