Cobalt Blue Zebra Cichlid
Common Names: Cobalt Blue Zebra Cichlid, Cobalt Blue Cichlid
Scientific Name: Pseudotropheus Zebra
Family: Cichlidae
Maximum Size: 5-6 inches
Life expectancy: 10 years
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F
pH Range: 8.0 - 9.0
Water hardness: 10 - 18
Temperament: Aggressive
Origin: Lake Malawi
Aquarium Setup:
The Cobalt Blue Zebra Cichlid loves sandy substrates for digging and burrowing. Laterite based substrates work really well as they will also help in maintaining the required alkalinity.
They need caves and rock structures to have places to claim as their own territories. But, they are very active swimmers so make sure to leave them plenty of open room.
You should also include lots of small smooth gravel if you plan on breeding them. They will pick up the gravel and move it to a chosen spot to build their nest.
Zebra’s really enjoy plants, but they’re constantly re-arranging the substrate and will up root any plants that you have. Floating plants are a really good choice, or plants that are weighted to keep them from floating to the top.
They prefer to spawn on smooth, flat stones that are in out of the way places. Make sure that any rocks used in the tank are smooth and don’t have sharp edges.
Diet:
Zebra’s need a diet with lots of vegetable matter. You can feed them both pellets and flakes and frozen or dried foods. Adding some leafy seaweed to their diet will give them some variety and lot’s of natural nutrients. Spirulina flakes are also a great addition to their diet.
Meaty foods should be used as a supplement, plankton rich foods such as blood worms and brine shrimp are a favorite. But, live worms and shrimp may bloat them and if you do add them to their diet do it sparingly as a treat.
Tank Mates/Community:
Zebra’s should be kept in a large community tank with a group of their own species. Keeping them in groups of around ten will help in keeping aggression to a minimum.
They can be mixed with other Mbuna’s such as the Lemon Yellow, Red Zebra, Orange Blotch, and Synodontis Catfish. Though they are an aggressive fish they have been known to get along with other types of fish as well, aggression often depends on the individual fishes personality!
Behavior:
Blue Zebra’s are very interesting fish to watch. Most of them will have their own individual personalities, but often one will take control of the entire aquarium and keep all the other tank mates in line!
Color:
The Cobalt Blue Zebra usually has a dark head and a pale blue body with seven or eight vertical stripes that are a bluish black. There are four egg shaped spots on the Zebra’s anal fin that are orange giving this cichlid an interesting contrast.
Females are generally a lighter blue or grayish color and don’t have the egg spots like the male does. As the males mature they will also develop a hump on their foreheads that the female won’t have.
Breeding:
To keep your male Blue Zebra’s happy, provide at least three females for each one. These Cichlids don’t form any bonds during spawning and will go their separate ways, leaving all the care of the eggs and fry up to the female.
After spawning the female will scoop the unfertilized eggs into her mouth. The female will then follow the male with her mouth close to his anal fin, until he releases the sperm and fertilizes the eggs!
The female will carry the eggs in her mouth for about a week before they hatch. The fry will swim freely, but will return to the mothers mouth for safety for at least a month.
The female won’t hardly eat during the time that the fry are entering her mouth for protection. After the fry are large enough to take care of themselves, the female won’t allow them to return to her mouth again.
Caring for the fry is a stressful time for the female, keeping her in a separate tank can help relieve her stress.
The fry can be fed flake food that is finely crushed or daphnia.
Interesting Notes:
The Cobalt Blue Zebra builds their nests with rocks found on the tank bottom, an underground filter will almost always be exposed!
The eggs spots on the males anal fin are believed to be a lure for the female! Thinking that they’re real eggs, she will follow him trying to retrieve them. This process prompts the release of the males sperm!
