| Scientific Name | Placidochromis Phenochilus |
| Common Name(s) | White Lips |
| Geographical Origin | Mdoka, Chesese, and Chirwa Island |
| Habitat | Shallow Sediment |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Aquarium Temperament | Peaceful, can be kept with other Haplochromis |
| Gender Differences | Dimorphic | Both Males |
| Breeding | Maternal Mouthbrooder |
| Maximum Size | ~ 10 inches | 25 cm |
| pH | 7.8 – 8.6 |
| Water Hardness | Hard |
| Temperature | 78 – 82°F | 25 – 27°C |
| Recommended Aquarium | ~ 100 Gallons | 350 Liters |
| Aquarium Notes | These are very shy fish. If you want to breed them, they should be kept as a colony without any other aggressive fish. Being very peaceful they will often get bullied around. They thrive in colonies of 8 or more. |
- Placidochromis Phenochilus Mdoka aka “White Lips”
- Ad Konings referred to them as a very conspicuous cichlid from the sand: The blue sand-dwellers.
- In contrast to most sand-dwellers, there is a group of conspicuously colored cichlids which usually live solitarily or in very small groups, these five are Cyrtocara
moorii , Protomelasannectens , Otopharynxselenurus , Placidochromiselectra , and Placidochromis phenochilus. - These are one of the most beautiful and coveted Malawi Cichlids due to their species gender differences having males and females with the same color pattern.
- They are also very gentle by nature and thus making them great fish to keep with other Haplochromis cichlids.
- Males tend to grow much bigger than females and reach sexual maturity in an aquarium by the age of 1 year.
- They will accept almost all kind of food (flakes, pellets, frozen) just be aware that they are a
carnivore by nature and will need food with extra animal protein (krill, shrimps are the best source). - Try to keep them in a family of over 6 individuals since they are very social and like to play with their own kind.
References: Ad Konings The Cichlid Yearbook Volume 1.
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