Hertae Hap Cichlid (Protomelas sp. 'hertae')

Hertae Hap Cichlid is the aquarium trade name used here for Protomelas sp. 'hertae', an undescribed Lake Malawi haplochromine associated with rocky and rock/sand transition habitat. One unit buys one unsexed fish in the selected 4-5 cm, 5-6 cm or 7-9 cm grade. It is not a pair, sexed male or guaranteed future breeding fish.

This is a large specialist cichlid. Males are reported around 17-18 cm in nature and may approach 20 cm in aquaria; females generally remain smaller. Plan around 600 litres with a 200 cm footprint for an adult social setup, increasing space for a group or mixed Malawi community. Use stable hard alkaline water, fine sand, secure rock clusters, open swimming room and a measured carnivorous/invertivorous diet.

What exactly is supplied?

The size selector controls the order. Choose 4-5 cm, 5-6 cm or 7-9 cm and quantity one means one fish in that grade. The three grades are sale sizes, not separate colour strains. A smaller juvenile still requires an adult aquarium plan before purchase.

All grades are sold unsexed. Quantity two means two unsexed individuals, not one male and one female. The protected quantity-pricing tag can affect multi-buy pricing, but it does not turn the order into a sexed pair, compatible pair or guaranteed harem.

Why the scientific name includes sp.

Protomelas sp. 'hertae' has not been formally described as a named species. The abbreviation sp. and quoted field name are therefore meaningful, not decorative. Cichlid Room Companion lists it among potentially undescribed members of the genus.

Older hobby records may use Hertae, Protomelas lobochilus Hertae or related historic labels. Those names help trace aquarium literature but do not make the fish a formally settled species. This page keeps the cautious provisional form.

Locality and generation limits

Specialist records document this form around several Lake Malawi locations, including islands and reefs in different parts of the lake. The supplier identifies the current retail line only as Protomelas hertae and provides no collection site, captive generation or breeder lineage.

No dispatched fish is therefore promised as Nakantenga, Maingano, Maleri, Likoma, Chizumulu, Thumbi West, wild caught, F1 or another specific line. A precise locality claim belongs only on stock with traceable provenance.

Adult size and growth

Specialist accounts place wild males around 17-18 cm and aquarium males up to about 20 cm. Females can remain several centimetres shorter. Use 20 cm as the cautious adult planning figure, not as a guaranteed final measurement for every fish.

Growth depends on genetics, age, food, temperature, water quality and social stress. The sale grade does not reveal age or growth rate. Do not overfeed to force rapid size; steady condition and clean water are better welfare targets.

Male, female and juvenile colour

Juveniles and females are generally subdued silver-grey or sandy, with a typical Protomelas pattern. Mature dominant males may develop metallic blue over the upper body, yellow on the lower body and red or multicoloured fin detail. Colour can emerge late and varies with maturity, rank, lighting and condition.

A small fish is not guaranteed to become a fully coloured male. A temporarily blue juvenile is not a sex certificate, and a subordinate male may suppress display. Buy for identity and suitability, not for a promised shade copied from one image.

How to read the gallery image

The gallery image is not a photograph of the fish dispatched and is not diagnostic evidence of exact body shape, locality, sex or adult colour.

Use the written size grade and unsexed retail contract as controlling information. Unrelated local files with similar numeric filenames show aquarium heaters and are not Hertae media; they are deliberately excluded rather than attached as false product evidence.

Natural habitat

Specialist locality records place this fish in rocky habitat and rocky areas within the intermediate zone, often around 5-15 metres deep. Fine material, rock crevices and nearby sand are all relevant. The thickened lips are associated with taking prey from cracks and cavities.

An aquarium should therefore combine stable rocks and caves with open sand and swimming room. It should not be built as a solid wall of stone or an empty open tank. The layout needs both feeding/hiding structure and enough unobstructed length for a large hap.

Long-term aquarium size

Plan around 600 litres and a 200 cm footprint as a cautious long-term baseline. The length follows specialist adult guidance and gives a 20 cm fish room to swim while leaving separate rock territories. Use more space for multiple females, another large male hap or a busy mixed Malawi community.

The old 300 L recommendation is not retained. It gives too little margin for adult length, sustained male territoriality, open swimming space and female escape routes. A juvenile can be grown in an appropriately managed system, but the adult home must already be realistic.

