Malawi aquarium help

[lelover]

I've only had my aquarium up for two months, but I'm completely addicted. I just had to get bigger tanks and more of them. I found an ad in the paper. He was originally asking $200 for a 55 gallon tank with hood, lights, underground filter, small heater, and a 40 gallon with stand, HOB filter, good heater. It came with loads of gravel, a python vaccuum, cichlid food, some meds and aquarium salt. I talked him down to $100. I almost felt bad! I'm so excited and my wife didn't mind. She was so hesitant to getting my old fish tank running again at first.

Anyway, I'm super excited and I can't stop dreaming about what to do with them!

I'd really like to set up a cichlid tank in one or both of them. I've never kept cichlids before so don't laugh if I ask any ridiculous questions.

I think I'd like to do a Malawi tank in my 55G. I am interested in Azureus, Electric Yellow, and Demasoni. Would these 3-4 of each of these guys work together. Please respond with suggestions regarding quantity, gender and other tankmates.

As far as Tanganyikan cichlids go, I love Brichardi and am very interested in shelldwellers, similis in particluar. Would these fish get along in the 40G? If not, I think I'll make my 20G a shell dweller tank and the 40G a big tropical community with some rams or kribs.

What exactly is Mbuna? Is is another name for Malawi or just African cichlids in general?

Please impart of you vast knowledge.

 

[tonydude]

Mbuna are a group of cichlids that live in lake malawi. They tend to be rock dwelling cichlids.

 

[Snowie]

Some info on Mbuna: http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/malmbuna.htm

 

[Wannaknowaboutsand]

mbuna like sand.

You can keep the gravel and the UG if you want but the cichlids will really enjoy digging in the sand.


You stock numbers are good but, the Demasoni are very aggressive. The Labidochromis Caeruleus( electric yellow) are not.

You can try that combination but I don't know how well it will work for the Electric yellows.


You might want to change the demasoni for something else, or live a little on the risky side and over stock the tank to keep the aggression down.

 

[lelover]

Thanks for the help guys.

The gravel that came with the tanks has quite a bit of sand mixed in with it so I think I'll stick with it.

Is there a problem keeping the azureus (a hap) with mbuna?

 

[Nina7777]

I don't suggest putting desamoni with electric yellows. The labs are alot less aggressive. If you still want to than make sure theres tons of hiding spots.

and in a 55 gallon I'd imagine that you'd want to overstock quit a bit.......but ask or wait for cichlidaddict he's the best when it comes to mbuna's.

 

[lelover]

Well, It appears that my first stab at a a Malawi aquarium was very poor. None of the three Malawis I like are recommended to live together. I'll keep trying!

 

[vantgE]

sounds like you got an awesome deal my used tank was alot more, oh well
Best to wait for CA
but in terms of the looks of demasomni, male saulosi are quite similar and cichlidaddict has recomended them before as a replacement for less agrisive tank but then that would pretty much only be one of them howver they will work with your labs heres a site, for more fish if your intrested http/cichlid-forum.com/articles/species_profiles.php i am sure you will have no problems finding more mbuna you cichlids you like, try and saty in the same categories as listed as for the most part mbuna should be kept toghether and haps seperate
I personally recomend doing a mbuna tank

sorry i can't help you at all with the tangykians

 

[lelover]

Wow, those saulosi are absolutely fascinating! Now the hunting from lfs to lfs begins. In the last paragraph of the link it says that labidochromis are good tankmates, but to avoid blue and yellow fish. Does that mean no to electric yellows?

 

[vantgE]

i'm not sure why they said that maybe crossbreeding ,

but i know that CA has suggested them for a tank includeing labs though

 

[lelover]

Well, while we're waiting for the expert...I started looking into kenyi's, but I guess they're mighty aggressive too. I can't find anything about what my lfs labels as snow whites or azuras...any ideas?

 

[vantgE]

snow whites should be a pseudotropheus (sp sorry) scofoli, they are one of the only mbuna that have actually been bred like guppies to produce color strains don't know about the azures though

 

[lelover]

Can anyone suggest some entertaining and colorful tankmates for yellow labs?