Cichlids · Maylandia
Kenyi
Maylandia lombardoi · Lake Malawi: Mbenji Islands and Nkhomo Reef, Malawi (introduced at Namalenje Island)
Photo: Vlad Butsky, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist
At a glance
Water temperature
24–28 °C 75–82 °F
pH
7.6–8.8 hard, alkaline water
Adult size
15 cm 5.9 in
Swims ≈
Mid-water mostly in open water
Keep together ≈
4 or more a shoal feels safe
Current ≈
Gentle a steady gentle flow
Food
Eats most foods
Temperament
Aggressive
Where it comes from
Home water
Lake Malawi: Mbenji Islands and Nkhomo Reef, Malawi (introduced at Namalenje Island)
Lives in lake habitat.
Shaded: the countries it comes from. Map: Natural Earth.
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
-
Candy stripe L015
Plecos · 10 cm · bottom -
Zebra L046
Plecos · 8 cm · bottom -
Amano shrimp
Shrimp & snails · 5 cm · bottom -
Boeseman's rainbowfish
Rainbowfish · 10 cm · mid-water -
Bolivian ram
Cichlids · 8 cm · bottom -
Bronze corydoras
Corydoras · 7 cm · bottom -
Cardinal tetra
Tetras · 4 cm · mid-water -
Celestial pearl danio
Rasboras & danios · 2.5 cm · mid-water
Keep apart
-
Need a different pH and small enough to be eaten
Amano shrimpCardinal tetraCelestial pearl danioCherry barbChili rasbora
-
Aggressive: kenyi, it
-
Small enough to be eaten
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 a Kenyi get?
About 15 cm (5.9 in) as an adult.
What temperature does a Kenyi need?
24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
What pH does a Kenyi need?
pH 7.6–8.8.
Does a Kenyi need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 4.
Is the Kenyi aggressive?
Yes. It is aggressive and needs careful planning.
What does a Kenyi eat?
It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.
Where does the Kenyi come from?
Lake Malawi: Mbenji Islands and Nkhomo Reef, Malawi (introduced at Namalenje Island).
What fish can live with a Kenyi?
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) | 15 | Sourced |
| Flow | Moderate | Estimate |
| Swim level (top / middle / bottom) | middle | Estimate |
| Habitat | lake | Sourced |
| Smallest happy group | 4 | Estimate |
| Temperament | Aggressive | Sourced |
| Diet | Omnivore | 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.
