Red-Top Cichlid, Trewavas' (Labeotropheus trewavasae)

Red-Top Cichlid, Trewavas' at a glance

The Red-Top Cichlid, Trewavas' (Labeotropheus trewavasae) is a rock-dwelling mbuna from Lake Malawi, and nearly everything about it is built for scraping algae off stone. An overhanging snout and chisel-shaped teeth let it graze rocks in very shallow, turbulent water that other cichlids cannot work. That toughness carries into the aquarium: this is an aggressive, territorial fish for a hard-water mbuna community with heaps of rockwork and plenty of company, not a candidate for a mixed tropical tank.

Each purchase supplies one fish in the size you choose. Sizes run from 3–4 cm and 4–5 cm up to 7–9 cm, all well below the 11.7 cm total length FishBase records as the species' maximum, so plan the aquarium for the adult rather than the youngster in the bag. The size you select is the size supplied, not the adult size. You may notice 4–5 cm listed twice among the sizes; both are fish of that same size band.

What the trade name tells you

Red-Top is the trade name this fish is sold under, and it points to colour rather than to a separate species. Labeotropheus trewavasae is remarkably variable: more than 40 colour forms have been recorded in nature, the colour of the dorsal fin is especially changeable, females can be orange or orange-blotched, and the rare blue-blotched males are known to hobbyists as marmalade cats. Different forms, and the other Labeotropheus species, should not share an aquarium, so choose one form and build your group from it.

Sex and colour in young fish

Many Malawi cichlids only show the differences between males and females once they are adult, and the main differences are colour and the egg spots on the male's anal fin. In this species females carry much fainter egg spots or none at all, so a young fish at dispatch size cannot be sexed reliably by eye. Sex is guaranteed only when the selected option explicitly states male or female. This Red-Top Cichlid, Trewavas' listing has no sex-guaranteed option.

Adult colour, especially the display colour of a mature male, develops as the fish grows and settles into its group. Gallery images have been digitally enhanced to improve image quality. Natural colour, pattern, size and maturity can vary between live animals.

Is this the right mbuna for your aquarium?

Run through these points before you order. If most of them match your plans, this is a rewarding grazer to watch working over the rockwork all day.

• You keep, or are planning, a Malawi mbuna aquarium. It mixes with other mbuna, while calmer peacocks and utaka are the wrong company.
• Your tank has room for a crowd. Mbuna are kept slightly overcrowded to spread aggression, which means a large tank and an oversized filter.
• Your water is hard and alkaline, or you will make it so. A pH around 8.0 is ideal for this species.
• You are happy to feed mostly vegetable foods. Spirulina and blanched greens should make up a large share of what it eats.
• You can do without soft planting. Plants are eaten or dug up in a busy mbuna tank.
• You enjoy an active display. A settled group grazes, patrols and displays around the rocks all day long.

Choosing a size

Every size needs the full adult setup from the first day, because even the largest is still growing towards 11.7 cm. The smaller sizes let a group grow up together in your aquarium. A 7–9 cm fish is much nearer adult length, so it is closer to showing the colour and egg spots that separate males from females, although its sex is still not guaranteed.

Natural history that shapes its care

FishBase lists Labeotropheus trewavasae as a freshwater cichlid of Lake Malawi, living between the bottom and midwater at depths down to about 15 m, with a recorded maximum of 11.7 cm total length. Its conservation status is Least Concern. FishBase also gives its common name as the scrapermouth mbuna, which describes how it feeds: it scrapes algae off rocks and takes in small crustaceans and worms along the way.

Lake Malawi is one of the most biodiverse lakes in the world, and its cichlids fall loosely into two groups: the rock-dwelling mbuna and the open-water utaka. This fish is firmly mbuna, and that one fact explains most of its care.

A mouth made for rock faces

All three Labeotropheus species share the overhanging snout that gives the genus its distinctive profile. Behind it sit chisel-shaped teeth designed for scraping algae. The position of the mouth lets the fish lie parallel to a rock surface while it feeds, so it can hold on in the turbulence of very shallow water and graze stones that other species cannot reach.

