You’re staring at a pet store tank and see a flash of electric blue. Then, a burst of deep, rusty orange-red on the fins. That’s probably a Borleyi Red Fin cichlid. Scientifically known as Copadichromis borleyi, these fish have been staples in the hobby for decades, yet people still trip up on the basics of keeping them alive and vibrant.
They aren't your typical aggressive mbuna.
Honestly, if you treat a Borleyi like a Yellow Lab or a Demasoni, you’re going to have a bad time. These are open-water dwellers—Utaka, in the local lingo. They don't want to hide in a dark cave all day. They want to cruise. They want space. Most importantly, they want a diet that doesn't involve constant grazing on algae.
The Reality of the Borleyi Red Fin Personality
Most people assume all African cichlids are tiny terrors. While the Borleyi Red Fin cichlid isn't exactly a "community" fish in the sense of guppies or tetras, they are surprisingly chill for their size. In Lake Malawi, they hang out in massive schools near large boulders. They’re social. In a home aquarium, this translates to a fish that is assertive but rarely a murderous bully.
The males are the showstoppers. They develop that iconic metallic blue head and those long, flowing red or orange pelvic fins. Females? Well, they’re silver. Maybe some spots. It’s a bit of a letdown if you’re looking for a tank full of neon, but that sexual dimorphism is actually great for managing aggression.
You’ve got to watch the size, though. A full-grown male can hit 6 or 7 inches. If you put him in a 29-gallon tank, he’s going to feel like he’s living in a closet. He’ll get cranky. He might even stop eating. For a happy Borleyi, you really need a 4-foot tank at the bare minimum—a 55-gallon or, better yet, a 75-gallon.
What You Get Wrong About Their Diet
Here is where it gets tricky. Most Malawi cichlids are herbivores. If you feed them high-protein bloodworms, they get "Malawi Bloat" and die. It's tragic and messy. But the Borleyi Red Fin cichlid is a planktivore. In the wild, they use those big eyes to hunt tiny zooplankton suspended in the water column.
They need protein.
Don't go overboard with the spirulina flakes alone. They’ll survive, but they won't thrive. Their colors will look washed out, like a faded photograph. You want a high-quality pellet that leans toward a mix of vegetable and animal proteins. Think Mysis shrimp or brine shrimp as occasional treats. This isn't just "expert advice"—it's biological necessity. Their digestive tracts are shorter than the rock-scraping mbuna, meaning they process protein much more efficiently.
Setting Up the "Kadango" Environment
In the hobby, you’ll often hear these called "Kadango" Red Fins. This refers to Kadango, a specific location in Lake Malawi where some of the most beautiful specimens are found. If you want your tank to look like Kadango, you need to change your rockwork strategy.
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Forget the "wall of rocks" look.
Borleyi need open swimming space in the upper and middle layers of the tank. You should pile some large rocks on the sides to provide a sense of security and territories for other fish, but leave the center wide open. This mimics their natural habitat where they congregate around submerged reefs.
Water Chemistry Is Non-Negotiable
Lake Malawi is basically a giant bowl of liquid minerals. It's alkaline. It's hard. If your tap water is soft and acidic, your Borleyi will struggle. You’re looking for a pH between 7.8 and 8.6.
Driftwood is usually a bad idea here. It leaches tannins and lowers pH.
Instead, use aragonite sand or crushed coral as a substrate. It acts as a natural buffer. Also, keep the water clean. These fish are sensitive to nitrates. While a hardy mbuna might tolerate a missed water change, a Borleyi Red Fin cichlid might start showing signs of stress—clamped fins or heavy breathing. Aim for a 30% to 50% water change every week. It sounds like a lot. It is. But that’s the price of keeping a "show" fish.
Compatibility and the Harem Rule
Don't buy two males. Just don't. Unless you have a 125-gallon tank with plenty of visual breaks, one male will eventually decide the other one shouldn't exist.
The ideal setup is a harem. One male to three or four females. The male will spend his time displaying—shaking his fins and looking gorgeous—to impress the females. This spreads out his "attention" so no single female gets stressed to death.