Why footprint matters

Litres alone can conceal an unsuitable shape. A tall narrow aquarium may hold substantial water without creating distance between territories. Hertae uses the lower and middle water around rock/sand transition zones, so horizontal length and front-to-back depth are particularly valuable.

A 200 cm tank allows separated caves, broken sight lines and an open central route. Keep clear zones where a subordinate fish can move without passing directly through the dominant male's cave.

Rockwork, caves and sand

Place secure aquarium-safe rock on a stable base before loose sand is added around it. Build several clusters with offset entrances rather than one central fortress. Include caves large enough for an adult to turn without becoming wedged and check for sharp collision points.

Use fine sand suitable for normal sifting and easy waste removal. The cichlid care guide covers general construction, while this species needs more open swimming room than a dense mbuna rock pile.

Water parameters

Parameter	Practical target	Evidence note
Temperature	23-27 C	Conservative overlap across specialist profiles
pH	7.5-8.5	Consistent Lake Malawi specialist range
General hardness	About 12-16 dGH	Published specialist range; avoid sudden shifts
Ammonia	0	Toxic at detectable levels
Nitrite	0	Toxic at detectable levels
Nitrate	Kept low through stocking control and water changes	Track trend rather than waiting for visible distress

The supplier provides no care parameters for this line, so these are specialist-derived operating targets rather than supplier guarantees. Stability matters more than repeatedly dosing to chase a decimal. See the water chemistry guide for pH, hardness and buffering context.

Filtration and oxygen

A large carnivorous cichlid and its companions create a meaningful waste load. Use mature biological filtration, effective mechanical capture and strong surface movement. Real flow falls as media accumulates debris, so maintenance and observation matter more than the pump's box rating.

Watch breathing, surface behaviour and dead zones behind rocks. Provide backup aeration for hot weather or power interruptions where practical. Never clean all biological media aggressively at the same time.

Cycling and maintenance

Add fish only to a fully cycled aquarium. Test after additions, medication, filter work or a missed maintenance period. Zero ammonia and nitrite are required even when the fish appear normal.

Use regular partial water changes matched reasonably for temperature and chemistry. Vacuum accessible waste around rocks and record results. A slow nitrate or pH trend is easier to correct than a sudden welfare emergency.

Natural feeding ecology

This form is described as a carnivorous crevice feeder. Thickened lips help it cover openings and draw insects, larvae, soft invertebrates and occasionally small fish from rocky cavities. That ecology is more specific than the generic omnivore label currently stored on the listing.

Captive feeding should provide a complete quality Malawi carnivore or insect/invertebrate-oriented staple in an appropriate pellet size, supported by measured aquatic invertebrate variety. Accepting mixed foods does not make every generic cichlid diet ideal.

Feeding plan

Food role	Suitable direction	Caution
Daily nutritional base	Complete reputable Malawi carnivore/invertivore pellet	Match pellet size to the fish
Variety	Measured frozen or live aquatic invertebrate foods	Use clean, trusted sources
Observation	Small portions spread so subordinates eat	Dominant feeding is not whole-group feeding
Avoid	Mammal/poultry meat and uncontrolled feeder fish	Unsuitable nutrition and disease risk
Water protection	Remove uneaten food	Rock crevices can trap waste

Browse the fish-food category as a starting point, then check each label against this species' carnivorous/invertivorous direction. Do not hardcode a universal number of feeds without considering fish size, temperature and stock density.

Temperament

Hertae is often described as relatively calm compared with rougher Malawi cichlids, but mature males can be almost continuously territorial around a cave and defend mainly against their own kind. Calm does not mean community-safe or suitable for a small aquarium.

Observe whether every fish can feed, rest and leave cover. Continuous chasing, torn fins, rapid breathing, weight loss or a fish trapped behind one object requires intervention.

One male and female grouping

One mature male per aquarium is the safer default. A harem-style group may use one male with several females once sexes are confirmed, but this listing cannot guarantee a ratio because all three grades are sold unsexed.

Do not buy two and assume a pair. There is no stable pair bond, and one female can receive concentrated courtship pressure. Keep a divider, mature spare aquarium or rehoming route available.

Compatibility

Potential companion	Assessment	Reason
Similarly sized, calmer Malawi haps	Possible with care	Match adult size, diet and temperament in a very large tank
Suitable Aulonocara	Possible with care	Avoid colour/feeding mismatch and crowding
Aggressive mbuna	Usually poor	Can harass or outcompete a relatively calm hap
Small community fish or shrimp	Unsuitable	Predation, chemistry and competition mismatch
Protomelas ornatus	Avoid	Similarity and hybridisation/identity risk
Protomelas sp. 'mbenji thick-lip'	Avoid	Similarity and hybridisation/identity risk

No chart guarantees behaviour. Use the African cichlids hub and Protomelas category for comparison, then assess the actual adult community.

Why similar Protomelas need caution

Hertae resembles Protomelas ornatus and Protomelas sp. 'mbenji thick-lip'. Keeping similar undescribed forms together can create courtship confusion and offspring that cannot be identified responsibly. Visual similarity can also intensify male aggression.

Maintain acquisition records and do not distribute fry under a precise name if parentage is uncertain. Identity protection is part of good cichlid husbandry.

Breeding behaviour

This fish is a maternal mouthbrooder. A territorial male courts around a cave; after spawning, the female carries eggs and developing fry in her mouth. Specialist accounts describe roughly three weeks of incubation and continued fry guarding after first release.

Breeding is not guaranteed. Female condition, space, male pressure and a plan for fry are more important than chasing a brood. Do not strip or handle a brooding female without specialist knowledge.

Introducing a new Hertae Hap

Prepare the aquarium before dispatch: verify the cycle, secure the lid, inspect rock stability and make several refuges available. Quarantine in a separate mature system is the safest way to protect an established collection when it can be done with appropriate space and water.

Rearranging selected territory before introduction can reduce established ownership, but it is not a guarantee. Dim lighting and observe closely once the fish becomes active.

Arrival and acclimation

Follow the current livestock instructions supplied with the order. Journey duration, bag condition and chemistry affect the correct process. Avoid prolonged handling, sudden temperature change and repeated chasing with a net.

Read the current delivery information and returns and problem-reporting policy before dispatch so evidence and reporting windows are understood.

Daily observation

Check	Healthy direction	Concern
Breathing	Steady, not laboured	Gasping, rapid breathing or one-sided gill use
Feeding	Alert and able to obtain food	Repeated refusal or exclusion
Body	Stable weight and normal profile	Wasting, swelling, sores or damaged lips
Fins	Open and intact	Clamping or progressive tears
Social access	Can swim and rest away from the male	Continuously trapped or pursued
Water	Zero ammonia/nitrite and stable trend	Any ammonia/nitrite or abrupt chemistry shift

Health and treatment boundaries

Good prevention means stable water, correct food, low chronic stress and quarantine practice. A damaged thick lip, swelling, refusal to eat or abnormal faeces can have multiple causes and should not trigger random medication.

Test water immediately and seek advice from a fish-experienced veterinary professional or qualified aquatic specialist. Medication can affect filtration and may be unsafe when the diagnosis is wrong.

Comparing Hertae with another Protomelas

Feature	Hertae Hap	Planning effect
Identity	Undescribed provisional form	Keep provenance and avoid unsupported locality claims
Adult profile	Large, thick-lipped crevice feeder	Needs long footprint and carnivorous/invertivorous diet
Male behaviour	Persistent cave territory possible	One male is the safer default
Female/juvenile colour	Subdued silver-grey	Sale fish are not guaranteed display males
Breeding	Maternal mouthbrooder	No pair bond or pair promise

For a described relative with different evidence, compare the Chunky Hap Cichlid. Similar genus placement does not mean identical care.

Pre-order checklist

Question	Required answer
Is the aquarium mature?	Yes; ammonia and nitrite are zero
Is adult space ready?	About 600 L and 200 cm long or larger
Is water suitable?	Stable hard alkaline Malawi conditions
Is feeding appropriate?	Complete carnivore/invertivore base with measured aquatic variety
Are tank mates checked?	Adult size, diet, colour, sex and territory assessed
Can a bullied fish be separated?	Divider, spare mature tank or rehoming route available
Is the order understood?	One unsexed fish in the selected grade

What changes when ordering several juveniles?

Several juveniles may appear compatible before sex and rank develop. That early calm is not proof that the adult group will work. Buying three or four fish does not guarantee one male with the remaining fish female, and a later surplus male can become the focus of sustained conflict.

Plan the adult volume before ordering, photograph individuals once settled and watch colour, cave use and chasing as they mature. Have enough alternative housing to remove a developing male or a female receiving concentrated pressure. Do not wait for serious injury before changing the group.

The first week

Period	Priority	What to avoid
Arrival day	Correct acclimation, low light and calm observation	Repeated netting or immediate heavy feeding
First 24 hours	Breathing, balance, physical damage and refuge access	Assuming subdued colour means wrong identity
Days 2-3	Small observed feeds and ammonia/nitrite tests	Adding food when the fish does not approach
Days 4-7	Social access, appetite, waste and fin condition	Ignoring persistent pursuit or isolation
After week one	Continue records and adjust layout only from evidence	Changing food, chemistry and tank mates all at once

Lid and equipment safety

Use a close-fitting lid because a chased or startled cichlid can jump. Cover cable and pipe openings without blocking necessary ventilation. Protect heaters from impact, keep electrical connections away from splashes and use appropriate residual-current protection.

Position filter intakes so a weakened fish cannot be trapped against them. Recheck rock stability after every maintenance session and keep a separate thermometer so a heater fault is noticed before behaviour changes become severe.

Identity and husbandry records

Keep the purchase date, provisional name, supplier line, sale size and photographs together. Record water tests, feeding changes, injuries, colour development and any separation. Good records help distinguish a slow trend from a sudden event and reduce unsupported sex or locality claims later.

If the fish breeds, document the parents and keep fry away from similar Protomelas forms. Never sell uncertain offspring as locality-pure or under a formal species name that does not exist. The restraint that protects this listing should continue with future fish.

Evidence hierarchy

The supplier controls the three sale sizes and confirms only the Hertae trade line. Specialist cichlid references control provisional identity, adult profile, habitat, feeding and breeding context. The 600 L/200 cm recommendation is a cautious retail welfare judgement based on the reported 20 cm aquarium maximum and persistent male territoriality.

This page does not promise lifespan, locality, generation, sex, adult colour, compatible harem or breeding success. Those facts are either not supplied for this stock line or vary by individual and environment.

Frequently asked questions

How many fish are included?

One unit is one unsexed fish in the selected 4-5 cm, 5-6 cm or 7-9 cm grade.

Can I choose a male or female?

No. The three grades are sold unsexed, and juvenile colour is not a dependable sex guarantee.

Is Hertae a formally described species?

No. Protomelas sp. 'hertae' is an undescribed provisional form.

Is a locality guaranteed?

No. The supplier provides no collection site or generation for this retail line.

How large can it grow?

Specialist accounts report about 17-18 cm in nature and up to roughly 20 cm in aquaria, with females usually smaller.

What aquarium size should I plan?

Use around 600 litres with a 200 cm footprint as a cautious adult baseline, increasing space for a group.

What water does it need?

Use stable hard alkaline water around 23-27 C, pH 7.5-8.5 and approximately 12-16 dGH.

What should I feed it?

Use a complete quality Malawi carnivore/invertivore staple with measured aquatic invertebrate variety.

Is it an omnivore?

Specialist evidence describes a carnivorous crevice feeder taking insects, larvae, soft invertebrates and occasionally small fish.

Can it live with aggressive mbuna?

Aggressive mbuna are usually a poor match because they can harass or outcompete this relatively calm hap.

Can I keep two males?

One mature male per aquarium is the safer default. More than one requires exceptional space and a separation plan.

Should I buy two as a pair?

No. Two unsexed fish are not a sexed or compatible pair, and this maternal mouthbrooder forms no stable pair bond.

Will a juvenile become bright blue?

Not necessarily. Mature dominant males show the strongest colour; females, juveniles and subordinate males remain more subdued.

Is breeding guaranteed?

No. Breeding depends on mature sex, condition, social structure and environment.

Is the gallery image the fish sent?

No. It is a preserved illustration, not an exact dispatch photograph or diagnostic identity reference.

Does the listing promise a lifespan?

No. The supplier gives no lifespan and individual longevity depends on many factors.

Final care summary

Choose Hertae Hap only for a mature, spacious Lake Malawi aquarium. Expect one unsexed fish in the selected grade, growing toward a cautious 20 cm adult plan. Provide roughly 600 litres and 200 cm of length, stable hard alkaline water, sand, separated rock clusters, open swimming room and specialist carnivorous/invertivorous feeding.

Plan around one mature male, do not mix with similar Protomelas forms, and keep a separation option ready. Treat the gallery as an illustration and the Hertae name as a provisional identity without a guaranteed locality or generation.