Cichlids · Placidochromis
Deep water hap
Placidochromis electra · Lake Malawi: sandy bottoms below ~7 m at Likoma Island, Mara Point and Malawi coast south to Nekete
Photo: Paolo Neo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Water temperature
24–28 °C 75–82 °F
pH
7.6–8.8 hard, alkaline water
Adult size ≈
16 cm 6.3 in
Swims ≈
Mid-water mostly in open water
Keep together
4 or more a shoal feels safe
Current ≈
Calm still or slow water
Food
Eats most foods
Temperament
Peaceful
Where it comes from
Home water
Lake Malawi: sandy bottoms below ~7 m at Likoma Island, Mara Point and Malawi coast south to Nekete
Lives in lake habitat.
Shaded: the countries it comes from. Map: Natural Earth.
Tank mates
Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with low 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 rasboraEmber tetra
-
Small enough to be eaten
-
Aggressive and will eat the deep water hap
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 Deep water hap get?
About 16 cm (6.3 in) as an adult.
What temperature does a Deep water hap need?
24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
What pH does a Deep water hap need?
pH 7.6–8.8.
Does a Deep water hap need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 4.
Is the Deep water hap aggressive?
No. It is peaceful with fish that suit the same water.
What does a Deep water hap eat?
It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.
Where does the Deep water hap come from?
Lake Malawi: sandy bottoms below ~7 m at Likoma Island, Mara Point and Malawi coast south to Nekete.
What fish can live with a Deep water hap?
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) | 16 | Estimate |
| Flow | Low | Estimate |
| Swim level (top / middle / bottom) | middle | Estimate |
| Habitat | lake | Sourced |
| Smallest happy group | 4 | Sourced |
| Temperament | Peaceful | 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.