Venustus (Nimbochromis venustus): care, size and tank mates

The Venustus (Nimbochromis venustus) is one of the most beautiful large cichlids from Lake Malawi. The adult male has an intense blue face and a golden yellow body; females and juveniles wear a brown pattern that looks like a giraffe's. It is calm for its size, but it is a predator: it grows big and eats any fish that fits in its mouth. This guide helps you give it the right space and tank mates.

Quick facts

Scientific name	Nimbochromis venustus
Group	Haplochromine (not mbuna), Lake Malawi
Adult size	Up to 25 cm for males; females slightly smaller
Temperament	Calm with fish its size; preys on small fish
Minimum tank	400 liters, 180 cm long
Water	pH 7.8 to 8.6, hard; 24 to 27 °C
Diet	Carnivore: quality protein pellets, krill, shrimp
Breeding	Maternal mouthbrooder

Male and female: very different colors

All juveniles have the giraffe pattern: large brown blotches on a beige or yellowish body. As he matures, the dominant male becomes spectacular: blue face and fins, golden yellow body, and the blotches fade when he is in full color. The female keeps the giraffe pattern for life. More in how to tell a male from a female African cichlid.

An ambush hunter

In the lake, the Venustus lies still on the sand, camouflaged, and strikes at small fish that come close. In the aquarium it keeps that instinct: any fish that fits in its mouth is food, including small mbuna and fry. It is not aggressive toward fish its own size, but the community has to be planned with this in mind.

Tank: space, sand and water

• Big and long: at least 400 liters and 180 cm for an adult with his females. A 25 cm male needs room to swim.
• Fine sand and open areas, with a few large, well-supported rocks. It does not need a tank packed with stones like mbuna do.
• A strong filter and 30 % weekly water changes: it eats a lot and makes a mess.
• Hard, alkaline water, pH 7.8 to 8.6. We explain how to get there with Costa Rica tap water.

More on setup in tank size and stocking.

Diet

It is a carnivore. The staple should be a quality pellet for carnivorous cichlids, with krill or shrimp a couple of times a week. There is no need for live fish: it takes pellets readily, and you avoid bringing in disease. Feed once or twice a day, only what it eats in a couple of minutes. We compare diets in feeding mbuna and peacocks.

Tank mates

• Good: other large, calm haplochromines such as the Blue Dolphin or the Polystigma, and adult peacocks (Aulonocara) such as the Saffron.
• With care: robust adult mbuna in very large tanks. Small ones end up as food.
• Avoid: small fish of any kind and community tropical fish.
• Ratio: one male with 3 or 4 females.

More combinations in compatible African cichlids.

Breeding

The female holds the eggs in her mouth for about three weeks and releases many fry, sometimes more than a hundred. The fry show the giraffe pattern from early on. Since the male and the other fish eat them, it is best to move the female to a separate tank. We explain the process in how to breed African cichlids.

Venustus in Costa Rica

We have Venustus for sale: a large juvenile male, a female and a jumbo adult male. They are already sexed, so you know what you are buying. You can order online or message us from each profile.