NIMBOCHROMIS LIVINGSTONII 6-7cm

Livingstonii Nimbochromis (Livingston’s cichlid, Livingstonii, Sleeper cichlid, Kalinga) is a large Lake Malawi hap known for mottled camouflage and a hunting trick called thanatosis — lying on its side on the sand as if dead, then lunging at small fish that investigate. Males colour up to electric blue when dominant or breeding; females and juveniles stay blotched brown/cream. Originate from Lake Malawi (sandy/vegetated inshore zones). They are peaceful with fish too big to swallow; they eat anything that fits in the mouth. Do not overfeed — they are sit-and-wait hunters with a slower metabolism than mbuna. They are also maternal mouthbrooders.

TANK SET UP: Floor space matters more than height. A larger tank is better for a harem or mixed hap.

• Using fine sand is best.

• A few large rock piles or boulders for territories and caves, plus a large open sandy mid-tank area.

NOTE: Juveniles can start in a smaller tank, but they grow fast.

TANK MATE:

• One specimen, or

• One male with 3–4+ females (harem) to spread male attention

Good tank mates are other large, robust Malawi hap and some large peacocks that will not fit in the mouth — e.g. Cyrtocara moorii (Blue Dolphin), Nimbochromis venustus, Dimidiochromis compressiceps, large Fossorochromis, Frontosa-type fish, larger Synodontis—Same-size or larger only.

IMPORTANT: Do not mix multiple similarly patterned Nimbochromis males in anything but a very large tank — they recognise “their own look” and fight.

FILTRATION: You need a filtration system that turns over the tank volume 4- 10 times per hour.

MAINTENANCE: Ammonia/nitrite: 0 ppm; Nitrate: under 25 ppm to 50 ppm (Lower is always better). Weekly 20–30% water changes

FEEDING:

• High-quality carnivore/hap pellets sized for large fish

Supplements (several times a week):

• Frozen krill, mysis, chopped prawn, silversides/whitebait, earthworms

• Adults often do well on 2–3 smaller meals

IMPORTANT: Avoid strong current — they prefer calmer water for ambush behaviour.