Maylandia fainzilberi Breeding Guide

Breeding Maylandia (Metriaclima) fainzilberi, an aggressive Lake Malawi mbuna. A maternal mouthbrooder bred in a harem over rocks and sand.

Overview

Maylandia fainzilberi (syn. Pseudotropheus fainzilberi, Metriaclima fainzilberi; Staeck, 1976) is an mbuna endemic to Lake Malawi, reaching about 12.9 cm TL with IUCN status Least Concern. AquaInfo describes it as an oviparous mouthbrooder in which the female assumes brood care, that is, a maternal mouthbrooder. It is an aggressive, territorial rock-dweller.

Sexing

Per AquaInfo, males reach about 12-13 cm and show bright blue coloration with dark vertical bands and a golden breast, while females stay around 10 cm and are grayish-blue with faint bands; some females carry the orange-blotch (OB) pattern. Males also bear black-bordered egg-spots on the anal fin.

Conditioning

AquaInfo stresses a varied, nutritious diet that emphasizes plant-based foods such as high-quality spirulina flakes or pellets, supplemented with small amounts of animal foods like Artemia or mysis. Overfeeding rich animal foods to this largely herbivorous mbuna is discouraged.

Breeding Setup

AquaInfo recommends a harem of one male to about three or four females because the male is polygamous and territorial, housed in a tank with plenty of rocks and caves over a sandy substrate. Reported breeding parameters are pH 7.5-8.5, temperature 22-26 °C and GH 12-16.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

AquaInfo describes courtship in which the male seduces the female with trembling movements; the pair circles over the sand, the female lays eggs, the male fertilizes them, and the female then takes the eggs into her mouth. The male's egg-spots on the anal fin help stimulate the female during fertilization.

Egg & Fry Care

Per AquaInfo, the female incubates the eggs and larvae for about three weeks, with the eggs hatching in her mouth after a few days, before the fully developed fry are released to forage.

Common Challenges

Aggression is the main hurdle: the male can be hard on females and on other mbuna, so the harem ratio and abundant rockwork are important. As with other Maylandia, keeping the species pure and avoiding hybridization with related zebra-type mbuna is a concern for line integrity.