TankBud

Mwanza dung hap

Enterochromis coprologus

Also known as Haplochromis coprologus

FreshwaterFish

Mwanza dung hap (Enterochromis coprologus)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
7.0–8.5
Adult size
3.5 in
9 cm
Minimum tank
42 gal
160 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Victoria, Mwanza Gulf

Overview

The Mwanza dung hap is a modest, social bottom-feeder from Lake Victoria that suits a tank of calm cichlids. It is a fish for a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The Mwanza dung hap's species name, coprologus, comes from the Greek for gathering dung. It was chosen bluntly, for a fish that makes its living sifting detritus.

Caring for the Mwanza dung hap

Give a group of Mwanza dung haps at least 42 gal (160 L). Lay a fine sand bed they can sort through, and add some rock or wood for shelter and some cover along the back.

Keep the water warm and hardish, at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.5. It works the floor, sifting the sand for detritus, diatoms and tiny invertebrates. Feed ordinary sinking foods such as pellets and flake, plus small frozen items like bloodworm and daphnia.

Keep it as a group, usually one male with several females. It is mostly peaceful and mixes well with other calm cichlids that share its water needs.

Like other haplochromines, it is a maternal mouthbrooder. The female incubates the eggs and then the fry in her mouth before releasing them to fend for themselves. It is moderately difficult to breed.

Good to know

The Mwanza dung hap, Enterochromis coprologus, belongs to the cichlid family. It was described in 2010, one of seven new detritus-feeding and plankton-feeding haplochromines named from Lake Victoria in a single study.

In the wild

The Mwanza dung hap lives in the Mwanza Gulf of Lake Victoria, over soft, organic-rich floors in the sublittoral zone. The lake is warm, and its water runs neutral to alkaline and moderately hard.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Mwanza dung hap is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. 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 Mwanza dung hap need?

A Mwanza dung hap needs at least 42 gal (160 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Mwanza dung hap need?

A Mwanza dung hap is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.5.

What does a Mwanza dung hap eat?

A Mwanza dung hap sifts the sand for detritus, diatoms and tiny invertebrates. In the tank it takes ordinary sinking foods such as pellets and flake, plus small frozen bloodworm and daphnia.

How big does a Mwanza dung hap get?

An adult Mwanza dung hap reaches about 3.5 in (9 cm).

How does a Mwanza dung hap breed?

A Mwanza dung hap is a maternal mouthbrooder. The female keeps the eggs, and later the fry, in her mouth until she releases them to fend for themselves. Breeding it is moderately difficult.

Related species