TankBud

Chrysonotus utaka

Copadichromis chrysonotus

Also known as White-top utaka

FreshwaterFish

Chrysonotus utaka (Copadichromis chrysonotus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
7.5–8.5
Adult size
6.3 in
16 cm
Minimum tank
79 gal
300 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Malawi

Overview

The Chrysonotus utaka is a peaceful Malawi cichlid that swims up in the water rather than down on the sand. It is best for a keeper who has kept fish before.

Did you know

Most utaka males build and guard a crater or platform of sand to spawn over. The Chrysonotus utaka skips construction altogether and courts in open water. Its mobile territory with no fixed address is thought to cut down on egg predators and competition for space on the bottom.

Caring for the Chrysonotus utaka

Give Chrysonotus utakas at least 79 gal (300 L), with open, unobstructed swimming water. Arrange the rock around the edges rather than filling the middle, so the fish have room to shoal and display. Keep the water hard and alkaline, at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5.

In the lake it feeds on plankton in open water. Feed a varied diet of small frozen foods and a good flake or pellet.

Keep the Chrysonotus utaka in a group. Males show off and display in open water instead of on the bottom, so give them real swimming room. It mixes well with other mild-mannered haps that share its taste for hard water, so tank mates are not a big worry.

It is a maternal mouthbrooder that holds a moving territory and spawns up in open water, away from the bottom. Breeding takes a little experience.

Good to know

The Chrysonotus utaka, Copadichromis chrysonotus, is a utaka cichlid in the family Cichlidae. The name chrysonotus means golden-backed. Breeding males turn deep blue, with a bright blaze running along the back.

In the wild

The Chrysonotus utaka lives in open water over the rocky islands and reefs of Lake Malawi, out where there is little cover. The lake is hard and alkaline.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Chrysonotus utaka is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Chrysonotus utaka need?

A Chrysonotus utaka needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Chrysonotus utaka need?

A Chrysonotus utaka is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.

What does a Chrysonotus utaka eat?

A Chrysonotus utaka eats a varied diet of small frozen foods and a good flake or pellet. In the lake it feeds on plankton in open water.

How big does a Chrysonotus utaka get?

An adult Chrysonotus utaka reaches about 6.3 in (16 cm).

How does a Chrysonotus utaka breed?

A Chrysonotus utaka is a maternal mouthbrooder. It holds a moving territory and spawns up in open water, away from the bottom. Breeding takes a little experience.

Related species