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The Cobalt Blue Zebra Cichlid is also known as the Cobalt Blue Cichlid, or Zebra Malawi Cichlid and comes from the rocky shores of Lake Malawi, Africa. The coloration of the Cobalt Blue is a pale blue background with seven to eight blue-black bars with four, orange egg-shaped spots on the anal fin.
The Cobalt Blue will do best in a cichlid community aquarium with numerous rocks and caves with a sandy bottom and plenty of places to set up territories. A laterite-based substrate is ideal for this system as it will help to maintain the necessary alkalinity.
For best results in spawning, the males should be kept with at least three females. The female will spawn on a flat rock and will take the unfertilized eggs into her mouth and will follow closely behind the male until he releases the sperm to fertilize the eggs. The female will then incubate the eggs for approximately 3 weeks before releasing the fry. The fry can then be fed newly hatched brine shrimp, daphnia, or crushed flake food.
The Cobalt Blue should be fed foods rich in vegetable matter such as flake, pellet, and leafy seaweeds. Its diet should also be supplemented with meaty plankton-rich foods such as brine shrimp and blood worms.
Ideal tank mates include other aggressive Lake Malawi African Cichlids and African Catfish of the genus Synodontis.
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Name: Cobalt Blue Zebra Cichlid (Pseudotropheus zebra)
Family: Cichlidae Range: Lake Malawi, Africa Size: Up to 5.5 inches Diet: Omnivore Tank Set-up: Freshwater: Rocks, sand bottom Tank Conditions: 72-82°F; pH 8.0-9.0; dH 10-18 Minimum Tank Capacity: 50 gallons Light: Low Temperament: Aggressive Swimming Level: Middle to bottom Care Level: Easy Reproduction: Mouth Brooder |
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