Deepwater hap

The deepwater hap is an elegant Lake Malawi cichlid, males displaying a pale blue body crossed by a distinctive dark vertical bar behind the head. In nature it inhabits the sandy zones near Likoma Island, following larger sand-sifting cichlids to feed on invertebrates disturbed from the substrate. It is a relatively peaceful haplochromine by rift-lake standards but is still territorial, best kept as one male with several females in a spacious tank with a sandy bottom, rockwork, and open swimming areas. Provide hard, alkaline water at 24-27C with pH 7.8-8.6 and strong filtration. A carnivore leaning toward invertebrate prey, it accepts quality cichlid pellets, frozen mysis, and brine shrimp; avoid excessive protein and mammalian foods. A mouthbrooding maternal species, females incubate eggs for around three weeks.