Aquarist Atlas
Collection point · Lake Malawi · Tanzania

Mandalawi Reef

mahn-dah-LAH-wee REEF (approx.)

The atlas records 4 collection-point forms from Mandalawi Reef, across 3 genera.

11.2868°S 34.7415°E

Mandalawi Reef, also known as Rhoade's Bank, is a reef off Lake Malawi's Tanzanian shore, about 2 km north-north-west of Higga Reef.

Where it is

Mandalawi Reef is on the eastern shore of Lake Malawi, in its central third (125 mi south of the lake's northern tip).

Nearest collection points: Higga Reef 1.4 mi south · Sambia Reef 2.7 mi east · Ngkuyo Island 2.7 mi south-east

Shore, third and distances are measured from the coordinates above against the lake’s mapped outline.

The water

Lake-wide measured chemistry of Lake Malawi — collection points share their lake's water; site-specific figures are shown only where the literature records them.

Temperature75.2–84.2 °F24–29 °C
pH8.2–8.6alkaline
Hardnessmoderately soft, alkaline, well-buffered79 ppm
Conductivity≈250–260 µS/cmmeasured range

Nearest measured station: Salima (south-east shore) (~276 km) — Conductivity 235 µS/cm

Surface temperature here

Across May–Nov, monthly means run 76 °F to 82 °F — coolest in Aug. Measured by satellite 1995–2023: the daily median of clear readings within 10 km of the site (933 clear days). The rainy-season months are usually too cloudy to measure and are left blank.

75°78°81°84°Jan: too few clear satellite days (0)–JFeb: too few clear satellite days (1)–FMar: too few clear satellite days (1)–MApr: too few clear satellite days (7)–AMay: 80 °F mean (79 °F–81 °F), 60 clear satellite daysMJun: 78 °F mean (77 °F–80 °F), 112 clear satellite daysJJul: 77 °F mean (76 °F–78 °F), 152 clear satellite daysJAug: 76 °F mean (75 °F–78 °F), 208 clear satellite daysASep: 78 °F mean (76 °F–79 °F), 219 clear satellite daysSOct: 80 °F mean (79 °F–82 °F), 120 clear satellite daysONov: 82 °F mean (81 °F–84 °F), 51 clear satellite daysNDec: too few clear satellite days (2)–D
Surface temperature by month near Mandalawi Reef — dot = mean, bar = typical range (10th–90th percentile), “–” = too cloudy to measure.

Temperature: ESA Climate Change Initiative, Lakes_cci v3.0 (Asfour et al. 2026; doi:10.5285/a56dba09df8a42ec9fba8b8c7a5e1f69). Chemistry on this page remains the lake's own.

Sources
  1. malawi.si — Lake Malawi interactive locations map: Mandalawi Reef (Rhoade's Bank)

Each entry below is the population of that species recorded here — the form aquarists keep and breed as a distinct, provenance-labelled line. Crossing forms from different collection points is considered hybridisation in the hobby.

Copadichromis (1)

Otopharynx (1)

Placidochromis (2)

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