How Big Can Mbuna Grow? A Detailed Explanation of the Difference Between Them and Cichlids

Mbuna are cichlids from Lake Malawi, a highly territorial and aggressive type of ornamental fish. Because of their high ornamental value and high fry output, they are deeply loved by fish keepers, and many people like to keep a few at home. So how big can mbuna grow? What is the difference between them and cichlids?

I. Introduction to Mbuna:

1. What varieties of mbuna are there?

Mbuna come in many varieties. By appearance and color, they can be divided into White-Head Peacock, OB Peacock, Blue Orchid Peacock, Emperor Cichlid, Super Red Fire Crest, African Phoenix, Cobalt Blue Zebra, Saddle King Angel, Cleopatra Cichlid, Ctenopharynx intermedius, Bird Mouth, and others; by category, they can be divided into rock-dwelling types, non-rock-dwelling types, and the Peacock genus.

2. What should mbuna eat to grow fast?

Mbuna are omnivorous. Whether it is bloodworms, small fish, water fleas, tubifex worms, various vegetables, or artificial feed, they eat it all, so they are very easy to keep.

II. How Big Can Mbuna Grow?

Mbuna come in many varieties, and because of differences in region, there will be certain differences between individuals. Specifically, how big they can grow is as follows:

1. Non-rock-dwelling types

Non-rock-dwelling mbuna mostly live in places with relatively wide water areas, so their body size is generally relatively large. Of course, there are also relatively small ones. They can usually be divided into Green Hap, Blue Dolphin, Nimbochromis, Golden Fire, Metallic Blue, Thick-Lip Angel, Emperor Cichlid, Big-Mouth Cichlid, King Angel, and many others. Among them, the Yellow Emperor can only grow to about 12cm, various small Peacock types can grow to about 15cm, Metallic Blue can grow to a maximum of about 18cm, the Blue Dolphin can grow to about 22cm, various Horse-Face types can grow to about 22-27cm, the Golden Fire can grow to about 28cm, the Thick-Lip Angel can grow to about 28cm, the War God can grow to about 25-32cm, Nimbochromis can grow to about 30cm, the Emperor Cichlid can grow to about 30cm, the Big-Mouth Cichlid can grow to about 30cm, the King Angel can grow to about 31cm, the Golden Eagle can grow to about 33cm, and the Green Hap can grow to about 35cm.

2. Rock-dwelling types

Rock-dwelling types are slightly smaller than non-rock-dwelling types. Generally, wild ones can grow to a maximum of about 20cm, but for example, Three-Lake Cichlids can grow to about 8-15cm, Afla can grow to about 9cm, and Golden Butterfly, Purple Rose, Red in Snow, Blue Rose, African Phoenix, African Prince, and others commonly grow to about 12cm, while the Thick-Lip Chocolate can grow to about 15cm.

In summary, different types of mbuna grow to different specific sizes, so when buying, try to choose suitable fish according to the size of the fish tank.

III. What Is the Difference Between Mbuna and Cichlids?

1. Mbuna are cichlids from Lake Malawi and are highly territorial. Generally, after growing up, they will fight over territory and will eat small fish, so when keeping them, try not to mix them with other fish, and at the same time, try to use a larger fish tank when keeping them.

2. Cichlids are ornamental fish of the order Perciformes, family Cichlidae, aquarium, aquatic animal genus. They are mainly distributed in Africa and the Americas. Most are large fish, and there are also many species, so their classification is also relatively complex and identification is relatively difficult. Therefore, if you want to keep cichlids, you can choose according to your own preferences.

Overall, mbuna come in many varieties, and how big each type of fish can grow is different, so when buying, try to choose suitable fish according to the size of the fish tank. In addition, both mbuna and cichlids are fish with relatively many species, so identification is a bit difficult. When buying, you can only choose suitable fish according to your own preferences.