The Bumblebee Cichlid is an interesting fish to keep in a home aquarium. It is one of the many Cichlids that come from Lake Malawi in Africa. While its official name is the Pseudotropheus Crabro, it gets its more common name from it bumblebee-like brown to black stripes on its golden body. Our stock are striking looking fish that will get noticed in any aquarium.

Its natural habitat is in the deep caves of Lake Malawi and they can be aggressive and territorial, so a habitat with plenty of rocks and caves will keep them happiest. They are best kept with other Cichlids as the are less aggressive with similar species. Like other a lake Malawi Mbuna, they are warm water fish and prefer a temperature between 78 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The pH of the water should measure about 7.8 to 8.6 for best results.

Breeding Bumblebee Cichlids

Similar to other African Cichlids, the Bumblebee Cichlid is a mouthbrooder. The females will scoop up their eggs in their mouth after laying them on a flat rock. They will then swim behind a male for them to fertilize the eggs. This is common among African Mbuna Cichlids and the females will keep the fry in their mouth for about three weeks until they can survive on their own. Due to their territorial nature, it would not be wise to keep more than one male for three or four females when spawning.

Bumblebee Cichlids are the only African Cichlid I know of that will turn completely Jet Black when an adult male goes to breed. This fascinating morph is reason enough to keep one in your tank. We have several Bumblebee Cichlids for sale online with guaranteed delivery, buy yours today!