Rusty cichlid care
Iodotropheus sprengerae · Islands and reefs of southeastern Lake Malawi, Africa
Rusty cichlids are rusty brown mbuna with a lavender sheen on mature males, and one of the least aggressive mbuna, a good first Lake Malawi cichlid.
- Tank size
- 40 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 75 to 79 °F (24 to 26 °C)
- Group size
- 4 or more
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Adult size
- 4.3 in (standard length, without the tail)
- pH
- 7.5 to 8.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 10 to 20 dGH
- Lifespan
- 6 to 10 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 40 gallon breeder
36 3/16 × 18¼ × 16 15/16 in outsideHow to keep rusty cichlids
Rusty cichlids are rusty brown mbuna with a lavender sheen on mature males, and one of the least aggressive mbuna, a good first Lake Malawi cichlid. Keep a group, one male to several females, in a 40 gallon or larger tank with rocks and hard, alkaline water at 75 to 79 °F, with other calm mbuna.
Diet: Omnivore: cichlid pellets with spirulina, vegetables, some frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Rusty cichlid tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Petricola catfish
4.5 in · 30+ gal · 73–79 °F
Banded gourami
4 in · 30+ gal · 72–82 °F
Convict julie
5.1 in · 30+ gal · 75–80 °F
Paradise fish
3.5 in · 20+ gal · 61–79 °F
Saulosi cichlid
3.4 in · 40+ gal · 76–82 °F
Bolivian ram
3.2 in · 29+ gal · 72–80 °F
Giant danio
6 in · 55+ gal · 72–79 °F
Three-spot (blue) gourami
6 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: rusty cichlids need 75 to 79 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Discus: No shared temperature: rusty cichlids need 75 to 79 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: No shared temperature: rusty cichlids need 75 to 79 °F, fancy goldfish 64 to 74 °F.
Cherry shrimp: Rusty cichlids eat shrimp.
Amano shrimp: Rusty cichlids eat shrimp.
What a rusty cichlid tank needs
A tank of 40 US gallons or more (such as the 40 gallon breeder) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Fluval U3
Rated by the maker for up to 40 US gal, which covers a 40 gallon rusty cichlid tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Hang-on-back Canister Filter 7W
Rated by the maker for 20–40 US gal, which covers a 40 gallon rusty cichlid tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 200W
Rusty cichlids need 75 to 79 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding rusty cichlids.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 75 to 79 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 40 gallon tank · Heaters for a 40 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common rusty cichlid problems
- More aggressive mbuna bully them; give them caves and calm tank mates.
- Malawi bloat follows high-protein diets; feed a plant-based pellet.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Iodotropheus sprengerae. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Rusty cichlid Gerard Delany, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Petricola catfish Nerezza, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Banded gourami Sandipan Das, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict julie Regani, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Paradise fish André Karwath; edited by Muhammad, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Saulosi cichlid Gerard Delany, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bolivian ram HenryC88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Giant danio Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Three-spot (blue) gourami Peter Jung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amano shrimp Stefanie Leuker, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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