Copadichromis borleyi

Copadichromis borleyi is a haplochromine from the "utaka" group, which gathers plankton in schools in the open water around the rocks of Lake Malawi. Its best-known form in the hobby is "Kadango": the males have a blue head and a red-orange body and fins. Other forms in yellow or darker red tones are found in different parts of the lake.

It is a calm species among the Malawi haplochromines. Because its mouth is small it is not a fish eater, but it may eat very small fish and fry that fit in its mouth. It should be kept with calm haplochromine and Aulonocara species, not with aggressive mbuna.

It lives on the rocky shores of Lake Malawi, in the open water a little above the rocks. With its small, protrusible mouth it picks zooplankton from the water. Females and juveniles roam in large groups, while males set up territories on or near the rocks during the breeding season.

• Volume: At least 400 liters and 150 cm of length for a group; open swimming space is important.
• Layout: Rock groups at the back and sides, a wide open area in the middle, a fine sand substrate.
• Water: Hard and alkaline (pH 7.8–8.5); aragonite substrate or Malawi salt.
• Maintenance: A strong filter and a 30–50% water change every week.

Carnivorous; in the wild it feeds on zooplankton. Quality small-grained cichlid granules should be the staple, varied with frozen brine shrimp, cyclops and mysis. Choose food sized for its small mouth. Foods containing bloodworms and mammalian meat should be avoided.

A calm, social species. Males defend a small area during courtship but are rarely aggressive toward other species. With aggressive mbuna or large predators it becomes stressed and its colors fade.

Good companions: Aulonocara species, electric blue ahli, red empress, Placidochromis electra, blue dolphin cichlid, synodontis catfish suited to hard water.

Avoid: aggressive mbuna, large predatory haplochromines (venustus, livingstoni), community fish, shrimp and snails.

• Harem: 1 male and 3–4 females; the females are more at ease in numbers.
• All-male aquarium: It also does well with males of other species for those who want to showcase colorful males.
• Because it can hybridize with other Copadichromis species, keeping only one species in a harem aquarium is recommended.

A mouthbrooder. The male clears a small area on a rock surface or in the sand and calls the female; the female takes the eggs into her mouth and they are fertilized via the egg spots on the male's anal fin. The female carries 20–40 eggs for about 3 weeks. The fry grow on finely crushed food and brine shrimp.

• Malawi bloat: Wrong food and stress.
• Color loss: A sign of aggressive tankmates or poor water conditions.
• Hole in the head: Associated with insufficient water changes.

Telling them apart is easy in mature fish: males are colorful (a red-orange body and blue head in the Kadango form) and have longer fins; they carry egg spots on the anal fin. Females are silvery gray with the three dark spots on their sides typical of the genus Copadichromis. Juveniles look like females.