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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Jackson's hap
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Variations

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Jackson's hap

Copadichromis jacksoni · Jacksoni, Copadichromis jacksoni

Calm; keep with peaceful haps and peacocks; may eat very small fish.

"Mloto" is a different fish (Copadichromis mloto), not this species.

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18 cmAdult size ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
7.4–8.4pH ✓
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Jackson's hap is tropical.
  • Rift lake cichlids like jackson's hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (24–28 °C vs 10–22 °C). No setting suits both.
  • Rift lake cichlids like jackson's hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Oscar is aggressive and will bully peaceful jackson's hap.
  • Rift lake cichlids like jackson's hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like jackson's hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like jackson's hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.4–8.4 vs 4.5–7). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

54 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 ✓7–30 dGH
Group size ✓5 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Middle
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Calm; keep with peaceful haps and peacocks; may eat very small fish.

  • sand

Food

Flake, pellets and frozen brine shrimp.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

MaleBlue-purple with yellow-orange
FemaleSilver, dull
TipMales show vivid colours
How hard to tellEasy

Health

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

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Mouthbrooder that breeds year-round along steep rocky shores; males defend territories over large boulders and dominant males spawn with several females.

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
HabitatOpen water near rocky shores
Native rangeAbout 200 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the jackson's hap

A schooling Lake Malawi hap that feeds on plankton in open water. The name most likely honours ichthyologist Peter B. N. Jackson (1923/24-2007).

Iles described this hap in 1960, alongside Copadichromis borleyi. 'Mloto' is a local name used for several Copadichromis species, which are important food fish. Males show a soft blue colour.

First described by T. D. Iles in 1960.

  • Copadichromis are known locally as 'utaka', plankton-eating schooling fish.
  • It feeds on zooplankton in open water.
  • Like most Malawi haps, females carry the eggs in their mouths.

Sources

12 facts checked with sources