Red Dorsal Mbuna (Pseudotropheus sp.)

Red Dorsal Mbuna at a glance

The Red Dorsal Mbuna is a Lake Malawi cichlid of the genus Pseudotropheus, sold one fish per purchase at either 4–5 cm or 6–7 cm. It is a mbuna, one of the rock-dwelling Malawi cichlids, and it needs what every mbuna needs: hard, alkaline water, a large and strongly filtered aquarium, and a place in a carefully stocked Malawi community rather than a general tropical tank.

The fish is traded under the label Pseudotropheus “feinzilbergi” red dorsal. That species name does not appear in FishBase or in the World Register of Marine Species, whose genus record for Pseudotropheus Regan, 1922 confirms Pseudotropheus as an accepted cichlid genus. The exact species has not been identified, so the care advice here follows the genus Pseudotropheus and its care group. In practice, that group is the Lake Malawi cichlids covered by OATA's UK care sheet.

Choosing a size

This listing has two sizes, 4–5 cm and 6–7 cm. The size you select is the size supplied, not the adult size. A larger fish is the same form at a later stage of growth, not a different variety. Stock of each size can change, so check the size you want on the product page before planning a group purchase around it.

What “sp.” means for you

Listing the fish as Pseudotropheus sp. is a statement of what is known. The genus is confirmed, the care group is clear, and the practical requirements of a Malawi mbuna apply in full. What cannot be given with confidence are the details that depend on the exact species: the adult size, the final colour of each sex, and any behaviour that sets one species apart from its relatives. For those, plan for the Malawi group as a whole rather than for a guessed species.

Sex and appearance

Sex is guaranteed only when the selected option explicitly states male or female. This Pseudotropheus feinzilbergi red dorsal listing has no sex-guaranteed option. OATA notes that many Malawi cichlids only show differences between the sexes once they become adults, and that the main differences are colour or egg spots on the males' anal fin. A fish of either size may not yet show its sex, and several fish bought together can turn out to include more males than you planned.

Gallery images have been digitally enhanced to improve image quality. Natural colour, pattern, size and maturity can vary between live animals. The pictures show a fish with black bars on a pale blue body, a dark face, an orange throat and orange-red tones along the dorsal fin, and one shows two fish facing each other. Use them as a guide to the look of this form rather than as a portrait of the fish you will receive.

Is it right for your aquarium?

• You keep, or are setting up, a dedicated Lake Malawi cichlid aquarium of at least 200 litres.
• Your water can be held hard and alkaline, with a pH of about 8.0–8.6.
• You are planning a group of at least 15 Malawi cichlids, with more females than males of each species where possible.
• The filter is oversized for the tank and the aeration is strong.
• You accept that the adult size and final colour of an unidentified form cannot be predicted exactly.

To compare other cichlids from Africa's great lakes, browse our African cichlid range.

Planning a Malawi community

A single mbuna is rarely the whole purchase. The UK trade body OATA describes Malawi cichlids as colourful, diverse and aggressive; they are not social fish and can be highly aggressive, yet OATA recommends keeping them in groups of at least 15, slightly overcrowded, to limit that aggression. The aim is to spread aggression evenly across the whole population, so that no single fish takes all of it. OATA also warns that Malawi cichlids kept in small groups will often fight.

Because this listing sells one fish per purchase, work out the whole community before you buy. Decide the aquarium volume first, then how many Malawi cichlids it can carry with strong filtration, then the species mix. Buying one fish at a time into a tank without a plan leads straight to the small, unsettled group OATA warns against.

Aquarium size

OATA recommends an aquarium of at least 200 litres for a reasonable-sized community of Malawi cichlids, while noting that some more specialist species can be kept in smaller aquariums. With an unidentified form, that specialist exception cannot be relied on. Treat 200 litres as the starting point and go larger if you can: the larger the aquarium, the more stable its temperature and water quality will be.

Planning for an unknown adult size

We cannot give an exact adult size for a fish whose species has not been identified. OATA's group figures are the planning reference instead: most Malawi cichlids grow to around 10 cm, but some will grow up to 25 cm. Size the aquarium and choose companions with room to spare, and do not treat the length at dispatch as the length the fish will keep.

A worked planning example

Suppose you are setting up a new 200-litre aquarium for mbuna. OATA's guidance points to a community of at least 15 Malawi cichlids, so the Red Dorsal Mbuna becomes one decision among several: how many species to keep, how many fish of each, and which are more peaceful and which more aggressive, because that decides the order in which they go in. Write the plan down before the first purchase, including where a fish would go if it had to be moved, and budget for the oversized filter and strong aeration that a well-stocked Malawi tank relies on. The Red Dorsal Mbuna is then one line in that plan rather than the whole of it.

