Red Zebra Cichlid

One of the original African Cichlids to be imported to the US, the Red Zebra, Metriaclima zebra has always had a bit of a misleading name. The first to arrive started out orange-red and then the males would develop to a light blue body with deep blue stripes! The females stayed orange-red. Later, males were developed that kept the orange-red color and we rarely see the deep blue stripes anymore. One of the rock-dwelling Mbuna, the Red Zebra requires large formations of rocks with plenty of hiding places. The female will mouthbrood for 14-21 days before releasing the fry. Dr. Alexrod had 12 pages of color morphs of the Zebra in his The Most Complete Colored Lexicon of Cichlids . Best kept in large groups or with one male and several females. The Zebra prefers a vegetable based diet, with an occasional meaty treat. Frequent partial water changes will be required to maintain proper water quality.

Approximate Arrival Size for Red Zebra Cichlid: 1 to 2 in.

Detailed Information about this animal.