What tank size does a Blue Dolphin Cichlid need?

A Blue Dolphin Cichlid needs an aquarium of at least 350 litres (92.5 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 Blue Dolphin Cichlid need?

Blue Dolphin Cichlid does best at 24–28 °C (75.2–82.4 °F), pH 7.2–8.8 and a general hardness of 10–25 °dGH.

What group size does a Blue Dolphin Cichlid need?

Blue Dolphin Cichlid is a social species — keep a group of at least 4 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Blue Dolphin Cichlid suitable for beginners?

Blue Dolphin 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.

Species library

Blue Dolphin Cichlid

Cyrtocara moorii

Cichlidae

FishDifficulty: ●●●○○Data: well-established

📷 Riftreef · CC BY 2.5 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

Blue Dolphin Cichlid — Cyrtocara moorii — 📷 Riftreef · CC BY 2.5 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

About

The blue dolphin cichlid is a large, steel-blue mouthbrooding haplochromine endemic to the sandy shallows of Lake Malawi, named for the pronounced nuchal hump that males develop over the forehead. Reaching around 20-25 cm, it is notably calm for its size, following other diggers across open sand to feed on disturbed morsels. It is best kept as a harem of one male with several females in a spacious, hard-water tank.

Care

Give a large tank of 350 L or more with a long open footprint, soft sand and hard, alkaline water at pH 7.8-8.6. Keep one male with three or more females; peaceful for a hap but too big for small community fish.

Diet

Omnivorous sand-sifter leaning carnivorous; feed cichlid pellets with frequent frozen or live meaty foods. Sand lets it forage naturally as it does in the lake.

Tankmate compatibility

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.

All the methods, with diagrams

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Fish for hard water

Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Blue Dolphin Cichlid need?: A Blue Dolphin Cichlid needs an aquarium of at least 350 litres (92.5 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 Blue Dolphin Cichlid need?: Blue Dolphin Cichlid does best at 24–28 °C (75.2–82.4 °F), pH 7.2–8.8 and a general hardness of 10–25 °dGH.
What group size does a Blue Dolphin Cichlid need?: Blue Dolphin Cichlid is a social species — keep a group of at least 4 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Blue Dolphin Cichlid suitable for beginners?: Blue Dolphin 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.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature24–28°C

Optimal temp.25–27°C

pH7.2–8.8

Hardness (GH)10–25°d

Carbonate (KH)6–18°d

Adult size25 cm

Min. volume≥ 350 L

Min. tank length≥ 150 cm

Group size≥ 4

Swimming zoneAll levels

TemperamentSemi-aggressive

Water typeFreshwater

FlowModerate

Lifespan~10 yrs

Try in the calculator