What that means in your aquarium

• Rock surfaces are its workplace. Piles of stone give it grazing surfaces, territories and escape routes all at once.
• Oxygen matters. A fish from wave-washed shallows needs well-oxygenated water, which is why strong filtration and vigorous aeration are standard in a Malawi tank.
• Diet leans towards plant matter. Its teeth and wild feeding point to a diet built mainly on algae and vegetable foods, with a smaller share of animal food.
• Territory is everything. A fish that defends grazing rocks in the wild will defend them in the aquarium, which is where most of its aggression comes from.

FishBase records the species' natural environment at 21–24 °C with pH 8.0 and 5–12 dH. Those figures describe the wild lake. The aquarium ranges in the water section below are the ones to keep to at home.

Aquarium size, rockwork and substrate

Seriously Fish gives a minimum tank base of 90 × 45 cm for this species, which at 38 cm deep is roughly 154 litres. Treat that as the footprint for the fish itself. Because mbuna are kept in numbers, OATA recommends an aquarium of at least 200 litres for a reasonable Malawi community and points out that the larger the aquarium, the more stable its temperature and water quality will be. For a spawning harem, Seriously Fish suggests a 48-inch aquarium.

Rockwork

Much of the tank should be filled with piles of rock arranged into caves, with small areas of open water between them. The caves give subordinate fish somewhere to go, the rock faces give everyone something to graze, and the broken layout stops one dominant fish from patrolling the whole tank. Malawi cichlids will often dig and rearrange the substrate, so stand heavy rockwork directly on the tank floor before adding sand, where tunnelling cannot undermine it.

Substrate and plants

• A sandy substrate is best. OATA suggests coral sand or a similar substrate, which helps buffer the water towards the hard, alkaline conditions these fish need.
• Seriously Fish sees no point adding plants because they will be eaten, and OATA notes that digging will uproot any plants present. If you want some green, only the toughest plants grown attached to rock stand a chance.
• Flat stones and patches of open sand double as spawning sites if you later want to breed them.

Filtration, heating and aeration

A crowded mbuna community produces a lot of waste, so OATA recommends an oversized filter and vigorous aeration to keep enough dissolved oxygen in the water. Seriously Fish suggests a turnover of four to five times the tank volume an hour, which for a 154-litre tank means a filter rated around 615–770 litres per hour, and a heater of roughly 175–250 W to hold 24–28 °C in a room at about 20 °C. Larger community tanks need proportionally more. No fish should be kept without a well set-up and maintained filter, as the RSPCA stresses.

If this aquarium is new, give the filter time to mature before any fish arrive. Our guide to setting up and maturing a first tropical tank walks through that process step by step.

Water chemistry and temperature

This is a hard-water fish. The Seriously Fish species profile gives the aquarium ranges below, and they are the figures to aim for.

How the three sets of figures fit together

OATA's care sheet for Malawi cichlids as a group gives 23–27 °C, pH 8.0–8.6, general hardness of 12–18 °dH and carbonate hardness of 10–15 °dKH. That is broad guidance for the whole group, and it sits largely inside the species ranges above. FishBase's 21–24 °C, pH 8.0 and 5–12 dH describe the natural lake rather than a routine aquarium target. In practice, a steady 25–26 °C at a pH close to 8.0 in hard water satisfies both the species ranges and the OATA guidance, and the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate limits come from the OATA sheet.

Stability over precision

• Hold the temperature steady rather than chasing a particular number within the range.
• Test your tap water before choosing buffers or substrate; hard, alkaline tap water makes this fish much easier to keep.
• Keep new water close to the tank's own values at every water change, so the fish never face a sudden swing.

Our guide to which water values to test and why explains pH, general and carbonate hardness in plain terms, and the water parameter matcher lets you compare your own test results with these ranges before you buy.

Feeding a rock grazer

In the lake this fish spends its day scraping algae from rock, picking up small crustaceans and worms as it goes. In the aquarium it will accept most foods offered, which makes feeding easy but also makes it easy to get wrong. Seriously Fish says vegetable matter should form a large proportion of the diet.

