Violet Yellow Tail Cichlid

The Acei cichlid, or yellow tail violet cichlid, is valued for its unique color pattern. The Acei cichlid has bright yellow fins and a violet blue body. The acei is a mbuna cichlid from Lake Malawi. In the wild, these fish scrape algae from rocks near shorelines, and in the aquarium these fish do need some veggies in the diet. The famed ichthyologist Dr. Charles Regan discovered the Acei cichlid in 1922, and the fish has been popular for cichlid tanks for nearly half a century.

Quick Facts

Care Guide

Tank setup: Use a sand or crushed-coral bottom and stack plenty of rockwork with caves and hiding spots so each male can claim a territory and others can escape. Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika cichlids need hard, alkaline water; crushed coral or aragonite sand helps hold the pH up.

Feeding: Mbuna are mostly plant eaters. Feed a vegetable-based flake or pellet once or twice a day, and avoid high-protein foods, which can upset their digestion.

Tankmates: Keep mbuna with other mbuna of similar size and temperament, stocked in a group to spread out aggression. Avoid mixing them with peaceful peacocks and haps unless the tank is large, and avoid closely related species that look alike, which can crossbreed.

Good to know: Acei are one of the calmest mbuna and often school together, so they suit mixed Malawi tanks well.