# Lake Malawi - Large Haps



## lkmalawilvr (Jul 29, 2013)

I have a 215 gallon tank with Lake Malawi large Haps. They will mostly be 8-12" fish as adults. They are all 3-4" at this time. I want to set up the aquascape to be as close to their natural habitat as possible. Can anyone suggest where I can start? I have searched the web and for the most part I only come up with Lake Malawi Cichlids, not Haps and I know Mbunas have different needs. I need something manageable since I am a female that does the tank maintenance and I need to be able to move the rocks around my self. Also, do you have to completely remove the rocks at times to clean the tank? Thanks for the suggestions?


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## ozman (Sep 7, 2012)

hi there,

haps and peacocks do not require lots of rocks as do the mbuna. check out the library on this site ( sorry i don't know how to post links :roll: ) and also take some time to look through the aquarium gallery for haps tanks in the aquarium gallery for ideas what others do :thumb:


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## Koteckn (May 16, 2012)

Post pics and document your fish's growth. Us as a community would love to see them develop I'm sure. You don't see a tank as you've described very often.


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

They don't require a lot of rocks, but I find that they still nibble on the rocks, hide behind them, use them as get away routes. I tried an aquascape with most of the tank a sand bed and small outcropping of rocks on one end...I had every fish sitting in the outcropping and no one venturing out into the "open sand". While they don't require rocks, they seem to find comfort in them. That being said, I try to sparingly place them in the sand, I don't stack them I don't make caves, just have them standing vertically mostly.


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## SupeDM (Jan 26, 2009)

For a malawi Large Hap tank I would put in an undergravel plate or egg crate on bottom of the tank. Then have a strong friend help you place a few very large rocks into tank resting on this plate. Do this before putting sand or gravel in the tank. Once these are in put the sand around them so that they are not resting on top of the sand. In this way you could have large rocks that the fish can swim around yet wont have to move them to clean the tank as there really wont be anything under them. From what I have seen even the larger haps dont live far from the rocks in the lake they live in the intermediate zone where the rocks end and the sand begins. They cruise around these areas hoping to catch smaller fish out in the open to snack on. they will also hide in the spaces between the rocks.


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## Hap man (May 28, 2012)

I have a 125 with large haps and a some mbuna. I keep some rock for the mbuna but primarily keep it open for the haps. They are open water swimmers.


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## jimmie (Oct 23, 2002)

I have haps peacocks tank, mostly haps, I would say sand bed (substance).;large lace rocks no plants.. :fish:


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## rgr4475 (Mar 19, 2008)

Like what most said already, sand substrate and lots of open swimming room. No need to pile rocks high or in big piles. I have a 180g hap/peacock tank with a light layer of rocks in the middle of the tank stretched across.


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