Malawi Sand Diver

Overview

The Malawi sand diver is a big, active cichlid that lives over open sand. It is best with a little experience. A frightened Malawi sand diver really does dive, plunging nose first straight into the sand and vanishing in an instant.

Caring for the Malawi sand diver

A Malawi sand diver needs a long tank of at least 119 gal (450 L), since it is a big, active fish. Give it deep, soft sand for sifting and diving. Use real sand rather than gravel, so it can feed and behave normally.

Keep the water hard and alkaline, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 7.8 to 8.6. Feed sinking pellets and frozen foods.

The Malawi sand diver is peaceful for its size. It does best with other large, calm Malawi cichlids in a roomy tank.

Dominant males show a patchwork of blue and orange, while females and young wear blotchy camouflage. It is a maternal mouthbrooder, and breeding it is easy.

Good to know

The Malawi sand diver is one of the largest sand-dwelling Malawi cichlids. Its habit of burying itself in sand gives the genus its name, Fossorochromis, which refers to digging.

In the wild

The Malawi sand diver lives over the wide sandy floors of Lake Malawi rather than in the rocks. It takes big mouthfuls of sand, sifts out insect larvae and small animals, and spits the clean grains back out.