Perlmutt Cichlid

Perlmutt means "mother of pearl" in German, and the word adequately describes the beautiful body color of the Perlmutt cichlid. Fins are yellow with blue highlights. The Perlmutt cichlid offers a nice size contrast in a community cichlid tank, since the fish only grows to three inches. Perlmutt cichlids are hardy and omnivorous. This pet fish needs a rocky area to make itself feel at home.

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: Mbuna stay calmer when the tank is slightly crowded and well decorated, which keeps any one fish from dominating.