Mbuna Cichlid: Size, Tank Mates, Stocking and Prices

Mbuna are the rock-dwelling cichlids of Lake Malawi in East Africa. The word means rockfish in the Tonga language of Malawi, and the m is silent, so it is said roughly as 'boona' (Wikipedia). They live on the lake's rocky shores and rock piles, which separates them from the open-water, sand-loving utaka and the peacock cichlids.

Wikipedia lists the mbuna genera as Abactochromis, Chindongo, Cyathochromis, Cynotilapia, Genyochromis, Gephyrochromis, Iodotropheus, Labeotropheus, Labidochromis, Maylandia (also sold as Metriaclima), Melanochromis, Petrotilapia, Pseudotropheus and Tropheops. Popular aquarium mbuna include the electric yellow (Labidochromis caeruleus), bumblebee, red zebra, cobalt blue zebra, demasoni and auratus. All are maternal mouthbrooders: the female carries eggs and young in her mouth (Wikipedia).

For the wider group, including peacocks and Lake Tanganyika species, see our African cichlids page.

Most mbuna are small. Practical Fishkeeping gives 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) for wild fish and 5 to 6 inches (12.5 to 15 cm) for well-fed aquarium fish. The species profiles on Fishi-pedia run from about 6 cm for the smallest to 15 cm for the largest, with most between 8 and 12 cm. The fish sold in shops are much smaller: Live Fish Direct's listings in September 2026 were mostly 1.25 to 2 inches, with cobalt blue zebras up to 6 inches.

The water is easy; the behaviour is the hard part. They are hardy in hard, alkaline water, but Wikipedia describes them as highly aggressive and not a beginner's fish, and Ron's Cichlids notes that mature males in particular are territorial. The usual fixes, all from Practical Fishkeeping unless noted:

• Crowd them on purpose. Twenty fish is described as an absolute minimum, with 30 or 40 better, so no single fish takes all the aggression
• Start young and similar-sized, ideally under 2 inches
• At least two females per male of each species, or an all-male tank
• Lots of rock. Ron's Cichlids recommends sand with dense rockwork, caves and sight breaks to spread aggression
• Strong filtration and frequent water changes, because a crowded tank produces a lot of waste; keep ammonia and nitrite at zero and nitrate under 40 ppm

The safest tank mates for mbuna are other mbuna, chosen so that no two species look alike. Practical Fishkeeping says an average mbuna community can hold 30 different species, and a large tank 50 or more, when crowded with young fish of similar size. Picking species with clearly different colours also makes each fish easier to identify and watch.

Slow, long-finned community fish, and fish that need soft or acidic water, do not belong in an mbuna tank; the water needs pH 7.5 or higher (Practical Fishkeeping).

It is possible but usually not recommended. Ron's Cichlids says some experienced keepers mix them, but mbuna often outcompete or stress peacocks, and many aquariums do better as dedicated mbuna tanks. If you do mix them, give plenty of rock and check at every feeding that the peacocks are getting food.

Most mbuna graze algae off rocks. Fishi-pedia classes the majority as herbivores, with a few exceptions such as the plankton-eating demasoni and the more carnivorous Cynotilapia. Practical Fishkeeping gives these rules to prevent bloat, a digestive problem of Malawi cichlids:

• Feed algae-based foods with plenty of vegetable matter and little animal protein
• Avoid rich foods made for South American carnivorous cichlids
• Leave out feeding one day a week

If fish stop eating or look swollen, ask an aquatic vet or an experienced cichlid store quickly.

Prices depend on species, size and whether the fish is a common aquarium strain or a named wild locality. Examples from two US sellers on 25 September 2026:

• Live Fish Direct: bumblebee $5 to $10, red zebra $5 to $15, electric yellow $7 to $12, demasoni $10 to $15, auratus $10 to $15, cobalt blue zebra $15 to $55 (1.75 to 6 in)
• Ron's Cichlids: white tail acei $19, masinje zebra $18 (females), Chindongo saulosi $45 (females), albino Cobue afra $65, Cynotilapia 'Deep Ndonga' $75, Mundola gold $82

Shipping is charged separately. Buying a group of juveniles at once is also the way Practical Fishkeeping recommends building a tank.

Many mbuna are sold under trade names, and females and juveniles of different species can look alike, so an ID from colour alone is often a best guess. Photograph a fish side-on in good light, with the full body, fins and any bars visible, and note the name and locality on the shop label. FishLens suggests a name from one photo. For a named wild locality, the seller's label is the most reliable record you will have, so keep it.

Research and drafting for this page were assisted by AI and checked line by line against the sources listed below. Every number names the organisation it comes from, and where sources disagree we say so instead of picking one silently. Prices and rules are given with the date we checked them; they change, so confirm before you rely on them. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it.