![red zebra cichlid male female red zebra cichlid male female](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d0/de/17/d0de17457b92544a68bb2e690b3bba28.jpg)
Many tropical fish keeping enthusiasts use a laterite based substrate to help maintain the necessary high pH and alkalinity required for keeping these cichlids, but clean water and proper pH are extremely important in maintaining healthy mbuna aquariums. Optimal conditions for keeping Metriaclima callainos is a water temperature of 75 to 80 degrees, and a pH balance as close to 9.0 as possible. Like all mbuna, Cobalt Blue Zebra Cichlids enjoy having plants in their tank, but because they constantly rearrange the substrate will uproot them and eventually have them as part of their diet. They also need plenty of room for swimming, so a 55 gallon or larger tank is mandatory. There are several other African zebra color variations that include the Red or Cherry Zebra (which is colored red/orange), the Pearl Zebra (which is a pearl white color), and the Orange Blotch Zebra (OB), which has black blotches on a pink orange background.Ĭobalt Blue Zebra Cichlids are a long lived, relatively semi aggressive species, that do best in community aquariums with a dark sandy bottom, plenty of small loose rocks or gravel for burrowing, and enough rocks, caves, and tunnels for the fish to set up separate territories. Male Pearl Cobalt Blue Zebra Cichlid (Metriaclima callainos)