Taiwan Reef Malawi Cichlid

The Taiwan reef is a Lake Malawi haplochromine, named for the reef in the lake where it was first collected rather than for anything to do with Taiwan. Males carry a metallic blue head and forebody that shades into yellow-gold over the rear half, with a red-brown flush along the flank; females are silvery with faint barring. It is a larger, more open-water fish than the rock-hugging mbuna, and it cruises rather than darts.

Aquarium care

• A larger Malawi cichlid; give it a long tank with open swimming room.
• Needs hard, alkaline water.
• Territorial but not relentless, and calmer than most mbuna.
• Keep one male with several females.
• Rockwork along the back and sides, with sand and open water in front.
• Quality cichlid pellets with frozen foods.

Suits a large Malawi display with peacocks, other haps and Synodontis catfish. Small mbuna and soft-water community fish are not the right company.

Stock rotates with each shipment, and livestock is sold for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. See the current haplochromis.