Hard, alkaline water

Malawi cichlids are a specialised group and need particular water parameters. OATA gives these values as a general guide for the group:

These are broad values for Malawi cichlids as a group rather than a measured optimum for this particular fish, which is another reason to keep them steady instead of fine-tuning towards one number.

What the hardness figures mean

General hardness (GH) reflects dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Carbonate hardness (KH) reflects the carbonate and bicarbonate that buffer the water against a falling pH. A Malawi aquarium needs both to be high, and it is the carbonate hardness that keeps the pH steady between water changes. OATA recommends coral sand or a similar substrate to help buffer the water.

Testing your own water

UK tap water varies from area to area, so test your own supply before assuming it suits a Malawi tank, and test the aquarium itself at least once a week. Our guide to aquarium water parameters explains how to read GH, KH and pH results, and the water parameter matcher compares your readings with published ranges. Treat all replacement water with a tap water conditioner to remove chlorine or chloramine.

Temperature and stability

Hold the aquarium steadily within 23–27°C with a thermostatic heater, and check it with a thermometer rather than trusting the heater setting. Bring about any change to hardness or pH gradually, as part of normal water changes, rather than in a single step. A stable reading within the range serves the fish better than a chemistry that moves from week to week.

Filtration, oxygen and cycling

OATA is emphatic that a filter is always essential, whatever the size of the aquarium, and the RSPCA says no fish should be kept without a well set-up and maintained filter. Malawi communities raise the stakes. Because they are deliberately stocked slightly crowded, OATA recommends an oversized filter, together with aggressive aeration so there is enough dissolved oxygen for every fish.

How the filter protects the fish

Fish release ammonia, which is toxic. A working biological filter grows beneficial bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite, which is also toxic, and then to nitrate, which is safer. Those bacteria live in the filter media, which is why the way you clean the filter matters as much as the model you buy.

Cycle before stocking

A new filter needs time to build its bacterial population. Stocking too many fish, or stocking too quickly, can cause new tank syndrome: there are not enough nitrifying bacteria for the extra waste, ammonia and nitrite rise to unhealthy levels, and fish may become ill or die. Mature the filter before the first fish go in, confirm that ammonia and nitrite both read zero, and follow our step-by-step guide to setting up a first tropical tank. After that, add fish in stages, because the bacteria have to catch up every time the stock and the feeding increase.

Rock, sand and plants

Mbuna are the rock-dwelling Malawi cichlids, as opposed to the utaka, which swim in open water. Build the aquarium around that habit with a sand bed and rockwork, and make the layout secure, because Malawi cichlids will often dig and rearrange the substrate.

• Substrate: coral sand or a similar material, which OATA recommends to help buffer the water.
• Rock: stand rock structures directly on the tank base before the sand goes in, so digging cannot undermine them.
• Plants: digging will uproot any plants present, so only the hardiest plants are worth trying.
• Equipment: position the filter intake and outlets, heater and airline where rearranged sand cannot bury or block them.

Setting up, step by step

1. Choose an aquarium of at least 200 litres for the community you plan.
2. Stand the rockwork on the tank base, then add coral sand or a similar buffering substrate around it.
3. Fit an oversized filter, a thermostatic heater and strong aeration.
4. Fill with water treated with tap water conditioner, then test GH, KH and pH against the Malawi guidance.
5. Mature the filter until ammonia and nitrite both read zero.
6. Stock the Malawi cichlids group by group, testing the water between additions.

Feeding a herbivorous mbuna

OATA explains that the dietary needs of Malawi cichlids vary. The smaller mbuna species are more herbivorous, while some of the larger utaka species are more predatory and need pellets with a higher animal content, with frozen foods such as brine shrimp, prawns or cockles. As a mbuna, this fish follows the first pattern.

Daily routine

• Staple: a specialised Malawi cichlid food with a high algae content.
• Fresh food: vegetables, which OATA says the smaller mbuna appreciate.
• How often: twice a day.
• How much: only what the fish can eat within a few minutes.
• Afterwards: remove anything left over before it breaks down.

Overfeeding is an easy mistake in a well-stocked mbuna tank. OATA warns that uneaten food breaks down and releases toxic waste into the water, and a deliberately crowded community already produces plenty of waste. Keep protein-rich foods designed for predatory utaka for the fish that need them; they are not the staple OATA describes for mbuna.

Feeding time is also the easiest daily health check. OATA lists reduced intake or lack of interest in food among the changes worth noticing, so watch that each fish comes forward to eat.

Delivery, arrival and introduction

Our team hand-packs every order. Fish travel hand-bagged in pure oxygen inside an insulated poly box, with a heat pack when the weather calls for it, and a licensed live-animal courier carries the parcel on a tracked service. We email the tracking number and your confirmed delivery date so you know when to be in. Our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee page sets out the full terms.

