Red empress cichlid

The red empress is a spectacular haplochromine cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi, where it lives over the intermediate zone between rocks and sand. Dominant males are dazzling, flushing red, orange, blue and turquoise across the body and fins, while females and juveniles are silvery with dark stripes. It is best kept in a spacious aquarium with rocky structures and open sand, in a group of one male to several females to spread aggression. Being semi-aggressive but not overly rough, it mixes with other mid-sized Malawi haps. Provide hard, alkaline water at high pH, 24-27 C, and good filtration with strong oxygenation. Feed a varied omnivorous diet of quality flakes and pellets, spirulina and occasional frozen foods, avoiding too much rich protein. A mouthbrooder, the female incubates eggs in her mouth.