What to offer

• A quality dried staple with plenty of vegetable content, such as a spirulina flake or an algae-based Malawi cichlid food. OATA notes that the smaller mbuna are more herbivorous and appreciate specialised Malawi feeds with a high algae content.
• Fresh vegetables, such as blanched spinach, as a regular addition.
• Live and frozen foods as a supplement rather than the main food, reflecting the crustaceans and worms it also takes in the wild.

How much and how often

OATA advises feeding Malawi cichlids only what they can eat within a few minutes, twice a day. Overfeeding leaves uneaten food to break down in the rockwork, releasing toxic waste into the water, and a crowded mbuna tank has little margin for that. Lift out any vegetables the group has not finished once feeding is over.

Feeding a crowded tank

In a busy mbuna community the boldest fish reach the food first. Spreading each feed across the surface, rather than dropping it in one spot, gives quieter fish a fairer share and cuts down clashes over a single patch of food. Watch every feed for a few seconds to check that each fish is eating; one that never reaches the food is a sign the group balance needs attention.

A film of algae on the rocks is welcome here. It gives the fish something to graze between meals and lets you watch the scraping behaviour the species is named for.

Maintenance and water testing

Malawi cichlids can be stressed by even small amounts of ammonia, and a well-stocked mbuna tank produces plenty of it, so routine care is what keeps this species healthy. The OATA care sheet for Malawi cichlids sets out a simple weekly rhythm.

A weekly routine

• Make a partial water change of 25% at least once every week, using a siphon to lift solid waste from the sand.
• Test the water at least once a week so that ammonia and nitrite never build up.
• Treat all replacement water with a tap water conditioner to remove chlorine and chloramine.
• Check the filter for blockages. If the media needs cleaning, do not run it under the tap; rinse it lightly in tank water removed during the water change so the useful bacteria survive.

Why the filter matters so much

As the RSPCA explains, fish release ammonia, which is toxic. A working biological filter grows bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite, which is also toxic, and then to nitrate, which is safer. In a Malawi tank stocked slightly heavy on purpose, that bacterial population is the difference between a thriving colony and a crisis.

Building up the colony

Increase the number of fish slowly. Each addition, and each increase in feeding, asks the filter bacteria to grow to match. Stocking too quickly causes new tank syndrome, when ammonia and nitrite rise faster than the bacteria can cope and fish become ill or die. With mbuna that has to be balanced against adding fish in groups, so plan the colony in a few well-spaced stages rather than one fish at a time.

Preparing the aquarium before you order

Mbuna settle best into an aquarium that is ready and waiting. Work through this list before your fish is on its way.

• The tank is large enough for the whole Malawi group you plan, not just this fish.
• Rock piles and caves stand on the glass, with sand spread around them.
• The filter has matured, and tests show zero ammonia and zero nitrite.
• The heater holds a steady temperature within 24–28 °C.
• pH and hardness sit within the aquarium ranges above, ideally close to pH 8.0.
• A tap water conditioner, a test kit and a siphon are ready for the weekly routine.
• You know which other mbuna will share the tank and in what order they will go in.
• Someone will be at home on the delivery day.

Arrival and introduction

Your fish is hand-packed in a bag filled with pure oxygen, inside an insulated box with a heat pack when the weather calls for it, and travels with a licensed live-animal courier on a tracked service. We email your tracking number and confirmed delivery date so you know when to be in. The full terms are on our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee page.

On delivery day

1. Make sure someone is at the delivery address to take in the parcel, because live fish cannot be left unattended.
2. Before anything is disturbed, start a continuous unboxing video: show the sealed parcel with the outer box visible, open it in one take and film the fish still inside the sealed bag.
3. Check the fish the day it arrives; the guarantee needs the parcel opened and inspected on the same day.
4. Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 20–30 minutes so the fish acclimatise slowly.
5. Net the fish into the aquarium and discard the bag water. Never pour the bag water into your tank.
6. If anything has gone wrong, contact us the same day, with WhatsApp the quickest route, and send your order number with the unboxing video so we can arrange a replacement or refund.

