| Compatibility |
Specialist African cichlid tank only.
Care
The Hap Brownae is endemic to the southern shores of Lake Victoria, where it is found at shallow, sandy or shingle beaches where the water is less than 10m deep, and relatively exposed to wave action. The aquarium should be at least 4ft long and aquascaped with rocky outcrops and some open expanses of sand. Décor such as ocean rock can be used to build sturdy structures which stretch from the base of the tank to near the surface of the water. These structures should be built with the purpose of creating many crevices for the fish to explore but constructed in such a way so as to keep the rocks stable if the fish start to dig around and underneath them. A substrate of coral sand or Aragonite will assist in keeping the water hard and alkaline. Filtration should be efficient, with moderate water flow and a good level of oxygenation. Regular partial water changes will help keep nitrate to a minimum. The Hap Brownae is an aggressive species, and it is best to keep one male in a harem situation with a large number of females (keeping just one female with a male will result in continual harassment and death). If more than one male is to be kept, the tank must be much more voluminous with a plethora of visual barriers, and again, they must be vastly outnumbered by females. These fish tend to hybridise freely with many other closely related Victorian cichlids, so are best maintained in a species tank environment or alongside robust Lake Malawi mbuna, which have very similar requirements - however, do research individual species thoroughly to ensure compatibility. This species is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN redlist for threatened species, due to the introduction of predatory Nile Perch (Lates niloticus) to the lake, and there is the possibility it is now extinct in the wild. Hap Brownae are bred on a commercial basis for the aquarium trade, and are thought to be fairly widely distributed amongst hobbyists.
Feeding
Offer a variety of small meaty frozen foods such as bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, and daphnia, along with flake and small pellet foods.
|
