Cichlids · Pseudotropheus

Acei

Pseudotropheus sp. 'acei' · Lake Malawi: west-coast sandy shores, Nkhata Bay to Karonga and Senga Bay, Malawi

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The Acei (Pseudotropheus sp. 'acei') is a freshwater fish from Lake Malawi: west-coast sandy shores, Nkhata Bay to Karonga and Senga Bay, Malawi, where it lives in lake habitat. Adults reach about 12.5 cm (4.9 in). Keep it at 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) and pH 7.6–8.8, with a gentle current. It is semi-aggressive and does best in a group of 4 or more. Feed mostly vegetables, algae wafers and greens.

At a glance

Water temperature

24–28 °C 75–82 °F

7.6–8.8 hard, alkaline water

Adult size

12.5 cm 4.9 in

Swims ≈

Mid-water mostly in open water

Keep together

4 or more a shoal feels safe

Current ≈

Gentle a steady gentle flow

Food

Greens and algae

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Where it comes from

Home water

Lake Malawi: west-coast sandy shores, Nkhata Bay to Karonga and Senga Bay, Malawi

Lives in lake habitat.

Shaded: the countries it comes from. Map: Natural Earth.

Acei

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Cichlids · Pseudotropheus

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Acei

Pseudotropheus sp. 'acei'

Lake Malawi: west-coast sandy shores, Nkhata Bay to Karonga and Senga Bay, Malawi · lake

Temperature: 24–28°C
pH: 7.6–8.8
Adult size: 5 in · 12.5 cm
Flow: Gentle
Swims: Mid-water
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Diet: Herbivore
Group: 4+

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Hard water. Needs hard, alkaline water, like its rift lake.

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Acei

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Cichlids · Pseudotropheus

24–28°C
pH 7.6–8.8!
Gentle
5 in
Mid
Veg
Semi-agg.!
4+ group

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Acei

Pseudotropheus sp. 'acei'

Lake Malawi: west-coast sandy shores, Nkhata Bay to Karonga and Senga Bay, Malawi · lake

Temperature: 24–28°C
pH: 7.6–8.8
Adult size: 5 in · 12.5 cm
Flow: Gentle
Swims: Mid-water
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Diet: Herbivore
Group: 4+

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Hard water. Needs hard, alkaline water, like its rift lake.

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Sources

We name everyone whose work is on this page. Where sources disagree, we show the best one: a scientific paper first, then aquarium references.

Temperature, ph, adult size, water flow, habitat, group size, temperament, diet, behaviour, home range Seriously Fish: Pseudotropheus sp. 'acei' profile Website
Swim level, adult size, diet, group size, home range, temperament malawicichlids.com (M.K. Oliver): Pseudotropheus sp. 'acei' page Website
Map of rivers and countries Natural Earth public domain map data Map

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Tank mates

Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with moderate flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.

Good together

Keep apart

Need a different pH and small enough to be eaten

Cardinal tetra Celestial pearl danio Chili rasbora Ember tetra German blue ram
Small enough to be eaten

Cherry shrimp Endler's livebearer
Aggressive and will eat the acei

Dovii

In the hobby

Where to find it

No store or breeder we know of has it right now.

Run a store? List the fish you usually have. Breed fish? List your fry.

Tanks with this fish

No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.

From keepers

Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.

Questions keepers ask

How big does an Acei get?

About 12.5 cm (4.9 in) as an adult.

What temperature does an Acei need?

24–28 °C (75–82 °F).

What pH does an Acei need?

pH 7.6–8.8.

Does an Acei need to be kept in a group?

Yes. Keep at least 4.

Is the Acei aggressive?

It can be. It is semi-aggressive, so choose tank mates carefully.

What does an Acei eat?

Feed mostly vegetables, algae wafers and greens.

Where does the Acei come from?

Lake Malawi: west-coast sandy shores, Nkhata Bay to Karonga and Senga Bay, Malawi.

What fish can live with an Acei?

Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Zebra (L046), Amano shrimp, Boeseman's rainbowfish, Bolivian ram.

All the numbers

Temperature min (°C)	24	Sourced
Temperature max (°C)	28	Sourced
pH min	7.6	Sourced
pH max	8.8	Sourced
Adult size (cm)	12.5	Sourced
Flow	Moderate	Estimate
Swim level (top / middle / bottom)	middle	Estimate
Habitat	lake	Sourced
Smallest happy group	4	Sourced
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Sourced
Diet	Herbivore	Sourced
Behaviour tags	eats_small_fish,hard_water	Estimate

Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.