Joining an existing mbuna group

A newcomer is a target in an established Malawi tank. OATA advises adding Malawi cichlids in groups so no single fish takes all the attention, adding the more peaceful species first and the more aggressive ones later, and rearranging the décor when new fish go in so everyone has to find new territories. Seriously Fish describes this species as aggressive, so it usually belongs in the later stages of stocking.

Over the first days, look for the signs of a healthy fish: clear bright eyes, undamaged fins, intact scales, no ulcers or bumps, and normal swimming.

Everyday health checks

Every fish varies a little in behaviour and looks, but a few minutes of watching at feeding time will pick up most problems early. OATA lists the changes worth noticing:

• Swimming: hanging at the surface, sitting on the bottom or swimming erratically.
• Colour: turning darker or paler than normal.
• Temperament: more or less aggression than usual, or hiding more than normal.
• Breathing: gill covers moving faster or slower than normal.
• Appearance: white spots, fluffy growths, or lost fins or scales.
• Condition and feeding: weight loss or gain, less interest in food or none at all.

In an mbuna tank, the temperament signs deserve special attention. A fish that is constantly hiding, has torn fins or is losing condition may be getting more than its share of aggression, and the answer is often more rockwork, a rearranged layout or a better balance of fish rather than medicine. Whenever you are worried, test the water first, then message us with the results so we can help.

Sexing and breeding

Adult males carry clearly defined egg spots on the anal fin; in females these are much fainter or missing. Those differences only appear with maturity, so the sex of a young fish becomes clear as it grows.

How the species spawns

This is a maternal mouthbrooder. Seriously Fish recommends spawning it in a species tank as a harem of one male with at least three females, because the male can be quite aggressive in pursuit and a harem spreads that pressure. A 48-inch aquarium furnished with rock piles, flat stones and areas of open sand works well, with pH around 8.2–8.5 and a temperature of 25–26.5 °C.

• Condition the group with plenty of vegetable, live and frozen foods.
• The male cleans a chosen site, then displays around it in intense colour to entice a female.
• A willing female approaches the site, lays her eggs and picks them up in her mouth.
• The egg-shaped spots on the male's anal fin attract her during spawning.

Breeding is optional. In a mixed community the priority is a stable, well-balanced group; a separate species tank is the place for planned spawning.

Choosing companions

Seriously Fish describes this species as aggressive and territorial. It should not be kept with peace-loving species such as peacocks or utaka, but it can be combined with other mbuna, and the presence of other species helps to spread the aggression it would otherwise aim at its own kind. OATA's broader rule for Malawi cichlids points the same way: keep them only with other Malawi cichlids or some species of Synodontis catfish.

Picking mbuna to go with it

Choose other mbuna rather than more of the same genus, and keep to a single form of Labeotropheus trewavasae. Our African cichlid range lists the mbuna we keep, so you can compare adult size and temperament when planning a mixed group. The group-size and stocking guidance below applies to every species you add.

Group size, sex ratio and stocking order

Malawi cichlids are not social fish in the shoaling sense, yet they are kept in numbers. OATA suggests groups of at least 15, slightly overcrowded to limit aggression, because Malawi cichlids kept in small groups will often fight. Seriously Fish goes further for this species, saying the tank should be overcrowded to reduce aggression and territory formation.

Getting the ratio right

• Keep several females for every male so that no single female takes all of his attention.
• Young fish cannot be sexed by eye, so buying several, letting the group develop and adjusting as the males show their egg spots and colour is the practical way to reach the right ratio.
• Have a plan for any surplus males, such as a second aquarium or a fellow keeper, before the group matures.

Order and layout

Add Malawi cichlids in groups, bring in the more peaceful species first and the more aggressive ones later, and rearrange the rockwork whenever new fish join. Crowding only works alongside strong filtration and the weekly maintenance described in the care section, so let the stocking level follow what your filter can handle.

Reading the balance of the group

Some chasing is normal in a Malawi tank, where mbuna are constantly settling their boundaries. What matters is whether the pressure is shared out or falls on one fish.

Signs the balance is wrong

• One fish, often a female or a smaller male, is chased wherever it goes and spends its time hiding near the surface or in a corner.
• Torn fins, missing scales, or a fish that stops coming out to feed.
• A single male holding most of the tank rather than a territory around his own rocks.

