Maingano Cichlid

The maingano is a small, slender mbuna sold under the name of its locality on Likoma Island. The two bright light-blue stripes running along its dark navy body make it easy to recognize in the aquarium. It resembles the johanni male, but its females are blue-striped just like the males.

Its placement in a genus is disputed; sources list it under Melanochromis or Pseudotropheus. What matters to the hobbyist is that it is noticeably more docile than its relatives. Thanks to this trait, it fits well into a community of calm mbuna.

It lives on the rocky shores of Likoma Island in Lake Malawi. Among and on top of the rocks, it feeds on the algae layer and small organisms drifting in the water. The water is hard, alkaline and very clear.

• Volume: at least 200 liters and 100–120 cm in length for a harem and a few calm mbuna.
• Rockwork: Many small caves and crevices; the rocks should sit on the bottom glass.
• Water: Hard and alkaline (pH 7.8–8.5); aragonite substrate or Malawi salt.
• Maintenance: Strong filtration, weekly 30–50% water changes.

Omnivorous. A small-grained, spirulina-based mbuna food should be the staple; brine shrimp and cyclops can be offered a few times a week. Bloodworms and foods containing mammalian meat should be avoided.

Males display to each other and defend a small territory; toward other species they are generally mild. Kept with aggressive mbuna, it is easily bullied and its colors fade.

Good companions: yellow species such as the yellow lab and saulosi females, rusty cichlid, yellow-tail acei, Synodontis catfish suited to hard water.

Avoid: striped, aggressive Melanochromis species such as johanni, auratus and chipokae, the blue-barred demasoni and elongatus, large and pugnacious mbuna, haps, community fish, shrimp.

• Harem: 1 male and 3–4 females. Thanks to its mild temperament, two males can also be kept in a large aquarium.
• Large group: It behaves more naturally with 8 or more fish.
• Color separation: There should be no other species with similar blue stripes in the same aquarium.

A mouthbrooder. The male courts in front of a cave; the female picks up 10–20 eggs in her mouth and carries them for about 3 weeks, not eating during this time. The fry are striped like the adults and grow up hiding in rock crevices.

• Malawi bloat: the wrong diet and stress.
• Bullying: loss of appetite and fading colors when kept with aggressive species.
• Hole in the head: associated with insufficient water changes.

The sexes are similarly colored, so sexing is difficult. Males are slightly larger, more brightly colored and have longer fins; they carry prominent egg spots on the anal fin. Reliable sexing is done by examining the genital papilla.