Rusty Cichlid Fishes

The Rusty Cichlid is also referred to as the Iodotropheus sprengerae in Latin and is said to be one of the most beautiful of the Mbuna-type cichlids.



It also goes by the names of lavender mbuna or lavender cichlid. The rusty cichlid is native to the Boadzulu and the Chinyankwazi Islands that are in the regions of Lake Malawi, which itself is one of the Great Lakes that lie in the Rift Valley region of Africa.

As the name suggests, the rusty cichlid has a beautiful rust color which additionally has a purplish hue to it.



The Rusty Cichlid is known to be a very peaceful fish and relevant pet health information states they should not be kept with the larger cichlids or with the aggressive ones. The Rusty Cichlid can grow in size to three inches and hence would do well being in an aquarium of their own.



The life span of the average Rusty Cichlid is anywhere between two to five years. They are known to be a very amusing species of fish, especially in their daily activities and quite interesting to watch if one happens to catch them when in their breeding mode. Generally African cichlids tend to either stay at the top, middle or bottom of the aquarium but in the case of the Rusty Cichlid, they swims in all parts of the aquarium. The Rusty Cichlid is known to prefer temperatures of between 24 degrees to 26 degrees C. In appearance they are elongated fish. The juveniles and the females of the Rusty Cichlid are brown in color but the males are lavender purple shades.

Rusty Cichlid is classified as mouthbreeders as they hold their fry and fertilized eggs in their mouths for a couple of weeks prior to releasing the fry. They are not totally a peaceful fish but are considered the least aggressive among the other mbuna cichlids. This helps makes them an ideal pet fish for beginners who have less experience in taking care of the mbuna. Some pet health issues regarding the Rusty Cichlid are that they need to adequate spaces and hiding places as they tend to get bullied by the other tank mates that are more aggressive. Rusty cichlids are known to be omnivorous and will eat different kinds of food, hence a pet health care tip is that they should generally avoid meaty food as it can often cause the Rusty Cichlid serious digestive problems.