# how long does it take a for cichlids to fully mature?



## WarEagle1986

im asking specifically about types such as aulonocara rubescens and metriaclima callianos.


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## John27

It really depends on a LOT of factors, including aggression, what else is stocked in the tank, water condiitons, etc. For example, despite my rigid maintenance schedule (75% water changes at least once a week) my fish tend to color up beyond the norm because of 10-20ppm nitrate in my well, so no matter what my fish are exposed to at least 10ppm nitrate, sometimes as high as 20 depending on the season.

You're gonna get a bunch of responses here most likely, a variety of "mine colored up in...", and you can probably determine an acceptable average, but don't get too caught up in it, lest you start a topic some time from now saying "It's been 3 months, 2 days and 11 hours, or roughly 13 minutes more than average and my fish aren't colored up... ARE THEY SICK?"

Focus on maintaining the best water conditions you practically can, without altering water chemistry through chemicals or otherwise, keeping nitrates down and understanding the nitrogen cycle very well, so you can prevent that headache and know BEFORE you make a mistake how to keep things running smoothly in your biological filtration. If your doing everything right, there is nothing else you can do, eventually they will color up!

To satisfy your curiosity, mine color up in about 3 months, and are breeding within 9-12 months, that's with the high nitrates. Not the same species as yours, but I find with things like that, most Africans are similar (some exceptions to the rules though).

-John


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## DJRansome

You may also want to define fully mature. Fully colored? Breeding? Achieves full size? Three different answers IME. The fish take much longer to grow to full size than they do to color/spawn.


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## Chunkanese

I would say as for fully grown, breeding and colored, you can expect 1-2 years. Most mbuna grow quick but as an example kenyi sometimes takes up to 2 years to breed. Sometimes less. It's hard to say. But at 2 years I would expect your fish to stay the same.


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## mattyb

It will also depend on how old the fish are when you purchase them. Some LFS will stunt the growth of their fish. Therefore, when you get them they grow like wildfire.


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## solows10

thats alot of good information


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