Melanochromis chipokae Breeding Guide

Breeding Melanochromis chipokae: colour sexing, harem setup, mouthbrooding of 20-40 eggs over three weeks, fry care and managing extreme aggression.

Overview

Melanochromis chipokae is an aggressive, predatory mbuna endemic to the southwestern region of Lake Malawi, reaching about 12 cm standard length. It is a maternal mouthbrooder, and it is arguably the most aggressive and territorial mbuna, with a violent disposition that eats fish fry and crustaceans.

Sexing

Mature males are a completely different colour to the golden females and juvenile or sub-dominant males, taking on a black and blue colouration. The male carries the egg-shaped spots on the anal fin that attract females during spawning.

Conditioning

Condition the group with plenty of live, frozen and vegetable foods. Keep the water alkaline and stable, with a pH around 8.2-8.5 and a temperature of about 25-27 degrees Celsius (77-80 degrees Fahrenheit).

Breeding Setup

A 120 cm (48-inch) aquarium is a good size, with larger being preferable, furnished with rocks, caves, flat stones and open substrate areas. Use a harem of one male and at least three females so the male's aggression is spread among them.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

The female lays her eggs and takes them into her mouth, drawn to the egg spots on the male's anal fin so that the clutch is fertilised. Because of the species' violent disposition, courtship can be rough on the females.

Egg & Fry Care

The female carries the 20 to 40 eggs for around three weeks before releasing the free-swimming fry, refusing food throughout the holding period. The fry are large enough to take brine shrimp nauplii from birth. Because this is a relatively large mbuna, broods of 20 to 40 are reasonably productive once a female is in full condition.

Common Challenges

Extreme aggression is the defining challenge: as arguably the most aggressive and territorial mbuna, it requires a generous harem in a large tank, and because the species is predatory and eats fish fry and crustaceans, it will consume its own and other fish's young, so rearing the fry in a separate grow-out tank is advisable. A stressed holding female may release the brood prematurely if disturbed, and a single dominant male can harass a small group of females severely if the tank is too small.