Pseudotropheus Ice Blue

Distribution:
   The Pseudotropheus Ice Blue or William's Mbuna was described by Meyer and Foerster in 1984 and is found in Lake Malawi, Africa. It is endemic to Makokola, in what is called the southeast arm area of Lake Malawi. They, like other Mbuna, are commonly found near rocky areas of the reefs where the rocks have a layer of sediment on them. They feed on aufwuchs and phytoplankton. Aufwuchs refers to tough stringy algae that is attached to rocks. “Loose” aufwuchs can contain insect larvae, nymphs, crustaceans, snails, mites and zooplankton.

   Maylandia or Metriaclima, which is the 'correct' scientific name? Well, this is currently unresolved for many of the Mbuna.

• When first described the original name for the Pseudotropheus Ice Blue or William's Mbuna was Pseudotropheus greshakei. The Pseudotropheus genus (Regan 1922), contained a subgroup group of closely related fish described as the 'Zebras'.
• To put this group of 'Zebras' in their own genus, in 1984 a new name came forth, Maylandia. This genus name was derived from the name of a well known ichthyologist, Hans Mayland. But there is a problem with this name because it was said to not conform with the 'rules of the code' for scientific description. So the genus name was pronounced a nomen nudum and therefore invalid. However this is still being debated.
• In 1997 the name Metriaclima was put forth as a correct descriptive genus name. However this too had problems. The protocol for a name change was not followed. There is an “official” channel that has to be gone through to contest and change a scientific name. So though Metriaclima is a descriptive genus name, if there is any “disagreement”, the rules are that the name reverts back to the original name.

   The 'correct' scientific name may change, but Maylandia greshakei is being used here. We utilize Fishbase for geographic data point mapping, so we list the scientific name that Fishbase utilizes first, and follow it with the others.

Status:
   This species is listed on the IUCN Red List with the status of 'VU', meaning 'Vulnerable'.

Description:
   The Pseudotropheus Ice Blue has the typical torpedo shaped zebra body. The males are more colorful than the females. Males have an overall ice blue color with very faded vertical bars on the body. The dorsal fin and the top half of the tail fin are orange and there are several egg spots on their anal fin. This coloring makes them easy to identify. Females are a drab color of brown-gray, with slightly more obvious vertical bars. Sometimes the females can be a pink coloring with a hint of the blue on their sides. Most Mbunas can live up to around 10 years.
   All cichlids share a common feature that some saltwater fish such as wrasses and parrotfish have and that is a well-developed pharyngeal set of teeth that are in the throat, along with their regular teeth. Cichlids have spiny rays in the back parts of the anal, dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins to help discourage predators. The front part of these fins are soft and perfect for precise positions and effortless movements in the water as opposed to fast swimming.
   Cichlids have one nostril on each side while other fish have 2 sets. To sense “smells” in the water, they suck water in and expel the water right back out after being “sampled” for a short or longer time, depending on how much the cichlid needs to “smell” the water. This feature is shared by saltwater damselfish and cichlids are thought to be closely related.

Size - Weight:
  The Pseudotropheus Ice Blue grows to a length of about 4 3/4” (12 cm) in the wild. They can grow larger in the aquarium reaching just over 5" (13.4 cm).

