Cynotilapia afra

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Dogtooth Cichlid
Dogtooth Cichlid
Species	Cynotilapia afra
Difficulty	Moderate
Min. Tank Size	52.834 US Gallon 200,000 mL 200 L (52.8)
Size	10.16 cm 3-4 " (7.6-10.2cm)
pH	7.5 - 9.0
Temp.	298.15 K 77 °F 536.67 °R 299.15 K 78.8 °F 538.47 °R25 -26 °C (77-78.8°F)
Water Hardness	10-25
Stocking Ratio	1:3 M:F
Availability	Common
Diet	Carnivore Pellet Foods Live Foods
Life Span	8-12 years

[edit] Alternative names

Dogtooth Cichlid, Red-Dorsal Afra

[edit] Sexing

Males are striped with six or seven black stripes and have 3-4 egg spots on their anal fin. Females have no stripes and paler in colour. They are a mouthbrooding cichlid.

[edit] Tank compatibility

The males are very territorial and must be kept in large spacious tanks only to be housed with other Malawi Cichlids. If housed with other species of cichlid, they must be in a considerable number to prevent the male singling out any individual and fatally wounding them.

[edit] Diet

In the wild they feed on plankton. Feed with similar foods such as krill and cichlid pellets.

[edit] Feeding regime

Twice a day.

[edit] Environment Specifics

They prefer a spacious tank with plenty of rocks and caves.

[edit] Behaviour

Males highly territorial towards other tankmates. They will dig a hole underneath rocks and guard it fiercely. Females are less so and will shoal together in the middle of the tank.

[edit] Identification

Colouration varies depending on where the Afra is located in the lake in Malawi. All males display vertical black stripes down their bodies and mostly a rich blue colour, females have no stripes and are paler in colour.

[edit] Pictures

[edit] External links

• Aquahobby
• Cichlid Forum
• Fishbase