Verduyn's utaka

Care at a glance

Overview

Verduyn's utaka is a smaller open-water Malawi cichlid that fits a mid-sized hap tank. It is a plankton feeder that does best as one male with a group of females, which spreads his attention and shows off his courting colour, so keep a harem rather than a single pair. It is relatively peaceful and swims in the open middle water above the rocks and sand. Offer small frozen foods such as cyclops and mysis along with a quality pellet, feeding little and often. A tank of around 300 liters or more suits a group.

In the wild

This species lives along the eastern shore of Lake Malawi, into Mozambique, over the sandy areas where they meet the rocks, feeding on plankton a metre or two above the bottom. Give it open swimming space above a sandy floor with some rock structure. Malawi water is hard and alkaline, so keep it warm and buffered, around 24 to 27 C and pH 7.5 to 8.5.

Good to know

Copadichromis verduyni is one of the utaka, the plankton-feeding cichlids of Lake Malawi, and reaches about 11 centimeters. Females and non-breeding males take plankton in open water above the lake bed, along with small invertebrates. Ad Konings described it in 1990. It is a maternal mouthbrooder, and males defend well-hidden spawning sites down among the rocks.

Did you know

It is named after Dirk Verduyn, a Dutch cichlid dealer, so the fish that carries his name reached science by way of the aquarium trade that he worked in.

Tank mates

Verduyn's utaka is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.

• Four-spot otopharynx

  Otopharynx tetrastigma

  Freshwater

  6.3 in (16 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
• Heterodon hap

  Otopharynx heterodon

  Freshwater

  5.1 in (13 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Deepwater hap

  Placidochromis electra

  Freshwater

  7.1 in (18 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
• Altus lethrinops

  Lethrinops altus

  Freshwater

  6.3 in (16 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Blue orchid peacock

  Aulonocara kandeense

  Freshwater

  3.9 in (10 cm)63 gal (240 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
• White lethrinops

  Lethrinops albus

  Freshwater

  6.3 in (16 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Mloto utaka

  Copadichromis trewavasae

  Freshwater

  5.1 in (13 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
• Likoma utaka

  Copadichromis likomae

  Freshwater

  5.5 in (14 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Azureus

  Copadichromis azureus

  Freshwater

  5.9 in (15 cm)79 gal (300 L)77–82°F (25–28°C)
• Atripinnis hap

  Copadichromis atripinnis

  Freshwater

  5.9 in (15 cm)70 gal (265 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
• Chrysonotus utaka

  Copadichromis chrysonotus

  Freshwater

  6.3 in (16 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
• Geert's utaka

  Copadichromis geertsi

  Freshwater

  6.3 in (16 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)