Red Fin Cichlid (Tropheops tropheops)

Red Fin Cichlid (Tropheops tropheops) is a rock-dwelling Lake Malawi mbuna for aquarists who deliberately want an active, territorial African cichlid rather than a peaceful community fish. The common name refers to the warm red/orange fin colour seen in suitable individuals, while body colour and intensity can vary with sex, locality, age, hierarchy and condition.

This listing includes several supplied-size variants when stock is available. Choose the live size shown in the variant selector; that variant is the authority for the fish you are ordering. The listing does not guarantee sex or exact colour unless a variant explicitly says so.

What you are buying

• Scientific name: Tropheops tropheops
• Common name: Red Fin Cichlid
• Origin: Lake Malawi
• Adult planning size: a medium mbuna; plan around approximately 12–14 cm depending on sex and population
• Temperament: territorial and assertive
• Diet: aufwuchs-grazing omnivore with a strong plant/algae component
• Water: hard, alkaline Lake Malawi-style conditions
• Care level: intermediate

Appearance and natural behaviour

Tropheops are specialised rocky-shore mbuna. Their body shape and feeding behaviour suit constant browsing over rock surfaces, and mature fish establish clear social territories. Red/orange fin colour can be strongest in settled dominant fish, but one product photograph cannot represent every individual or every stage of maturity.

Use the gallery to confirm the general body form and trade identity. Do not expect juveniles to display the same intensity as mature fish immediately after transport.

Aquarium setup

Keep Red Fin Cichlids in a mature Malawi aquarium with extensive stable rockwork, open feeding space and powerful biological filtration. Our house planning starts around 250 litres for a managed mbuna community, with a long footprint preferred. The correct final size depends on the number of fish, sex ratio, adult tank mates and how much usable territory the rock layout creates.

Build several separate rock piles and caves rather than one central structure controlled by a dominant fish. Break lines of sight from end to end. Use sand or fine gravel and place heavy rockwork securely so digging cannot destabilise it.

Water parameters

Use stable, mineral-rich alkaline water. A practical Malawi range is approximately 24–28°C and pH 7.5–8.5, with moderate to hard water. Do not chase pH with chemicals if the source water is already stable and suitable; test first and make gradual changes only when necessary.

Ammonia and nitrite should remain at zero. Because active mbuna can create a high bioload, strong filtration, good oxygenation and regular water changes are important.

Feeding

Red Fin Cichlids should receive a diet that reflects their aufwuchs-grazing biology. Use a quality mbuna or herbivore-leaning African-cichlid pellet/flakes as the staple, with spirulina and other plant/algal ingredients forming a meaningful component.

Suitable invertebrate foods can be offered in moderation, but rich meaty foods should not dominate. Avoid routine feeding of mammalian meat or other fatty foods that have no place in a normal mbuna diet.

Feed modest portions across more than one area of the aquarium where necessary so subordinate fish are not excluded by one dominant individual.

Territory and social structure

This species is territorial. Aggression is influenced by sex, stocking, tank dimensions and visual structure, and the same fish can behave differently as it matures. Buying a pair is not automatically the safest arrangement, particularly if the male focuses all courtship or aggression on one female.

Many Malawi setups manage territorial species in carefully structured groups with more females than males, but that approach only works when sex can be identified and there is enough room. Juvenile variants should not be treated as guaranteed male or female fish.

Persistent cornering, torn fins, refusal to feed or one fish being kept away from all shelter are signs that the social structure needs intervention.

Tank mates

Choose robust Lake Malawi cichlids with compatible hard-water requirements and similar confidence. Avoid small peaceful fish, slow long-finned species and soft-water community fish. Mixing with gentler peacocks or haps requires substantial space and careful feeding because mbuna can be more aggressive and more herbivore-oriented.

Breeding behaviour

Like many Malawi mbuna, Tropheops are maternal mouthbrooders. Courtship can intensify male territorial behaviour, and brooding females need places to retreat. Breeding is interesting natural behaviour, but the product should not be purchased as a guaranteed pair unless sex is specifically confirmed.

Before ordering

Choose Red Fin Cichlid if you are building a mature rocky Malawi aquarium with hard alkaline water and are prepared to manage territorial cichlid behaviour. Reconsider if the tank is newly cycled, very small, soft/acidic, or intended as a relaxed general community.

Use the live Shopify variant for current supplied size, price and availability. Fixed prices and generic search-query lists have been removed from the description so the page remains accurate when stock changes and stays focused on Tropheops tropheops.