Kenyi (Maylandia lombardoi)

Common Name:

Kenyi.

Scientific Name:

Maylandia lombardoi.

Family:

Cichlidae.

Class:

African.

Distribution:

Mbenji Island and Nkomo Reef, both of Lake Malawi. These mbuna can live in rock formations up to 100 feet below the surface.

Size:

Up to 5inches.

Diet:

They eat rock-bound algae in the wild and they have also taken phytoplankton in Lake Malawi, much of which is infused with zooplankton, so they do eat some animal matter. That having been said, Spirulina flakes and algae wafers should comprise the majority of their captive diet (if more wholesome versions of the food cannot be cultivated by the aquarist). Giving them algae-covered rocks (which may be cultivated in a jar in the windowsill) will provoke a healthy feeding response. Remember, though, to give them some animal protein as well or else they will perish. There are now some commercially-available foods for mbuna, but I would not recommend their exclusive use until the dietary analyses and feeding responses are better researched (and I'd only recommend their exclusive usage if that is the conclusion drawn by researchers).

Water Temperature:

During the dry season (June-August), the lake can reach low temperatures of 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but the temperature mostly stays within the range of 74 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit

Water Quality:

Lake Malawi has a pH which generally stays within the range of 7.8 to 8.5. The carbonate hardness thereof is between 200 and 250 ppm. The lake has a photic zone down that extends to 60 feet deep (especially in shoreline areas far removed from the rivers which flow into the lake). This means that Kenyis likely require clear water in captivity.

Housing:

Minimum recommended tank size 75 gallons.

Sexing:

As mentioned before, these fish are sexually dimorphic. The orange Kenyis are the males, and the blue Kenyis with darker blue stripes are female.

Breeding:

Dominant males can be nasty and may disrupt the mouthbrooding processes of the females. It is therefore recommended to have separate, cycled, aquariums for the brooding females to carry the eggs and larval young to term. Baby Brine Shrimp (BBS) are among the best first foods for the larvae but it is possible to feed them using fry foods for egglayers. Breeding takes place on a flat surface, upon which eggs are laid. The males then fertilize them, and the females collect the eggs in their mouths. Barring a stressful incident, the females will carry the eggs (and later, larval fish) in their mouth for a prolonged period of time. After the fry are old enough to survive independent of the mother, they should be removed, and the mother should be given 10+ days of recuperation time, during which she should be fed high-quality foods before reintroduction to the display tank. A general rule of thumb for a breeding population of Kennyis is to keep no more than one male to a tank (exceptions may be made for larger tanks), accompanied by a harem of 2-5 females.

Tank levels:

Middle Strata 

Miscellaneous:

Even though they were discovered in 1977, these fish, like many of the Cichlids, are in a state of taxonomic flux. Maylandia seems to be the most-popular generic home of the fish once Pseudotropheus is discounted. Much info can be found on them when searching using P. lombardoi, M. lombardoi, or the former properly-used Latin name, Metriaclima lombardoi. It remains to be seen which will eventually be the widely-accepted scientific name. I, personally, would recommend searching with Pseudotropheus lombardoi first. P. kenyi was used at one point, but it seems to have become regarded as antiquated and does not show up frequently in any search engines. In any case, it is not correct and is widely recognized as such. Rock aquascaping is debatable as the presence of too few in a colony of Kenyis may incite intraspecific violence and too many may take away from free-swimming space in the tank. I'd err on the side of caution and use too many as stress may result from having no rocks (no demarcated territories, but it's not natural for a Kenyi to live in this state) and will result from too few