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Malawi Mbuna Cichlids


MRSkz

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Ok I've come over to the "dark side". I'm changing my 3 foot tank to suit the Mbuna's that I WILL be getting. I've got half the back wall done in rocks so far http://www.geocities.com/twalknz/mrskzfishys.html the first 3 footer is what it looked like before hand.

Now I've been reading that theise fish like a tank that's even abit over stocked. I don't know how true this is or not but I wanted to know how many of them should I look to be putting in my 3 footer (exactly 90cm x 45 x 45) Also your suggestions on fish would be appriciated. I'm don't want anything that's extreamly agresive or that gets HUGE however.

ty all

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I'm thinking of going with Pseudotropheus socolofi, Pseudotropheus saulosi, Pseudotropheus demasoni, Pseudotropheus daktari, Pseudotropheus acei, Maylandia / Metriaclima estherae, Maylandia/Metriaclima crabro, Labidochromis caeruleus, Iodotropheus sprengerae. well a selection of those :wink: don't know that I could have all of them in a 3 footer :o I also don't know if all of those are avalible in NZ.

so that's what I'm sorta looking at, ideas, thoughts, coments, and how many I should think about putting n2 the tank would be appriciated.

ty

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hi ya,

malawi's do seem to fight alittle less when tank is over-crowded,to much going on all the time me's think.

i had 6-2-2 with appox: 40-50,they still fought,but not as much as they did as the number's increased,alway's change rocks around when adding a new fish,and preferabley add more than one at a time.

not to sure about what is available,standard's wise,but there is heaps of breeders around with great selection and good prices.

you could just do what most do,just keep adding till tank reaches a balance.

good luck and have fun :lol: :bounce: :lol:

shelley

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Your biggest problem is having to chose what you can get and I suspect your choice will be limited. Most lfs seem to sell them just as "African cichlids" and don't know what they are - and many are actually hybrids. Try to find a breeder.

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Welcome to the dark side :bounce:

Try to mix & match by different colours & species. eg; a male red top zebra & a hongi will fight with each other as they are similar colours.

Some species are really agro too. eg; demasoni(shame its a pretty fish)

Acei's, yellows are nice & placid for mbuna. Add a peacock or two...

Yes a crowded mbuna tank is great, just need to be well filtered, & regular water changes. Though you will need a bigger tank later on as some mbuna. eg; Crabro's get to 20cm.

Then again hard to reccomend what to go for when I don't know what you have available. Try to buy fish with scientific name, as god knows what you might end up with. or a good breeder.

Frenchy :D

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ok socolofi, estherae, crabro and yellow labs are all found quite commonly in lfs's

all the rest i have never seem in NZ, although i think some maybe be on the import list.

you may like

labidotropheus trewavasse i think thats the right name :-?

pseudotropheus kingsizei

pseudotropheus aurora

melanochromis johannii

those are sometimes found in shops

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thanks heeps for all the ideas and suggestions, more is always welcome. getting most of my info from the forum and here http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/malmbuna.htm I'm of the mined to stick to the "non agresive" (as much as mbunas come :wink: ) one's with a max size of 12cm (aprox)

I know I have just the bare minimum tank size for theise guys that is one reason I want to stick to the smaller variety. I already have 2 filters and an airstone going in the tank wich is severly UNDER stocked w/guppies, corys, bn's and dwarf chiclids (4).

I caught the "bug" when I fell inlove with a double red male apistogramma agazzi. I can see my guppies and betta (1male 1fem) falling by the wayside and me dedicating the 2 foot tank to my b/n's, cory's and dwarfs but not there YET.

When I was reading up on fish before getting any I remember reading "DON'T GET CHICLIDS" I can, now, only imagine that this person musta been N U T S!!! :o

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