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General information – Metriaclima greshakei or by its common name Ice blue has appealing appearance that makes it a great addition to any Malawi tank.Like other Mbuna, are commonly found near rocky areas of the reefs. The males are more colorful than the females. Males have an ice blue color with shady vertical bars on the body, females has brown-gray colors with slightly more obvious vertical bars. Common Name - Ice Blue, Red Top Zebra, William's Mbuna Scientific Name - Metriaclima greshakei Family – Cichlidae Origin – Africa, endemic to Makokola in Lake Malawi Photo by: Killer
Size – Up to 13 cm (about 5 in) First discovered - Meyer & Foerster, 1984 Nutrition – Omnivore, in nature the ice blue feeds mainly on phytoplankton and on algae that is attached to rocks. In captivity the ice blue should be feed with flakes and pellets foods on a veggie basis; it can be feed with frozen foods such as Artemia. Behavior – Semi aggressive Maintenance and care – The ice blue should be kept in a 300 (120 cm) litter tank with similarly tempered Mbunas, the tank should be decorated with rocks and caves. Water changes on a weekly basis are more then recommended, the ice blue is sensitive to poor water conditions. Water Parameters – Temperature: 73F-78F (23C-25C), PH: 7.5-8.5, DH: 6-10 Breeding - Metriaclima greshakei are female mouth brooders, which means that the mother will pick up the eggs and guard them in her mouth. Females are excellent holders. The Preferred spawning site is on a flat stone, the female will take the unfertilized eggs in her mouth, and eggs will be fertilized after the male release his sperm into her mouth. This process occurs when the female follow the male very close to his anal fin, the male have spots on this fin, those spots known as dummy eggs, the female believes these are more eggs and goes to catch them this is the right moment for the male to release his sperm. After 21-28 days the female release her fry to the open water, the fry are big enough and without the yolk. Photo by: Killer
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