Snow White Cichlid

The snow white zebra mbuna is a bit more peaceful than other mbunas and can get along with peacock cichlids. The solid white body brings great contrast to a cichlid community tank. In a community cichlid tank, the white body brings a great color contrast to the red zebras and cobalt blues, not to mention a red, white, and blue patriotic flair.

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.