Arrival steps

1. Make sure someone is at the delivery address to take in the parcel; live fish cannot be left unattended.
2. Before anything is opened, start one continuous unboxing video: show the sealed parcel with the outer box visible, open it in the same take, and keep filming until the fish is visible in its sealed bag. Any Live Arrival Guarantee claim needs this video.
3. Open and inspect the parcel on the same day it arrives.
4. Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 20–30 minutes so the fish acclimatises slowly.
5. Release the fish without pouring any bag water into the tank.
6. If something is wrong, get in touch the same day, by WhatsApp for the fastest reply, with your order number and the video, and we will arrange a replacement or refund.

Joining a Malawi group

Before the fish goes in, confirm that ammonia and nitrite read zero and that the aquarium is large enough for the number of Malawi cichlids you intend to keep. OATA advises adding Malawi cichlids in groups so that no individual receives unnecessary aggression as it settles in. A lone newcomer in an established tank is exactly the fish that advice protects, so where you can, bring new fish in together rather than one at a time.

Over the first days, compare the newcomer with OATA's description of a healthy fish: clear, bright eyes, undamaged fins, intact scales, no ulcers or bumps and normal swimming. Hiding, fast breathing or a fish that stops coming forward to feed are the early changes to note.

Maintenance and health checks

Weekly routine

• A partial water change of 25% at least once every week, which OATA strongly recommends, using a siphon to lift waste from the sand.
• Water tests at least once a week, so that ammonia and nitrite never build up unnoticed.
• Tap water conditioner in all replacement water, to remove chlorine or chloramine.
• A check of the filter for blockages. If the media needs cleaning, rinse it lightly in the tank water you have just removed, not under the tap, because chlorine or chloramine may kill the beneficial bacteria.

OATA stresses that good husbandry is essential because Malawi cichlids can be stressed by even the smallest amounts of ammonia and nitrite. In a crowded mbuna aquarium, the weekly routine is the foundation of everything else.

Water changes in a hard-water tank

In a Malawi aquarium the replacement water matters as much as the water you remove. If your tap water is softer or more acidic than the tank, each change pulls GH, KH and pH down a little, and the coral sand has to make up the difference. Test the tank the day after a water change until you know how your supply behaves, and keep the size and timing of changes consistent so the chemistry stays steady from week to week.

Holiday cover

A twice-daily feeding routine and a well-stocked tank make holidays worth planning. Leave a carer with pre-measured portions and simple written instructions, show them how to read the thermometer, and ask them to feed less rather than more: OATA's warning about uneaten food fouling the water applies with extra force when someone unfamiliar with the tank is feeding it.

Changes worth noticing

When something changes

OATA's first step is to test the water quality and then seek experienced advice. Work through temperature, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, then think back over recent additions, layout changes and feeding. In a Malawi community, look at behaviour too: a fish that is hiding more than usual or carrying fresh damage may be losing out to aggression, and group size, stocking balance or a rearranged layout can matter as much as water quality. When signs are severe or persistent, speak to an experienced aquatic retailer or a vet with fish experience.

Tank mates and managing aggression

Malawi cichlids only

OATA says Malawi cichlids should only be kept with other Malawi cichlids or some species of Synodontis catfish, which also live naturally in Lake Malawi. That rules out a general tropical community, whatever the temperament of the other fish, because both the water chemistry and the behaviour of a Malawi aquarium are specialised.

Within the Malawi group, sizes and habits vary. Most species grow to around 10 cm and some to 25 cm, and the rock-dwelling mbuna live differently from the open-water utaka. Choose companions with the whole adult community in mind, not just the fish in front of you.

Spreading aggression

• Keep a group of at least 15 Malawi cichlids, slightly overcrowded, so aggression is spread evenly through the population.
• Where possible, keep more females than males of each species, so that males do not harass one individual female.
• Add Malawi cichlids in groups, so no single fish receives all the attention while it settles in.
• Add the more peaceful species first and the more aggressive species later.
• Rearrange the decor when new fish go in, so that every fish has to find a new territory.

Overcrowding only works with filtration and aeration to match. A slightly overstocked tank relies on an oversized filter, strong aeration and the weekly maintenance routine; without them, the extra fish simply become a water-quality problem.

When the balance goes wrong

Watch the group rather than individual squabbles. The signs on OATA's list that matter most here are a change in aggression, a fish hiding more than normal, damaged fins or lost scales, and a fish that stops feeding. If one fish is being singled out, work through the causes that OATA's stocking advice points to:

• Is the group large enough, and slightly overstocked, so that aggression is spread?
• Are there more females than males of each species, or has the balance shifted as fish matured?
• Were new fish added singly rather than as a group?
• Would rearranging the decor make every fish re-establish its territory?

