Verduyn's utaka
Copadichromis verduyni
Also known as Verduyni hap
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F
- 24–27°C
- pH
- 7.5–8.5
- Adult size
- 4.3 in
- 11 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, eastern coast
Overview
Verduyn's utaka is a smaller, mostly peaceful open-water cichlid from Lake Malawi. It is a sensible choice once you have a little experience.
Did you know
Verduyn's utaka is named after Dirk Verduyn, a Dutch cichlid dealer. The fish that carries his name reached science by way of the aquarium trade he worked in.
Caring for the Verduyn's utaka
Give a group of Verduyn's utaka at least 79 gal (300 L). They swim in the open middle water, so leave open swimming space above a sandy floor with some rock structure.
Keep the water hard, alkaline, warm and buffered, at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. Offer small frozen foods such as cyclops and mysis along with a quality pellet. Feed little and often.
Keep one male with a group of females rather than a single pair. The harem spreads his attention and shows off his courting color. This utaka is mostly peaceful and fits a mid-sized hap tank.
It is a maternal mouthbrooder, and males defend well-hidden spawning sites down among the rocks. Breeding is of medium difficulty.
Good to know
Copadichromis verduyni is one of the utaka, the plankton-feeding cichlids of Lake Malawi. Ad Konings described it in 1990.
In the wild
Verduyn's utaka lives along the eastern shore of Lake Malawi, into Mozambique, over sandy areas where they meet the rocks. Females and non-breeding males take plankton and small invertebrates in open water, a meter or two above the bottom.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The Verduyn's 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.
Common questions
What size tank does a Verduyn's utaka need?
A Verduyn's utaka needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Verduyn's utaka need?
A Verduyn's utaka is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.
What does a Verduyn's utaka eat?
A Verduyn's utaka eats small frozen foods such as cyclops and mysis, along with a quality pellet. Feed it little and often.
How big does a Verduyn's utaka get?
An adult Verduyn's utaka reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).
How does a Verduyn's utaka breed?
A Verduyn's utaka is a maternal mouthbrooder. Males defend well-hidden spawning sites down among the rocks, and breeding is of medium difficulty.
Related species
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