White Lips Mdoka Cichlid

Well, we had the blue lips Williamsi, and now we also have the white lips mdoka from Lake Malawi. The white lips mdoka likes to sift sand for snacks, so he is a bit more at home with some part of the aquarium with a sandy bottom. These fish are navy blue with bright white lips and grow to about seven inches. Omnivores, but they do require meat; flake or pellet food is fine.

Quick Facts

Care Guide

Tank setup: Give them a sand bottom, open swimming space in front and rockwork along the back. Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika cichlids need hard, alkaline water; crushed coral or aragonite sand helps hold the pH up.

Feeding: Feed a quality cichlid pellet or flake once or twice a day. They also enjoy frozen foods like brine shrimp.

Tankmates: Haps do well with peacocks and other haps of similar size, plus robust catfish like synodontis. Keep one male per similar-looking species, with several females, to limit fighting and crossbreeding.

Good to know: Mdoka sift sand for food, so a sandy bottom keeps them busy and happy.