How much do African cichlids cost in the UK?

Common mbuna and juvenile peacocks start at about £4, with most fish £10-£20. Rare wild-caught Tanganyikans and premium peacock strains run much higher, into the hundreds for show specimens. Prices on this page are live: what you see is what's in stock today.

Can I keep African cichlids in a community tank?

Not with typical community fish — they are too territorial and need hard water that soft-water species dislike. The usual approach is a species-appropriate cichlid community: a group of Malawi mbuna together, or Tanganyikans together, stocked slightly heavily over rockwork so no single fish is bullied. Don't mix Malawi and Tanganyika casually.

Why are African cichlids kept overstocked?

It sounds counterintuitive, but deliberately crowding mbuna spreads aggression so no one fish gets singled out and killed. Combined with heavy filtration, plenty of rock caves and frequent water changes, controlled overstocking is a standard, well-established technique for keeping the peace in a Malawi tank.

Are African cichlids good for beginners?

They are a step up from community fish — the hard-water requirement, territorial behaviour and stocking strategy all need planning. That said, a Malawi mbuna tank is one of the most rewarding intermediate setups, and the fish themselves are hardy. Read the care guide and plan the aquascape before you buy.

Is it safe to buy African cichlids online?

Yes. African cichlids are robust fish that ship well: bagged in oxygen-charged water inside a polystyrene-insulated box with a winter heat pack, sent by a licensed live-animal courier on a Tuesday or Wednesday for midweek arrival. Our photo-proof live arrival guarantee covers every order.

How do African cichlids breed?

Most African rift-lake cichlids — Malawi mbuna and Aulonocara peacocks, and many Tanganyikans — are maternal mouthbrooders. After spawning over a rock or in a pit, the female scoops the fertilised eggs into her mouth and holds the developing fry there for around three weeks, not eating, until they are released as free-swimming juveniles. This is why a stocked Malawi tank so often produces fry with no effort, and why hard, alkaline water that mirrors the rift lakes keeps the fish in breeding condition.

African Cichlids for Sale UK

African cichlids for sale UK — Malawi Mbuna, Peacocks, Haps, Tanganyika Tropheus, Frontosa and shell dwellers. Licensed live-animal courier.

258 products available

Every African cichlid on this page is a live fish held in our own system before dispatch — not a stock photo. We carry one of the UK's widest ranges: Malawi mbuna and peacocks (Aulonocara), Tanganyikan Tropheus and Cyprichromis, haplochromines and more, with new imports landing most weeks.

African cichlids ship in oxygen-charged bags inside an insulated box, dispatched Tuesday or Wednesday with a licensed live-animal courier so your fish never sits over a weekend. Every order carries our live arrival guarantee: photograph any problem in the unopened bag within 2 hours and we refund or replace.

African cichlids are the most colourful freshwater fish you can keep, but they are hard-water, territorial specialists — not community fish. Read the cichlid care guide linked below before ordering: rift-lake species need alkaline water, rockwork and careful stocking to spread aggression.

Current delivery and offer information

Follow each link for the latest terms before ordering.

Arrival guaranteeLive Arrival GuaranteeRead the current claim and evidence terms.Specialist deliverySpecialist live-animal deliverySee current price, postcode coverage and dispatch information.First-order offerCurrent first-order offerCheck the offers page for active terms.258 in stock258 in stockBrowse the current in-stock catalogue.

Browse all 258 African Cichlids

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Frequently asked questions

Hard, alkaline water — pH around 7.8-8.5 — which mirrors the rift lakes they come from. This is the single biggest difference from South American cichlids and most community fish. Fortunately much of the UK has naturally hard tap water that suits them; soft-water areas may need mineral buffering.

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