Copadichromis Azureus 3.5cm

Copadichromis Azureus

Whilst Lake Malawi of Africa is incredibly well known for producing some of the world’s most vibrant peacock cichlids, there are also some stunning non-peacock cichlid species as well. One of these is the Azureus cichlid. Known for its brilliant blue coloration, this species, often referred to as the Azure Cichlid, showcases varying shades of blue depending on the environment and mood. This makes them a fantastic species to add some diversity to a peacock cichlid aquarium.

Growing to a maximum length of about 20 cm, the Copadichromis Azureus has a sleek, elongated body which is a classic trait even in other species of the Copadichromis genus. The most striking aspect of this fish is the shimmering metallic blue that runs from head to tail, what makes it especially stunning is the varying shades present. The face colour is a lighter blue with swirling highlights through the scales which transitions into a darker tone across the body. They can also have the faintest yellow sheen that runs across the body as well.

Trying to find the males and females in Copadichromis Azureus is fairly easy. The males tend to be far bluer compared to females who are a greyer tone with three vertical spots down the body. They are maternal mouthbrooders, with the female incubating eggs in her mouth to protect them from predators. After the fry hatch, she continues to shelter them in her mouth for several weeks, providing an excellent opportunity for aquarists to observe complex parental behaviours.

Tank Recommendations for your Azureus:

The Azureus cichlid is a very active fish that needs a tank that is at least 470 litres and around 4 feet minimum length. The main consideration for these fish is the aquarium environment itself. Since Azureus cichlid can be aggressive to one another; it is best to have a lot of visual breaks in the tank.

These fish also need a higher PH of around 8.0, this can be maintained through the use of crushed coral or aragonite sand and conditioning salts. To also make the colours pop on the Gallireya peacocks, keeping them on a blue background would also be great.

Suitable Tank Buddies:

The Azureus cichlid is fairly peaceful and can be kept with other African cichlids. This fish has similar behaviours to peacock cichlids and overstocking peacocks in aquariums is common to avoid aggression or territorial behaviour, however, this can lead to more water changes and maintenance. This can be avoided by keeping minimal fish in a large aquarium with lots of visual breaks. Consideration can be made to keep them with peaceful Mbunas and Haps.

Usually Compatible:

Other African peacocks like dragon types of blood or neon blues and other common species such as electric yellow labs.

Sometimes Compatible:

Larger haps such as venustus, Fuscodichromis and small Africans such as julidochromis.

Rarely Compatible:

Shrimp and nano aquarium fish like neon tetras, ember tetras, and also very aggressive South American cichlids such as Oscars and Jaguar Cichlids.

Feeding your Azureus Cichlids:

Azureus cichlids are very easy to feed. They are an opportunistic feeder and will readily eat a wide range of foods both dry, fresh, and frozen. Their diet should contain good quality African cichlid pellets with high contents of spirulina or greens. Feeding these fish once a day will be perfectly fine.