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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Deepwater hap
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Deepwater hap

Placidochromis electra · Electra, Blue hap, Placidochromis electra

Calm and a good tank-mate for peacocks; may eat small fish.

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12 cmBody length, without tail ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
205 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Deepwater hap eats animals up to about 4 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like deepwater hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Deepwater hap eats animals up to about 4 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like deepwater hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Deepwater hap eats animals up to about 4 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like deepwater hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like deepwater hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.8–8.6 vs 6–7). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like deepwater hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.8–8.6 vs 6–7.5). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

56 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓10–25 dGH
Group size ?4 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Calm and a good tank-mate for peacocks; may eat small fish.

  • sand

Food

Quality cichlid pellets and flakes plus frozen mysis, krill and chopped fish a few times a week.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males grow larger and are much more colourful (blue) than females, which are silvery and plainer.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Maternal mouthbrooder; the female holds the eggs for around 3 weeks and does not eat during this time.

Pairing

One male with 3-5 females in a large tank with open sand; males guard a sand scrape or cave.

Setup

400+ L tank with a sand floor, rockwork with caves and open swimming space, hard alkaline water (pH 7.8-8.6) and strong filtration.

What starts it

Large water changes, varied protein foods and a dominant male displaying in a sand nest or cave.

Eggs

Up to 50 eggs per brood, held in the female's mouth for around 3 weeks.

Raising the fry

The female releases fry after about 3 weeks. Feed crushed flake and newly hatched brine shrimp; sort by size often as fry grow unevenly and larger siblings eat smaller ones.

Common mistakes
  • Tank too small for adults
  • Keeping with small fish that become food
  • Not sorting fry by size
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Malawi
Rivers and lakesLake Malawi (e.g. around Likoma Island)
HabitatSandy areas in deeper water
Native rangeAbout 100 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the deepwater hap

A gentle Lake Malawi hap that lives over sand in deeper water (usually below about 7 m).

Burgess described this hap in 1979, originally in another genus. It is called the deepwater hap because it lives in deeper sandy areas. It became popular for its peaceful nature and bright blue males.

First described by Warren E. Burgess in 1979.

  • It feeds on small animals stirred up from the sand.
  • Males show light blue with darker bars.
  • It is one of the calmer large Malawi haps.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources