Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Cichlids - Lake Malawi > Livingstoni Cichlid

Livingstoni

Livingstonii Family: Cichlidae

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Nimbochromis livingstonii
Syn: Haplochromis livingstonii, Cyrtocara livingstonii

   The Livingstoni Cichlid is a very tricky fish, it is a predator that will 'play dead'!

   Though they are a rather peaceful cichlid, the Livingstoni Cichlid is not a community fish. It is aggressive as a predator. They have a "harem polygyny" nature where males maintain a territory with several females, so it is best to keep one male with at least three females. The Livingstoni needs a large aquarium with lot of hiding places in rocks and wood and a sandy bottom. They need some open areas in which to swim but also like lots of plants such as Vallisneria, which creates a more natural environment for them.

   The Livingstoni Cichlid is very similar to the Venustus Cichlid Cyrtocara venustus, but is not quite as colorful. The Venustus develops a blue coloration on the head. There are over 200 Haplochromis in Lake Malawi. They are different from the Mbuna (means rock) in the way that they prefer open swimming areas where the rocks meet the sand. Do not mix with the overactive and aggressive mbunas. Try and keep the different species blood lines pure.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Dream Aquarium Build your own aquarium The Coolest and Funnest Screensaver in the World.

Distribution:
   The Livingstoni or Livingstonii Cichlid were described by Günther in 1894. One of the original Haplochromis group, they are found in Lake Malawi, Africa where they inhabit the sandy bottoms of the inshore areas. Prefer areas with Vallisneria plants.

Status:
   The species is listed on the IUCN Red List, but with the status of 'LC', meaning 'Least Concern'.

Description:
  The body of the Livingstoni Cichlid is stocky and elongated with large blotches of dark brown on a light background. This patterning provides a good camouflage for the Livingstonii Cichlid in their natural habitat, where they swim among plants and prey on smaller fishes.
   This fish is has often been confused with the Polystigma Cichlid, Cyrtocara polystigma, which is very similar, having the large blotches. However the Polystigma Cichlid also has many small dots all over its body which are missing in the Livingstoni. The Venustus Cichlid, Cyrtocara venustus, is also similar in appearance. But the Livingstoni is not as colorful as the Venustus Cichlid because it lacks the blue coloration seen on the head of Venustus.

Size - Weight:
   These fish get up to 8 inches (20 cm).

Care and feeding:
   The the Livingstonii Cichlid are omnivorous, so but in the wild they habitually feed on fish so can be considered a piscivore. In the aquarium they do best with a high protein diet, so can be fed live or frozen food, freeze dried krill, pellets, and other high quality foods for piscivores. Occasionally feed mysis and feeder fish, though feeder fish can initiate hunting instincts and cause more aggression. They need herbivorous foods as well to balance out their diet. Young up to 3 to 4” can be fed flake, but after that flake is too messy and will foul the water. Adults do best when fed frozen foods twice a week. They will eat to the point of their stomach being distended, so be very careful to not overfeed.
   A minimun 70 gallon tank when small, but because they grow quickly and have a predatory nature, 125 gallons is suggested. They do fine in either freshwater or brackish freshwater but need good water movement along with very strong and efficient filtration. Sand for substrate will make them feel most at home. Sand used for saltwater fish or freshwater can be used. If keeping them with a higher Ph, the saltwater sand can help keep the Ph up.
   The Livingstoni needs a large aquarium with lot of hiding places in rocks and wood and a sandy bottom. They need some open areas in which to swim but also like lots of plants such as Vallisneria, which creates a more natural environment for them.
   Malawi Cichlids will deteriorate under poor water conditions. Water changes of 10% to 20% a week depending on bioload. Malawi bloat is a typical disease especially if over fed and there is a lack of some herbivorous foods that are high quality. They can contract other diseases that ail all freshwater fish.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   The streams that flow into Lake Malawi have a high mineral content. This along with evaporation has resulted in alkaline water that is highly mineralized. Lake Malawi is known for its clarity and stability as far as PH and other water chemistries. It is easy to see why it is important to watch tank parameters with all Lake Malawi fish. A higher PH means that ammonia is more lethal, so water changes are a must for these fishes. A very slow acclimation to different PH levels can sometimes be achieved.
   Hardness: 6 - 10° dH
   Ph: 7.7 to 8.6
   Temp: 73 - 82° F (23 -28° C)

Social Behaviors:
   They are not a community fish. Though only moderately aggressive, they are predaceous and very territorial when spawning. They and should be kept in a species tank or with other cichlids. A male can be kept with several (three or more) females since they are polygamist breeders. They will burrow but pose no threat to plants.

Sexual Differences:
   The male has egg shaped patterns on its' anal fins. He is also larger than the female and can have a blue hue on his forehead.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   The Livingstonii Cichlids are egg layers and form matriarchal families. They are polygamists and mouthbrooders. See the description of how these fish breed in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Availability:
   The Livingstonii Cichlid is readily available.

Author: David Brough, CFS

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Latest Comments
I've just recently discovered an interest in African Cichlids. I have yet to learn the latin names. I have a 60 gal tank w/: 2-Horseface 6-Cory's(mixed variety) 1-Peacock 1-Compressissep(sp?) 1-rubber-lipped Plecostamus 3-Polka dot Botia 1-Livingstonii My Livingstonii and one horseface take turns ruling the tank. Tina Mason 2005-07-29
my livingston is the king of my tank...granted the tank is still new. I have 2 zebras,1 african hap,1 african jewell and 1 algae eater. none of the fish mess with the algae for he is the biggest of the tank...then again he just hangs out in a cave a the bottom of the tank. tre 2004-09-16
Some of the coolest comments:
I have a pair of large livingstonii in a crowded community tank. Constant water changes and a very powerful filtration system keeps the water clean and the fish happy. I have the pair mixed with both colorful haps and mbunas. They mix well together, also my fish are tank bred and seem to have lost their predatory tendencies. This pair is a breeding pair and has produced many ofspring when separated into my breeder tank. They do very well in community tanks, however they are very peaceful, so please do not mix them with large south american cichlids as they will get killed at the adult stage. Trust me, try I have. At least this is my experience with this fish, African cichlids are very adaptable fish. Roberto 2007-11-08

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