Williamsi Mbuna

Pseudotropheus williamsi is a rock-dwelling mbuna cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa, where it grazes algae from the boulders of the rocky littoral zone. Dominant males develop metallic blue tones while females and juveniles stay more subdued. Like most mbuna it is territorial and quarrelsome, so it needs a spacious aquarium packed with rockwork, caves and broken sightlines. Keep one male with several females to disperse aggression, and pair it only with robust Malawi mbuna of similar temperament. The lake's hard, alkaline water must be reproduced: high pH, elevated carbonate hardness and a stable warm temperature. Offer a mainly vegetable diet based on spirulina and algae, as excess protein triggers the bloat that plagues herbivorous Rift Lake cichlids. It is a maternal mouthbrooder that spawns readily in a well-decorated tank.