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Red zebra cichlid, photographed on a transparent background

FreshwaterComing soon130 coinsUncommon

Red zebra cichlid

Maylandia estherae

A restless rock patroller that digs pits in the sand and guards them.

The Red zebra cichlid (Maylandia estherae) is a tropical freshwater fish of the family Cichlidae. It lives on the bottom. Adults grow to about 10 cm. In the aquarium it needs a tank at least 120 cm long and water at 23–28 °C.

Size
10 cm
Smallest tank
120 cm
Temperature
23–28 °C
Care
Moderate

In the aquarium

Temperature23–28 °C
pH7.6–8.8
Hardness10–25 °dGH
Temperament
Aggressive
Diet
Herbivore
Activity
Busy
Water layer
Mid water
Group
Lives on its own
Plants
Eats plants
Drawn to scale in a 120 cm tank

These values are compiled from real species data, and the LumaReef simulation is built to keep them true to life.

Which tank it fits

  • Nano60 cm · 65 litresToo small
  • Standard90 cm · 180 litresToo small
  • Wide120 cm · 300 litres25 of them
  • Living room180 cm · 650 litres54 of them
  • Showcase250 cm · 1,200 litres100 of them
  • Gallery300 cm · 1,440 litres120 of them

Who it lives with

Gets along25 species
Caution4 species

Narrow shared temperature range

Not together70 species

In the wild

Water type
Freshwater
Climate zone
Tropical
Habitat
On the bottom
Aquarium trade
Traded commercially

Conservation status

Classification

  1. OrderCichliformes
  2. FamilyCichlidae
  3. GenusMaylandia
  4. SpeciesMaylandia estherae
  5. Described byKonings, 1995

In other languages

German
Roter Zebrabuntbarsch
Spanish
Cíclido cebra rojo

Quick answers

Red zebra cichlid size: how big does it get?
Adults reach about 10 cm. The smallest of the 4 Maylandia species on LumaReef (Ice Blue Zebra Cichlid is the largest, 13.4 cm).
Red zebra cichlid tank size: what is the minimum?
A tank at least 120 cm long. In LumaReef that is the Wide tank or larger.
Red zebra cichlid water parameters: what does it need?
Temperature 23–28 °C, pH 7.6–8.8, hardness 10–25 °dGH. Close to what most Maylandia on LumaReef need (24–28 °C).
Red zebra cichlid tank mates: what can it live with?
It gets along with 25 of the 99 freshwater species in the catalogue, such as Swordtail, Dwarf gourami, and Betta (Siamese fighting fish).
Red zebra cichlid: alone or in a group?
It can be kept on its own.
Red zebra cichlid and plants: is it plant safe?
No, it may eat or uproot plants.

All Cichlidae speciesAll species A–Z

Sources

Red zebra cichlid: compiled from these references.