Electric Blue Hap

Care at a glance

Overview

A predatory open-water cichlid that holds the middle of the tank and needs room to cruise, so figure on at least 250 liters. It is mostly peaceful for a Malawi cichlid but males get territorial when breeding. In the wild it ambushes smaller fish, so feed quality cichlid pellets with frozen foods like shrimp, and go easy on rich meaty foods that can cause bloat. Keep it with other Malawi haps of similar size and temperament.

In the wild

The electric blue hap lives in Lake Malawi, hunting around rocky shorelines and the open water nearby rather than hiding deep in the rocks. The lake is hard, alkaline, and clear, with a high pH. Set up a roomy tank with rock structures for the fish to patrol and break up territory, plus open swimming space, hard water, and a pH around 7.5 to 8.5 in the mid to high 20s C.

Good to know

This is a Malawi cichlid in the family Cichlidae, reaching about 18 cm. Males turn a bright electric blue while females stay a plainer silvery gray. It is a maternal mouthbrooder, with the female carrying eggs and fry in her mouth until they can fend for themselves. It needs warm, hard, alkaline water.

Did you know

In the wild this fish hunts by slipping into rocky crevices after the fry and small fish that other mouthbrooding cichlids are sheltering, picking off the young that other species are trying to protect.

Related species

• 

  Nasuta featherfin

  Ophthalmotilapia nasuta

  7.1 in (18 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
• Black acara

  Cichlasoma bimaculatum

  7.1 in (18 cm)40 gal (150 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)

• 

  Alluaud's haplo

  Astatoreochromis alluaudi

  7.5 in (19 cm)55 gal (210 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)

• 

  Eureka red peacock

  Aulonocara jacobfreibergi

  6.7 in (17 cm)63 gal (240 L)77–84°F (25–29°C)

• 

  Blood Parrot Cichlid

  A. citrinellus x V. synspilum

  7.9 in (20 cm)32 gal (120 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Featherfin cichlid

  Cyathopharynx furcifer

  7.9 in (20 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)