Azureus Cichlid
Copadichromis azureus
Cichlidae
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About
This is not an mbuna, and almost everything that follows is a consequence of that. Copadichromis azureus is one of the utaka - the open-water haplochromines of Lake Malawi - and Seriously Fish describes the group's feeding mechanism precisely: they hang in the current facing it, spot drifting plankton with large eyes, then shoot out a highly protrusible upper jaw while clamping the gill covers shut, so the prey is sucked into the tube the mouth becomes. FishBase places the species at 19-25 m depth around the Maleri and Mbenji Islands, Nkhomo Reef and Eccles Reef; Seriously Fish gives 20-30 m and notes it shoals in the open water in large numbers. Temperament follows habitat. Seriously Fish calls it 'a generally peaceful species, even by Copadichromis standards', warns that it 'won't do well when kept alongside rowdy or belligerent tankmates and certainly should not be combined with Mbuna', and suggests Aulonocara and quiet haps such as Cyrtocara moorii instead. AquaInfo's judgement is the same - calm, with exceptions - and adds the practical caveat that males can be quite intolerant of each other if the tank is too small. It also won't wreck the scenery: Seriously Fish states outright that 'it won't harm plants, and you can use a few bunches of hard water tolerant species such as Vallisneria, Anubias or Sagittaria if you wish'. Two naming traps are worth knowing. Konings described the species only in 1990, so older stock and older books carry it as Haplochromis chrysonotus with a locality attached - FishBase records the trade names 'Haplochromis chrysonotus mbenji' and 'Haplochromis chrysonotus maleri', and AquaInfo adds Copadichromis sp. 'Nkatae'. That matters because C. chrysonotus is a real and different Copadichromis, so a fish sold as 'chrysonotus' may be either. And the species has many geographic colour forms - AquaInfo rates the Nkhomo Reef and Mbenji fish the bluest - which is why sellers attach a locality to the name and why forms should not be mixed. Neither should other Copadichromis: Seriously Fish says they hybridise with one another. On size, Seriously Fish has adult males topping 16 cm with females a couple of inches smaller, and AquaInfo agrees at 16 cm for males and about 12 cm for females; FishBase's largest recorded specimen is 14.6 cm TL.
Care
Length and open water, not caves. Seriously Fish says it is 'particularly active and really shouldn't be kept in tanks measuring less than 60" x 18" x 18" (150cm x 45cm x 45cm) - 303.75 litres'; AquaInfo asks for 150 cm and at least 400 litres. Gate on 150 cm and about 320 litres, keep the middle of the tank clear for swimming, put rock piles along the sides, and use sand, because the male digs a shallow breeding crater in it. Hard, alkaline Malawi water at pH 7.8-8.4, 10-25 dH, 25-27 C. One male with three or more females is the standard arrangement; several males need a much bigger tank and a correspondingly bigger group of females. Tank mates should be peaceful haps and peacocks - never mbuna, never anything similarly coloured, and never another Copadichromis, which it hybridises with. Plants are genuinely fine here: hard-water species such as Vallisneria, Anubias or Sagittaria, planted round the edges. Feed small live, frozen and dried foods with some spirulina or blanched spinach, and keep a lid on the tank.
Diet
Specialised zooplankton picker, unfussy in captivity. Artemia nauplii, cyclops, mysis and small frozen or dried foods, plus spirulina flake or blanched spinach for the vegetable share. Small particles beat big pellets - the mouth is built to suck in single plankton items.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (91)
Possible with care (294)
Avoid (33)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
What works for this species, most reliable first.
- Extended finsStrong · from about 8 months, and later in a suppressed male
On many cichlids and killifish the male's dorsal and anal fins draw out into trailing points as he matures, while the female's stay rounded.
- VentingA hint only · only on a mature fish, easiest when she is in breeding condition
The method breeders use when the answer has to be right. Hold the fish upside down in a wet hand or soft net and look at the two openings ahead of the anal fin. The forward one is the anus; the one behind it is what you are reading.
- Adult sizeA hint only · only across animals of the same age
In many cichlids, catfish and loaches one sex simply grows larger — usually the male, though there are well-known reversals.
Also in these lists
Similar species
Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.
Sold in Lithuania
These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Azureus Cichlid need?
- A Azureus Cichlid needs an aquarium of at least 320 litres (84.5 US gallons) with a footprint at least 150 cm (59.1 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Azureus Cichlid need?
- Azureus Cichlid does best at 23–28 °C (73.4–82.4 °F), pH 7.5–8.6 and a general hardness of 10–25 °dGH.
- What group size does a Azureus Cichlid need?
- Azureus Cichlid is a social species — keep a group of at least 4 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Azureus Cichlid suitable for beginners?
- Azureus Cichlid sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.