55 gallon Mbuna tank...

[keane]

Hi folks,

have now (pretty much!) decided on the following Mbuna for my 55 gallon tank: -

Pseudotropheus Socolofi (x4 - 1 male, 3 female)
Labidochromis Caeruleus or Perlmutt (x4 - 1 male, 3 female)

and either: -

Metriaclima Estherae (Red) (x4 - 1 male, 3 female), or
Cynotilapia Afra (Cobue) (x4 - 1 male, 3 female)

any comments on the above??

I was also pondering on having 2 syno catfish but....my main question is.....
could I keep say 3-4 clown loach instead of the catfish??

Before I get jumped on I do know how big clowns can grow to (over a period of up to 10 years) and they would be acquired with a view to transferring them to another tank a few years down the line.

Any views on all of the above would be welcome.

cheers

Steve B)

 

[freddyk]

Yes, clown loaches do fine with mbuna, but don't buy them as itty bitty babies if you can help it.

I'd also stock more mbuna. Sparse mbuna tanks usually mean higher aggression, or at least, less fish for the dominent fish to take it out on. Try 7, or even 8 of each of 2 species, or perhaps 5 each of 3 species. The good thing about the Lab. Caeruleus is that they live a colony style life, and males will tolerate each other in the same aquarium, especially when introduced together. This helps since you will have no way of sexing them when you buy them.

 

[Apocalypse]

Excellent choice. It will also control the snail population, if you have them or have live plants.

-Apoc-

 

[keane]

thanks freddy and Apoc!

Clown loaches it is then! Hoorrah!!

steve B)

 

[gixer]

i'm not too keep on this idea of clown loaches with mbuna at all. everyone here seems to disagree though.

i would stay within bio types and deffinatly go with synodontis of some sort.
i like to stick to bio types and a clown loach certainly doesn't belong with any africans, thats for sure.

but thats just me

 

[G_Sharky]

clown loaches would do great on a mbuna tank..my clown loaches are never touched by any of my cichlid.....I wouldn't get clown loaches anything smaller than 2" cause small clown loaches on my experience are not very hardy and are proned to sickness compare to a bigger one.....