What to change

• Add more rock and more caves, so every fish can get out of view.
• Rearrange the rockwork so territories have to be settled again.
• Improve the ratio with more females per male, or move a surplus male on.
• Increase the number of other mbuna, within what your filter can handle, so aggression is spread more thinly.

A badly damaged fish recovers better in a separate aquarium than in the group that injured it.

Questions keepers ask

How big does a Red-Top Cichlid, Trewavas' grow?

FishBase records a maximum of 11.7 cm total length for this species, and Seriously Fish gives 113 mm standard length, measured to the base of the tail. Plan the aquarium, the rockwork and the companions around an adult of about that size.

What size aquarium does this mbuna need?

Seriously Fish gives a tank base of 90 × 45 cm, about 154 litres, for the species. Because it should live in a crowded mbuna community rather than on its own, OATA's recommendation of at least 200 litres for a reasonable Malawi community is the better starting point, and a larger tank holds temperature and water quality more steadily.

How many Labeotropheus trewavasae should I keep together?

Keep several females for every male, never a lone pair, and house them inside a busy group of mixed mbuna. OATA's broad Malawi advice is groups of at least 15 fish, slightly overcrowded, because Malawi cichlids kept in small groups will often fight; Seriously Fish adds that other mbuna help spread this species' aggression towards its own kind.

Is it a good choice for a beginner?

It suits a keeper ready to run a dedicated Malawi aquarium, which is a different project from a first community tank. OATA describes Malawi cichlids as usually undemanding once their water is right, but they are aggressive and need careful mixing, heavy rockwork, strong filtration and steady maintenance. If this will be your first aquarium, mature the filter fully and plan the whole mbuna group before buying any fish.

What does a Red-Top Cichlid, Trewavas' eat?

In the wild it scrapes algae from rocks and also takes small crustaceans and worms. In the aquarium, make vegetable foods such as spirulina flake, an algae-based dried food and blanched spinach a large part of the diet, add some live and frozen foods, and feed only what the group clears within a few minutes, twice a day.

What temperature and pH does it need?

Seriously Fish gives 24–28 °C, pH 7.6–8.8 with 8.0 as ideal, and 10–25 dGH for the species. OATA's broad Malawi guidance of 23–27 °C, pH 8.0–8.6 and 12–18 °dH general hardness sits largely inside that, so a steady 25–26 °C in hard, alkaline water suits both.

Is Labeotropheus trewavasae aggressive, and will it harm other fish?

Yes, it is aggressive and territorial, and it is hardest on its own kind. Crowding the aquarium with other mbuna, building plenty of rock caves and keeping several females per male spreads that aggression, but peaceful or timid fish are likely to be harassed and are not suitable companions.

Which fish can live with it?

Other mbuna, the rock-dwelling Malawi cichlids, are its natural companions, and OATA also names some Synodontis catfish as suitable. Avoid peaceful Malawi cichlids such as peacocks and utaka, other Labeotropheus species or other colour forms of this fish, and community fish from outside Lake Malawi.

How does the Red-Top Cichlid, Trewavas' arrive alive in the UK?

Each order is hand-packed in bags filled with pure oxygen inside an insulated box, with a heat pack when the weather calls for it, and travels with a licensed live-animal courier on a tracked service. Someone must be at the address to receive it. Open and inspect the parcel the same day, filming one continuous unboxing video from the sealed box to the fish still in its bag, then float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing the fish and never pour the bag water into the tank. For any Live Arrival Guarantee claim, contact us the same day with your order number and that video.

References and further reading

• FishBase: Labeotropheus trewavasae species summary, for identity, family, natural environment, wild diet and the recorded maximum length.
• Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus trewavasae profile, for tank size, aquarium water ranges, diet, behaviour, sexing, breeding and colour forms.
• OATA: how to look after African Malawi cichlids, for broad Malawi water guidance, group keeping, feeding, maintenance and health checks.
• RSPCA: aquarium environment, for filtration and the nitrogen cycle.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy, for packing, courier and arrival steps.