Care and feeding:
   The Pseudotropheus Ice Blue is an omnivore that can be fed a good quality cichlid pellet or flake. They can occasionally be given krill or artemia, but no mammal meat as this can eventually cause intestinal distress and death. They will easily become overweight, so be careful to not over feed. The algae growing in the tank is something they eat, so supplementing with that natural food makes them less costly than caring for a carnivorous cichlid. It is always better to feed them small amounts several times a day instead of one large feeding. This keeps the water quality higher for a longer period of time. Of course, all fish benefit from added vitamins and supplements to their foods. Too much protein and fat leads to Malawi Bloat, which is fatal.
   A 55 gallon tank with a minimum of 48” (122 cm) in length is suggested, though a larger tank would be required if mixing these cichlids. They do fine in either freshwater or brackish freshwater but need good water movement along with very strong and efficient filtration. Sand is the preferred substrate and will help keep the pH up, but some have used crushed coral or a mix of gravel and crushed coral. Provide lots of passageways and caves formed with piles of rocks. This will lessen aggression and give everyone a place to call their own. They like to dig so make sure the rocks sit on the bottom of the aquarium not on the substrate.
   Malawi Cichlids will deteriorate under poor water conditions. Do water changes of 30% a week depending on bioload and vacuum the substrate every 2 weeks. It is also suggested to change the rock work around once a month if aggression is shown. Malawi bloat is a typical disease especially if their dietary needs are not met with quality foods. It is caused by too much protein matter. They can contract other diseases that ail all freshwater fish.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   The streams that flow into Lake Malawi have a high mineral content. This along with evaporation has resulted in alkaline water that is highly mineralized. Lake Malawi is known for its clarity and stability as far as PH and other water chemistries. It is easy to see why it is important to watch tank parameters with all Lake Malawi fish. A higher PH means that ammonia is more lethal, so water changes are a must for these fishes. A very slow acclimation to different PH levels can sometimes be achieved.
   Hardness: moderate, about 6 - 10° dH
   Ph: 7.5 - 8.5
   Temp: 73 - 78° F (23 -25° C).

Social Behaviors:
   The Pseudotropheus Ice Blue is only a moderately aggressive cichlid, but is not considered to be a community fish. They can be kept with other less aggressive, similarly tempered cichlids from Malawi. But do not put with other Mbuna of similar shape and size, as they will attack and/or interbreed, which is not suggested. Do not house with Haplochromis as this cichlid, like other Mbunas, are too aggressive towards them. Also do not house with fish that eat mammal meat, as this is dangerous for your Mbuna to eat.
   They are best kept in a group of one male with two or three females. They will not tolerate other males of the same color, and especially no males that are the same species. They are not particularly hard on their females like some cichlids are, which adds to the joy of owning this pretty little fish.

Sexual Differences:
   The male is light blue with an orange dorsal and egg spots on the anal fin. The females are smaller and drabber in color.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   The Pseudotropheus Ice Blue has been bred in captivity. Obtain six to eight young fry and once mature, feed two times a day to condition them to breed. If they will not spawn, then that usually means there is a very aggressive fish in the tank. Removing that aggressive fish will prompt a more relaxed atmosphere and encourage spawning.
   The male will dig a pit down to the bottom of the glass. He will then chase the females around shaking and extending his fins, showing exaggerated colors to attract them. He does not single out a female and rough her up, but waits until a female becomes gravid with eggs and willingly follows him to the pit. They will swim in a tight circle and the female will then deposit her eggs at a rate of one or two at a time and then picks them up in their mouth. The male will lay at an angle exposing the egg spots on his anal fin. The female, seeing the “eggs” will think she forgot a few and will try to pick them up. The male then releases milt which is taken into the mouth of the female, fertilizing the eggs. The female continues this routine until her mouth is full of fertilized eggs. This is one of the safest ways for a fish to spawn. It keeps the eggs safe from predation, which in Lake Malawi is brutal.
   Do not interrupt or feed the tank at this time as that will disturb their spawning. Once the egg sac of the fry has been absorbed, you may feed them food for fry fish. See the description of how cichlids breed in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Availability:
   Pseudotropheus Ice Blue or William's Mbuna are sometimes found online or in fish stores, and are fairly inexpensive. They may be special ordered if you are willing to wait for them if they are out of season.
   When acquiring a Pseudotropheus Ice Blue, with all the different hybrids that have formed in captivity, there is no way to tell exactly what you are getting unless it is from a reputable dealer.

Author: Carrie McBirney
Additional Information: Clarice Brough, CFS