Who makes a good neighbor?
- Yellow Labs (Labidochromis caeruleus) are classic.
- Venustus (Nimbochromis venustus) if the tank is huge.
- Acei Cichlids (Pseudotropheus elegans) because they also like open water.
Avoid the ultra-aggressive stuff like Melanochromis auratus. They will shred a Borleyi’s long fins before the Borleyi even realizes there’s a fight.
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Breeding: The Mouthbrooder Dance
If you keep your water clean and your fish fed, they will breed. It’s inevitable. The Borleyi Red Fin cichlid is a maternal mouthbrooder. The male will pick a spot—usually a flat rock or even just a depression in the sand—and start dancing. He’ll vibrate his whole body. It looks like he’s having a seizure, but he’s actually just being a romantic.
Once the female lays the eggs, she picks them up in her mouth. The male has "egg spots" on his anal fin that look just like the real eggs. She tries to pick those up too, and in the process, he fertilizes the eggs actually in her mouth.
She’ll hold those babies for about three weeks.
During this time, she won't eat. Her throat will bulge out—this is called "holding." If you want the fry to survive, you’ll eventually have to move her to a separate nursery tank or "strip" the fry. If you leave her in the main tank, the other fish will treat the babies like an expensive snack the second she lets them go.
Common Health Pitfalls
We need to talk about Ich and Velvet. Because Borleyi are often wild-caught or raised in large outdoor ponds in Florida before hitting your local shop, they can carry parasites. Always quarantine.
A two-week stay in a separate tank can save your entire main display from disaster.
Another weird thing? "Hole-in-the-head" disease. This is often linked to poor water quality or activated carbon that hasn't been rinsed properly. If you see small pits developing around the fish's eyes or lateral line, check your nitrates immediately. Increase your water changes. Stop using cheap carbon.
The Specifics of "Red Fin" Variations
Not every Borleyi is a "Red Fin" in the exact same way. Depending on where they were collected in the lake, the fin color can range from a bright tangerine to a deep, blood red. The "Kadango" variant is the gold standard, but you might see "Namalenje" or "Crocodile Rocks" variations.
Check the fins before you buy.
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If the pelvic fins aren't elongated, it might be a juvenile, or it might be a lower-quality strain. Good genetics matter here. Since these fish are heavily tank-bred now, some of the lines have become "muddy." Look for a reputable breeder who can tell you the specific collection point. It makes a difference in how that blue-to-red contrast pops under your LED lights.
Lighting Matters More Than You Think
To see that electric blue really shimmer, you need the right spectrum.
Standard "shop lights" will make them look gray. You want a light with a strong blue and red peak. LEDs like the Fluval Plant or the Kessil Tuna Blue are popular, though you don't need the high intensity required for corals. Just enough to catch the iridescence on the male's scales.
Actionable Steps for a Thriving Tank
If you’re serious about adding a Borleyi Red Fin cichlid to your life, don't just wing it.
First, test your tap water. If your pH is below 7.5, buy a cichlid buffer salt. Seachem makes a good one, but there are plenty of brands. Don't use "pH Up" chemicals; they're unstable. You want something that increases KH (carbonate hardness) to lock that pH in place.
Second, over-filter. Cichlids are messy eaters and high-output waste producers. If your tank is 75 gallons, use a filter rated for 100 or 150 gallons. A canister filter like an OASE Biomaster or a Fluval FX series is the way to go. You want high turnover to keep the oxygen levels peaked, as these fish come from highly oxygenated lake water.
Third, watch the social dynamics. If your male Borleyi is hiding in a corner, something is wrong. He should be the master of his domain. Check for a more aggressive tank mate that might be bullying him, or check your water parameters. A healthy Borleyi is a visible Borleyi.
Finally, vary the diet. Buy three different types of high-quality flake or pellet and rotate them. Add some frozen Mysis shrimp once or twice a week. You’ll see the difference in their growth rate and the "glow" of their scales within a month. These aren't just pets; they’re a living piece of African rift valley evolution. Treat them like it.