Red Fin Borleyi Kadango Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

Red Fin Borleyi Kadango are striking Lake Malawi cichlids belonging to the Copadichromis group, commonly known as utaka. Mature males develop an intense blue body with vivid red or orange-red fins, especially across the dorsal, anal and sometimes pelvic fins. Females and immature fish are generally silvery brown or grey, often with subtle vertical markings.

This species is an active, confident swimmer that spends much of its time in open water above rocky or sandy areas. Males become territorial when displaying or breeding, but their behaviour is usually less relentlessly aggressive than that of many mbuna cichlids.

In the wild, Red Fin Borleyi Kadango feed in the water column, picking plankton and other small organisms from the current. Their streamlined shape and forward-facing swimming style reflect a life spent searching over reefs and open lake margins rather than grazing continuously on rock surfaces.

The brilliant colours of mature males make this fish a favourite among Malawi cichlid keepers. Colour develops with age, good condition and social confidence, while females retain a more understated appearance that helps distinguish the sexes in a mature group.

Red Fin Borleyi Kadango are native to Lake Malawi in East Africa, particularly the area around Kadango on the lake’s southern shore. They inhabit clear, alkaline freshwater over rocky shores and nearby open-water habitats.

A group should have at least 250 litres, with a tank measuring approximately 120 cm long by 45 cm wide or larger; a larger aquarium is preferable for adult males and community groups. Use a sandy or fine rounded-gravel substrate, leaving generous open swimming space in the centre and upper levels. Arrange limestone or other aquarium-safe rocks into caves and broken sightlines, while keeping some open areas for displaying and feeding. Strong filtration, good oxygenation and stable alkaline water are important.

Males reach about 15 cm (6 inches), while females are usually smaller at around 12–13 cm (4.7–5.1 inches).

Offer a varied diet based on high-quality cichlid pellets or flakes, supplemented with frozen or live foods such as mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, daphnia and other planktonic foods. Small, regular meals suit their natural feeding style. Avoid making rich mammalian or oily foods part of the diet, and do not rely on large quantities of spirulina-based food alone, as this is an omnivorous plankton feeder rather than a specialist algae grazer.

Suitable companions include peaceful to moderately assertive Lake Malawi haps, other Copadichromis species, selected Aulonocara peacocks and similarly sized Malawi cichlids with compatible water requirements. Avoid mixing them with highly aggressive mbuna, very peaceful small fish or species that are close enough in appearance to encourage hybridisation. Keep only one male unless the aquarium is very large and carefully structured, and provide several females for each male.

Red Fin Borleyi Kadango are maternal mouthbrooders. For the best results, keep one mature male with several females and provide open areas alongside rocky retreats where the male can display. After spawning, the female carries the fertilised eggs and fry in her mouth for around three weeks. She may release the young among rocks, where they can be fed finely crushed flake food or baby brine shrimp.

Mature males are larger and develop vivid blue colouring with red or orange-red fins. Females remain smaller and silvery brown or grey, often with subdued vertical bars, while juveniles of both sexes can look similar.