Wochepa melanochromis

Care at a glance

Overview

The wochepa melanochromis is a small but feisty mbuna, so keep it as a harem of one male with several females and expect typical Melanochromis attitude despite the size. It sticks to the lower tank among rocks, grazing and defending a patch of stone. It is aggressive, so choose tankmates with care: other robust mbuna of similar temperament, not slow or gentle fish, and crowd the rockwork to spread out the aggression. Feed a spirulina-based diet with some frozen foods, since a vegetable-leaning menu keeps mbuna healthy. A rocky tank of around 200 liters or more gives a group enough territories.

In the wild

This mbuna lives along rocky shoreline in the southeastern arm of Lake Malawi, among piled stone. Build the tank to match, with a lot of rock stacked into caves and crevices over a sand base, leaving some open swimming lanes. Lake Malawi is hard and alkaline, so keep the water warm at about 24 to 28 C with a pH of roughly 7.5 to 8.5 and plenty of mineral hardness. Secure, plentiful rock cover lets females and weaker fish escape the male.

Good to know

Melanochromis wochepa is a mbuna cichlid that reaches about 8 centimeters, one of the smallest members of its genus. Males are largely blue while females carry darker horizontal banding. Like other mbuna it is a maternal mouthbrooder: the female incubates eggs and fry in her mouth for around three weeks. Breeding is of moderate difficulty and happens readily when a settled male holds a territory.

Did you know

The name wochepa simply means small in Chichewa, the language spoken around Lake Malawi. It is a plain label for what is one of the tiniest fish in an otherwise sizeable and pugnacious genus.

Common questions

Related species

• Blotch melanochromis

  Melanochromis baliodigma

  Freshwater

  4.3 in (11 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
• Deepwater melanochromis

  Melanochromis heterochromis

  Freshwater

  4.7 in (12 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
• Northern blue melanochromis

  Melanochromis kaskazini

  Freshwater

  5.1 in (13 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
• Loria's melanochromis

  Melanochromis loriae

  Freshwater

  5.5 in (14 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Blue johanni cichlid

  Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos

  Freshwater

  3.9 in (10 cm)45 gal (170 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Auratus cichlid

  Melanochromis auratus

  Freshwater

  4.3 in (11 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)