Adding Fish To My Mbuna

[nukeonekitty]

here is the set up that was in my 55 gallon- 5x Synodontis nigrita 4x Metriaclima estherae 3x Labidochromis caeruleus 3x Labeotropheus trewavasae "Zimbawe" 2x Melanochromis Johanni 1x Maylandia greshakei 1x Nimbochromis Polystigma 1x Psuedotropheus sp. Acei 1x Pseudotropheus socolofi 1x Melanochromis chipokae 1x Pseudotropheus lombardoi 1x Common Pleco

I now have a 85 gallon and I am wondering how many fish I could add and what I might want to add.

Ferris I am looking at you

 

[Ferris]

I would get another 2 or 3 labs for starters - they do better in larger groups.

I would do the same with the Acei now you have the room.

I wouldn't try and set a total stocking limit as i'm not a fan of picking a number and stocking accordingly. I prefer to look at a tank and envisage adult size for all the fish (if they're not adult already). You should be able to tell by looking when enough is enough but if you go over the top a little, you can always return some fish when they reach adulthood.

Put some more labs and acei in, take a step back and have a look. They'll certainly be room for more fish so you need to decide if you want more of the species you already have or something different. If you want some new species - see what you fancy and post them here for some advice etc.

Don't get any more Chipokae though, IMO they are at the very top of the Mbuna aggression scale and can suddenly become savage overnight. I had to return my 3 year old male recently as he decided to try and kill all the other Mbuna despite the fact that they all grew up together and have been in the same tank for over 2 years. Stunning fish but it looked like he wanted 65 gallons all to himself.

 

[nukeonekitty]

Okay that sounds good, I was counting on getting some more yellow labs. Now with acei... the one I have is pretty small (maybe 3 inches) and they have 5 full grown ones at my LFS for 40 bucks... would this be a problem? I know they are veggies, but I was wondering if they wouldn't get along because of the size difference. Keep in mind I also have some VERY small labs in the tank (like 1.5-2 inchers)

One fish in particular that has really caught my eye is this guy (Labidochromis sp. "Hongi" (SRT) )

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1911

Any input on them?


I am thinking about just taking back all my Melanochromis fish back (johannis and chipokae) just because of all the horror stories I have heard.

 

[Ferris]

Hongi are lovely fish, my adult male is tunning. People say not to mix Labidochromis species but i think an exception can be made with caeruleus and Hongi as they are so different - indeed i've done it in the past with no issues whatsoever.

Bear in mind Hongi are much more aggressive than labs - mine is the tank boss. Nothing like Auratus etc though and fine for an Mbuna community.

Acei are generally mild-mannered temperament wise but adding 5" fish to a tank with 1.5" fish is risky - might be better waiting for some smaller examples to come in to your LFS.

 

[nukeonekitty]

Okay, cool, thanks ferris! Even if I do have cross breeding I won't take the eggs out of the tank, the fish just get some eggs for dinner...