How aggressive are Mbuna Cichlids??

[OscarCichlid]

I had an Mbuna with a Convict and he was getting beat up, so i moved him to mt 55 gallon gourami tank. At night he was fine. When i woke up he was dead. There was a hole in him bihe enough for my paradise gourami to fit in and his insides were completely gone. My gouramis are very over aggressive but i didnt think they were that aggressive. It was either the gouramis or my channel cats. What do you guys think killed him?? If it was the channel cat, how are my gouramis surviving with him in there?? If it was my gouramis, what Afircan Cichlid tankmates would you guys suggest??

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Mbuna aggression varies from pretty unaggressive to extremely hostile. There are a number of reasons he may have died, but the main reason would probably end up being related to stress of some form - it sounds like he may have had a less then ideal diet, and has been kept with tankmates that were not the best choices. It also matters what your water perameters are like.

What kind of mbuna it was would be important as well.

Keep in mind that I have no details and am just speculating right now.

 

[OscarCichlid]

im not sure what kind of mbuna. i took a water sample to NJ pets with a list of tankmates and they said to raise the ph a little and he will be fine.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

The best tankmates for mbuna are other mbuna, there are very few fish I would put them with otherwise, and both gouramis and convicts are not included in that short list. An mbuna can live with a convict, but if it is a very aggressive mbuna the convict won't do well. It it is a very docile mbuna then the mbuna won't do well. In addition there are the dietary and water differences.

 

[proteque]

Not in a million years should convicts be mixed with mbuna cichlids. When convicts breed (and they do nomatter what you do to them! not sure but I think even two males with breed hehe ) they will attack all fish that comes too close and may end up killing them.