Correct water quality first if the tests show a problem, then adjust the stocking. Where one fish is persistently targeted, moving it to another established Malawi aquarium may be kinder than waiting for the group to settle.

Synodontis catfish

OATA names some species of Synodontis catfish as possible companions because they also occur naturally in Lake Malawi. Only those species qualify. A Synodontis from elsewhere falls outside this advice, so confirm where any catfish comes from in the wild before adding it to the aquarium.

Sexes, colour and group balance

Sex matters in a mbuna community because OATA recommends keeping more females than males of each species. It is also the hardest thing to control when buying unsexed fish: many Malawi cichlids only show differences between the sexes once they become adults, and the main differences are colour or egg spots on the males' anal fin.

This listing has no option that guarantees a sex, so treat the sex of each fish as unknown until it matures. If you buy several, be ready for the balance to turn out differently from your plan, and decide in advance where a surplus male could go if the group becomes unsettled.

Buying several of this form

If you plan to keep more than one Red Dorsal Mbuna, remember that OATA's advice on keeping more females than males applies within each species, and that these fish are sold unsexed. Buying a single fish of this form keeps the question simple; buying several means planning for an uncertain mix and having a fallback ready. Either way, the form still joins a community of at least 15 Malawi cichlids rather than standing alone.

Colour

The red dorsal of the trade name refers to the colour along the dorsal fin, which shows as orange-red tones in the gallery. Because colour is one of the main differences between the sexes and many Malawi cichlids only show those differences as adults, a young fish may not yet carry the full colour seen in the pictures. Judge colour after the fish has matured in stable, hard water, not in its first weeks.

Red Dorsal Mbuna questions

How big does a Red Dorsal Mbuna get?

Its exact species has not been identified, so we cannot give a reliable adult size. OATA says most Malawi cichlids grow to around 10 cm and some reach 25 cm, so plan the aquarium and its community for that group range rather than for the size at purchase.

What size aquarium does a Red Dorsal Mbuna need?

OATA recommends at least 200 litres for a reasonable-sized community of Malawi cichlids, and a mbuna is planned as part of such a community. A larger aquarium is better, because it keeps temperature and water quality more stable.

How many Pseudotropheus sp. should be kept together?

OATA's Malawi guidance is a group of at least 15 cichlids, slightly overcrowded to spread aggression, because Malawi cichlids kept in small groups will often fight. Where possible, keep more females than males of each species.

Is a Red Dorsal Mbuna suitable for beginners?

OATA describes Malawi cichlids as usually undemanding and easy to keep apart from their aggression, but their needs are specific: hard, alkaline water, a large mature aquarium, an oversized filter and a carefully stocked group. A beginner who plans the whole community first can manage it; it is not a fish to add to an ordinary community tank.

What should I feed a mbuna?

OATA says the smaller mbuna species are more herbivorous and appreciate a specialised Malawi cichlid food with a high algae content, plus fresh vegetables. Feed twice a day, only what the fish can eat within a few minutes, and remove any leftovers.

What temperature and pH does Pseudotropheus sp. need?

OATA's broad guidance for Malawi cichlids is 23–27°C, pH 8.0–8.6, general hardness 12–18 dGH and carbonate hardness 10–15 dKH, with ammonia and nitrite at zero. These are group values rather than a measured optimum for this fish, so keep them stable and test your own water.

Is a Red Dorsal Mbuna aggressive?

Yes. OATA says Malawi cichlids are all aggressive and should be mixed with caution, and that they will often fight in small groups. Keep it only with other Malawi cichlids, in a group large enough to spread aggression, never in a general community tank.

What fish can live with Pseudotropheus sp.?

OATA says Malawi cichlids should only be kept with other Malawi cichlids or some species of Synodontis catfish that also live naturally in Lake Malawi. Add Malawi cichlids in groups, with the more peaceful species first and the more aggressive ones later.

How does a Red Dorsal Mbuna arrive alive in the UK?

It is hand-bagged in pure oxygen and packed in an insulated poly box, with a heat pack when the weather calls for it, then carried by a licensed live-animal courier on the delivery date we confirm by email. Be in to receive it, film a continuous unboxing video from the sealed parcel, open it the same day and float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing the fish without the bag water.

Sources

• OATA: How to look after African Malawi cichlids, the UK ornamental fish trade body's care sheet for the group.
• World Register of Marine Species: Pseudotropheus Regan, 1922, the genus record.
• RSPCA: fish environment and filtration.
• Tropical Fish Co: delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy.