Placidochromis phenochilus — Gissel

Placidochromis phenochilus Gissel at a glance

Placidochromis phenochilus is a cichlid from the northern part of Lake Malawi, and this listing offers the line sold under the trade label Gissel. Each purchase is one live fish in the size you choose: 4–5 cm, 5–6 cm or 7–8 cm. The size you select is the size supplied, not the adult size. FishBase records the species at 15.7 cm total length, so even the largest option has roughly half its growing still ahead of it.

This is a fish for a planned Lake Malawi aquarium rather than a general community tank. OATA’s care sheet for Malawi cichlids describes the group as aggressive fish to be mixed with caution, kept only with other Malawi cichlids or certain Lake Malawi Synodontis catfish, in hard, alkaline water and a large, well-filtered aquarium.

If you already run, or are building, a Malawi community of the right size, it can be a fine addition. If you are after a peaceful mixed tank of tetras, livebearers and soft plants, it is the wrong fish.

Quick facts

Name, origin and choosing a size

The scientific name, Placidochromis phenochilus, identifies the species; Gissel is a trade label that travels with this line and is not part of that name. FishBase places the species in the cichlid family and classes it as benthopelagic, a fish that uses the water near the bottom as well as the open water above it.

The formal record of the wild fish is brief. FishBase lists its distribution as known only from the holotype, the specimen on which the scientific description rests, taken at Vua in the northern part of Lake Malawi, and Wikipedia describes it as endemic to the northern parts of the lake. The wild species is assessed as Endangered by the IUCN; that status concerns wild populations and is not a statement about the fish in this listing.

Which size suits you

All three sizes are the same fish at different stages of growth, and every one of them will need the same adult aquarium. A 4–5 cm fish has the most growing ahead of it; a 7–8 cm fish is further along and nearer to showing adult colour. If you are adding to an established community, weigh up the size of the cichlids already there, and bear in mind OATA’s advice to add Malawi cichlids in groups rather than singly, so that no single newcomer takes all the attention while it settles.

What you can and cannot choose

You choose the size; you cannot choose the sex. OATA notes that many Malawi cichlids show differences between the sexes only once they are adult, not as juveniles, and that the main differences are colour or egg spots on the male’s anal fin. A young fish may show neither yet, and it may grow up as a female without the colouring in the photograph.

Sex is guaranteed only when the selected option explicitly states male or female. This Placidochromis phenochilus giselli listing has no sex-guaranteed option.

The photograph shows a fully coloured fish. Gallery images have been digitally enhanced to improve image quality. Natural colour, pattern, size and maturity can vary between live animals.

If you are still deciding what to keep, the African cichlid range covers the other Malawi species we stock.

Planning the aquarium

OATA recommends an aquarium of at least 200 litres for a reasonable-sized community of Malawi cichlids, and advises buying as large a tank as you reasonably can, because the larger the volume, the more stable its temperature and water quality. With adults of this species reaching 15.7 cm, aim for the upper end of what your space allows rather than the minimum.

Filtration and oxygen

A filter is essential in every aquarium, and the RSPCA’s aquarium advice is plain that no fish should be kept without a well set-up and maintained one. For Malawi cichlids OATA goes further. Successful Malawi communities are kept slightly crowded, so it recommends:

• an oversized filter, able to cope with the waste of a well-stocked group;
• vigorous aeration, so there is enough dissolved oxygen for every fish;
• regular checks for blockages, so flow never quietly drops away.

Substrate, decor and plants

OATA recommends coral sand or a similar substrate, which helps buffer the water towards the hard, alkaline conditions these fish need. Malawi cichlids will often dig and rearrange the substrate, which will uproot any plants, so only the hardiest plants are worth trying. Expect the scene to shift a little as the fish settle and dig, and plan decor with that in mind.

Mature the filter before stocking

A working biological filter lets beneficial bacteria break down waste: toxic ammonia becomes nitrite, which is also toxic, and then nitrate, which is safer. The filter needs time to build up those bacteria, so mature it before any fish arrives and test until ammonia and nitrite both read zero, as OATA asks before fish are added. Our guide to setting up a first tropical tank explains how to mature a filter from scratch.

After that, increase stocking slowly. OATA explains that the bacterial population has to grow every time more fish are added and feeding increases. Stock too much too quickly and you risk “new tank syndrome”: there are not enough nitrifying bacteria for the extra waste, ammonia and nitrite climb, and fish can become ill or die. A group of large cichlids produces plenty of waste, so patience at this stage pays off.

Hard, alkaline water

Malawi cichlids are a specialised group that need particular water conditions. OATA’s Malawi cichlid care sheet gives the following as a general guide for the group. It is broad guidance rather than a species-specific optimum, so aim to hold your aquarium steadily inside these ranges rather than chasing one exact number.

Why the hardness figures matter

Carbonate hardness is the water’s buffer: it helps pH stay steady rather than drifting between water changes. That is why OATA pairs its high pH figures with hard water and a coral sand or similar substrate. Read pH and carbonate hardness together, because pH is only as steady as the buffering behind it.

GH and KH in plain terms

General hardness (GH) measures the dissolved minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium, that make water hard. Carbonate hardness (KH) measures the carbonates and bicarbonates that resist changes in pH. OATA gives both for Malawi cichlids because they work together: water can be hard overall yet low in KH, and then its pH is far less secure. Most test kits report both in degrees, dGH and dKH, the units used in the table above.

Know your tap water

Tap water differs from one area to the next, so test yours before you plan around it. Measure pH, general hardness and carbonate hardness in the tap water as well as the aquarium, and look again after any change of supply, domestic softener or filter. Our aquarium water parameters guide explains what each reading means, and the water parameter matcher compares your results with the ranges above.

Nitrate and your tap water

OATA sets its nitrate limit against your own supply: no more than 20 mg per litre above normal tap water levels. Test your tap water for nitrate as well as the aquarium. If the tap reads 10 mg per litre, keep the aquarium at or below 30 mg per litre; if it reads close to zero, the ceiling is about 20. Regular partial water changes are how you keep nitrate within that margin in a well-stocked cichlid aquarium.

What to record each week

A written log turns single readings into trends, which makes a slow drift far easier to spot.

Temperature

Use a thermostatic heater and a separate thermometer so you are reading the water rather than the heater setting. Hold the temperature steadily within 23–27°C, and if a reading drifts, check the equipment first and correct it gradually.

Feeding

OATA’s Malawi sheet makes an important point: diets vary across the lake’s cichlids. The smaller rock-dwelling mbuna lean towards plant food and appreciate specialised Malawi feeds with a high algae content along with fresh vegetables. Some of the larger open-water species are more predatory and need pellets with a higher animal content, plus frozen foods such as brine shrimp, prawns or cockles.

A practical feeding plan

• Offer a good-quality cichlid pellet, sized so the fish can take it comfortably, as the everyday food.
• Add frozen foods such as brine shrimp for variety.
• Change foods one at a time, and watch how the fish feeds and holds its condition before changing anything else.
• In a mixed Malawi community, feed with every species in mind, since the mbuna and the larger fish may need different foods.

How much and how often

OATA advises feeding Malawi cichlids only what they can eat within a few minutes, twice a day. Take care not to overfeed: uneaten food breaks down and releases toxic waste into the water, and in the slightly crowded communities these fish are kept in, that waste adds up quickly.

Watch the feeding as closely as the food. In a busy Malawi group, check that every fish, newcomers included, is actually getting a share, and spread the food across the surface rather than dropping it in one spot.

A newly arrived fish may take a little time to feed confidently. Offer a small amount, remove anything left, and build up as the fish settles rather than trying to tempt it with extra food.

From dispatch size to adult

Every size on offer is a young fish with a long way to grow, and the aquarium has to be ready for the adult rather than the fish that arrives. Measured against FishBase’s maximum of 15.7 cm, the three sizes compare like this:

What changes as it grows

• Appearance: adult colour, and the differences between the sexes, develop with maturity, so the fish you unpack will not look the same a year later.
• Food and waste: a growing fish eats more, and OATA explains that the filter’s bacteria have to increase whenever feeding increases. Keep testing as the group grows instead of relying on the readings from the first month.
• Space: a group that looks comfortable at 5 cm takes up far more of the aquarium at adult size, which is why OATA’s 200 litres is a starting point for a community, not a figure to go below.
• Balance: as the sexes become clear, so does the make-up of your group, and that is the time to check it against OATA’s advice to keep more females than males.

A readiness checklist for a Malawi aquarium

Work through this list before you order. Each point comes from the guidance on this page, and together they describe what a Malawi community needs from its first day.

• An aquarium of at least 200 litres for the community, and larger if you can manage it.
• An oversized filter that has fully matured, with ammonia and nitrite both testing at zero.
• Vigorous aeration for plenty of dissolved oxygen.
• Coral sand or a similar buffering substrate, and a layout you are happy for digging fish to rearrange.
• Water tested and holding within OATA’s Malawi guidance: 23–27°C, pH 8.0–8.6, 12–18 dGH and 10–15 dKH.
• A thermostatic heater and a separate thermometer.
• A stocking plan built only from Lake Malawi cichlids and Lake Malawi Synodontis, working towards a group of at least 15, with more females than males where you can.
• An order of introduction: more peaceful species first and more aggressive ones later, added in groups rather than singly.
• A spare, cycled aquarium or another way to separate a fish that is being persistently harassed.
• Test kits, tap-water conditioner, a siphon and time set aside for a weekly 25% partial water change.

If any point is still open, finish it first. A Malawi aquarium that is stable before the fish arrive is much easier to keep settled afterwards.

Arrival and introduction

Tropical Fish Co hand-packs every order. Each fish is bagged in pure oxygen and packed in an insulated poly box, with a heat pack added when the weather needs it. The parcel travels with a licensed live-animal courier, and an email gives you the tracking number and confirmed delivery date. Live fish cannot be left unattended, so plan to be in. The delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee terms set out the details.

Before the parcel arrives

• Test the aquarium the day before: ammonia and nitrite at zero, with pH, hardness and temperature inside the ranges on this page.
• If the fish is joining an existing group, plan the decor rearrangement you will make when it goes in.
• Have the spare, cycled aquarium running in case the newcomer, or one of the residents, needs to come out.

Unpacking, step by step

1. Have someone at the address on the confirmed day to receive the parcel, as the guarantee requires.
2. Film one continuous unboxing video for every parcel: start with the sealed box in view, keep recording as you open it, and finish with the fish still inside the sealed bag.
3. Open and inspect the parcel on the same day it arrives.
4. Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 20–30 minutes before releasing the fish.
5. Release the fish without pouring any bag water into the aquarium.
6. If there is a problem, message the store the same day, by WhatsApp for the quickest reply, with your order number and the unboxing video, and a replacement or refund will be arranged.

Settling into a Malawi community

OATA’s introduction advice centres on the settling-in period. It recommends adding Malawi cichlids in groups, so that no individual receives unnecessary aggression as it settles, and adding the more peaceful species before the more aggressive ones. It also notes that rearranging the decor can help reduce aggression, because every fish has to find a new territory at the same time.

Over the following days, check the newcomer at feeding times and compare it against OATA’s picture of a healthy fish: clear, bright eyes, undamaged fins, intact scales, no ulcers or bumps, and normal swimming. Keep testing ammonia and nitrite, because every addition asks more of the filter.

Routine care and health watch

Good husbandry matters more than anything else you can buy: OATA points out that Malawi cichlids can be stressed by even the smallest amounts of ammonia and nitrite.

The weekly routine

• A partial water change of 25% at least once every week, which OATA strongly recommends, using a siphon to lift solid waste from the substrate.
• Water tests at least once a week, so ammonia and nitrite cannot build up unnoticed; log pH and carbonate hardness too.
• Tap-water conditioner in all replacement water, to remove chlorine or chloramine before it reaches the aquarium.
• A filter check for blockages. When the media needs cleaning, rinse it lightly in the tank water removed during the water change; do not run it under the tap, because chlorine or chloramine can kill the beneficial bacteria.

Signs worth noticing

Every fish varies a little, so the useful question is whether something has changed. OATA lists these areas to watch:

In a Malawi community, watch the social picture as well as each fish. One fish hiding constantly or carrying torn fins can point to aggression rather than illness, and that calls for a look at group size, balance and layout.

A simple care calendar

If you are worried

Test the water first, since ammonia, nitrite and a drifting pH explain a great deal. Then think back over recent additions, feeding and maintenance before reaching for any treatment, and get experienced advice if the signs persist or worsen.

Building a Malawi community

OATA is clear that Malawi cichlids should only be kept with other Malawi cichlids or with some species of Synodontis catfish that naturally live in Lake Malawi. It describes them as aggressive fish, all of which should be mixed with caution, so this is a fish for a purpose-built Malawi aquarium rather than a general community.

Group size and balance

Malawi cichlids are not social fish, OATA explains, and can be highly aggressive, yet they can be kept in groups of at least 15, slightly overcrowded to limit aggression. Small groups will often fight. Where possible, keep more females than males of each species, so that males do not harass one individual female.

Because young fish of this size cannot be sexed by eye, you cannot set a sex ratio on day one. Plan for the balance to reveal itself as the fish mature, and keep a spare, cycled aquarium in mind in case one fish needs to come out.

Order and layout

• Add Malawi cichlids in groups rather than one at a time, so no single fish takes all the aggression.
• Add the more peaceful species first and the more aggressive species later.
• Rearrange the decor when you add fish; OATA notes that it can reduce aggression as fish find new territories.

Why a general community will not work

Two things rule it out. The first is water: OATA describes Malawi cichlids as a specialised group needing particular conditions, and hard, alkaline water at pH 8.0–8.6 is a different brief from the softer water many community fish are kept in. The second is temperament: OATA describes every Malawi cichlid as aggressive and names only other Malawi cichlids and certain Lake Malawi Synodontis as companions. A mixed tank of small, peaceful fish would suit neither side.

Malawi cichlid groups in brief

OATA divides the lake’s many cichlids loosely into two main groups: mbuna, which are rock-dwelling species, and utaka, which swim in the open water. The groups differ in diet as well as habitat, which matters when you plan who shares the aquarium and how it is fed. OATA also notes that most Malawi cichlids in the aquarium trade are captive bred.

Size within the group

OATA notes that most Malawi cichlids grow to around 10 cm, though some reach 25 cm. At 15.7 cm, this species sits towards the larger end, which is worth building into both the size of the aquarium and the number of fish you stock.

Handling aggression

Malawi cichlids are aggressive, so some chasing comes with the territory. What needs action is a fish that is singled out: always hiding, carrying torn or missing fins, or no longer feeding, all changes that OATA’s health watch list covers. When you see it:

1. Check group size and balance against OATA’s guidance; small groups and too many males both focus aggression on fewer fish.
2. Rearrange the decor so that every fish has to find a new territory.
3. If one fish is still targeted, move it to the spare, cycled aquarium before it is hurt further.
4. Test the water, since even small amounts of ammonia or nitrite add stress to a tense group.

Catfish companions

The one non-cichlid companion OATA names is Synodontis catfish, and only species that naturally inhabit Lake Malawi. Check the origin of any Synodontis before buying rather than assuming every species in the genus qualifies.

Common questions

How big does Placidochromis phenochilus Gissel get?

FishBase and Wikipedia both record a maximum of 15.7 cm total length. Fish supplied at 4–5, 5–6 or 7–8 cm still have a good deal of growing to do, so plan the aquarium for the adult.

What size aquarium does Placidochromis phenochilus need?

OATA recommends at least 200 litres for a reasonable-sized community of Malawi cichlids and advises buying as large a tank as you reasonably can. With adults reaching 15.7 cm, aim above that minimum where space allows, and pair it with an oversized filter and strong aeration.

How many Malawi cichlids should be kept together?

OATA's broad guidance for Malawi cichlids is a group of at least 15, kept slightly crowded to spread aggression, because small groups will often fight. Where possible, keep more females than males of each species; young fish cannot be sexed by eye, so expect to review the balance as they mature.

Is Placidochromis phenochilus Gissel suitable for beginners?

It suits a keeper ready to plan a large, hard-water Malawi community. OATA describes Malawi cichlids as usually undemanding once their water is right, but mixing these aggressive fish takes planning, space and patience.

What does Placidochromis phenochilus eat?

Offer a good-quality cichlid pellet sized for the fish, with frozen foods such as brine shrimp for variety. OATA advises giving Malawi cichlids only what they eat within a few minutes, twice a day, and removing anything left so it cannot foul the water.

What temperature and pH does Placidochromis phenochilus need?

OATA's broad guidance for Lake Malawi cichlids is 23–27°C, pH 8.0–8.6, general hardness of 12–18 dGH and carbonate hardness of 10–15 dKH. Treat these as group guidance and keep the water stable within them.

Is Placidochromis phenochilus aggressive?

OATA describes all Malawi cichlids as aggressive fish that should be mixed with caution. Aggression is managed through group size, a slightly crowded community, the order fish are added and a large enough aquarium.

What can live with Placidochromis phenochilus Gissel?

Only other Lake Malawi cichlids or those Synodontis catfish species that naturally live in Lake Malawi, according to OATA. Fish from outside the lake do not belong in this aquarium.

How does Placidochromis phenochilus Gissel arrive alive in the UK?

Each fish is hand-packed in a bag of pure oxygen inside an insulated box, with a heat pack in cold weather, and carried by a licensed live-animal courier; someone must be in to receive it. Record one continuous unboxing video from the sealed parcel to the fish in its sealed bag, then float the bag for 20–30 minutes before release. Send that video with your order number the same day for any Live Arrival Guarantee claim.

Sources

The identity, size and care guidance on this page comes from these public sources:

• FishBase: Placidochromis phenochilus species summary: family, environment, distribution, maximum recorded length and IUCN status.
• Wikipedia: Placidochromis phenochilus: range within Lake Malawi and recorded length.
• OATA: How to look after African Malawi cichlids: the UK trade body’s care sheet for the group, covering water, aquarium size, feeding, maintenance and compatibility.
• RSPCA: choosing an aquarium for pet fish: filtration and the nitrogen cycle.

OATA’s sheet covers Malawi cichlids as a whole, so its figures appear here as guidance for the group, while FishBase and Wikipedia supply the identity and recorded size of the species itself.

Delivery, packing and Live Arrival Guarantee details follow Tropical Fish Co’s delivery policy, linked in the arrival section above.