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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Hap mdoka white lips
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Hap mdoka white lips

Placidochromis phenochilus · Phenochilus, Mdoka white lips, White lips hap, Placidochromis phenochilus

Fairly peaceful for a hap; keep with other haps and peacocks.

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16 cmAdult size ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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Not recommended
  • Hap mdoka white lips eats animals up to about 4 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like hap mdoka white lips need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Hap mdoka white lips eats animals up to about 4 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like hap mdoka white lips need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Hap mdoka white lips eats animals up to about 4 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like hap mdoka white lips need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like hap mdoka white lips 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 hap mdoka white lips 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

58 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 ✓8–15 dGH
Group size ✓4 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Fairly peaceful for a hap; keep with other haps and peacocks.

  • 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

Adult males are larger than females; in the Phenochilus forms males develop white scales from 1-2 years and are fully coloured at about 4 years.

Health

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

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Maternal mouthbrooder.

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

20-60 eggs per spawn, held in the female's mouth for about 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 (northern coasts)
HabitatSandy and mixed bottoms
Native rangeAbout 150 km across
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The story of the hap mdoka white lips

A peaceful sand-dwelling hap from northern Lake Malawi; its name phenochilus means "shining lips". In the wild it follows large burrowing cichlids to pick up food they stir up. Listed as Endangered by IUCN.

Trewavas described this hap in 1935, originally in Haplochromis. The aquarium form 'Mdoka white lips' is named after a collecting site. It sifts sand for small food items.

First described by Ethelwynn Trewavas in 1935.

  • Its common name refers to its striking white lips.
  • It feeds by sifting sand for small invertebrates.
  • Breeding males turn deep blue.

Sources

13 facts checked with sources