cichlids

[MountGuppy]

can lake malawi cichlids live with other kinds of cichlids

 

[semper fi]

lake malawi cichlids are divided into two classes of fish. umtaka and mbuna. the umtaka are the open water fish and mbuna is the rockfish. each of the lakes is best to be kept seperate. mbuna are very aggressive and not suitable for being with other fish.

great fish to have, cichlids.

semper fi

 

[MountGuppy]

can mbunas be with other mbunas though

 

[semper fi]

yes. mbuna are very aggressive and their aggression level can be lowered by overstocking the tank. also mbuna are harem breeders. their aggression level is lowered by keeping 3 females to every male. usually this is pretty easy as with the mbuna, not all, the male and female coloring is different.

semper fi

 

[MountGuppy]

is that the only way to tell male and female

 

[semper fi]

you can vent fish to tell if it is a male or female. i do not do this or have done it. it takes alot of practice. basically you turn the fish upside down and locate the two holes underneath. one is where they excrete sperm or eggs. the other is where they poop. i am not sure but i think the female hole will be more oval while the male is round. need good eyesight for it. if you pm cichlidmaster he can tell you how to do it. also need to keep your hands wet at all times to not disturb the slime coat of the fish.

some use the egg spots or dummy spots. they are located underneath the fish on the anal fin. the number of spots is supposed to indicate whether or not it is a male or female.

semper fi

 

[MountGuppy]

ok thanks