New Malawi/mbuna Tank! Nooob

[leeroy]

me and my gf got a fish tank after moving in together (a juwel rio 180) and now having what appears to be a happy community going on... but it wasn't long till we were contemplating our next tank. On a trip to our lfs last weekend they had a lake malawi/mbuna tank set up and we both decided there and then it was to be!!!!

so 1 week later we have another tank, a Juwel rio 240 4ft tank, allbeit a second hand tank, its in good condition with cabinet and only a few years old.

I've already got a fluval 305 building up bacteria on the community tank at the moment which will be moved onto the new tank. i understand the tank will need a high turnover and im unsure wether to keep the standard internal filter or opt for another fluval 305 to free up some room and give a greater turnover.

First question: if i opted for a second fluval 305 filter would it be best to have both inlets at the oppersite end to the outlets to draw the water across the tank??

We are going to have a sand substrate with a 'rock' decor with a few scattered live plants but we are undecided as to which rocks to have at the moment as we cant agree (i want ocean rock, she wants slate)........ but we have some nice small cobbles in our community tank which we both agree would look good but wether they would be suitable to create a large structure from im unsure. I have acquired some lovely 6"x2' dark slate which i plan to use as the background on the tank.

As for stocking i have no idea as the names of the fish are just baffling at the mo and as soon as i find a fish i like i forget the name anyway any stocking suggestions for our tank would be greatly appreciated...

I'll keep the thread updated and get some pics up when over this weekend hopefully as we try and bring this tank together...

im sure i'll have a ton of questions so thanks in advice foe any advice!!

Lee

 

[HappyGeorge]

The only way I made any head way into understanding the different species available and their very different requirements was with some good old fashioned books, could then pick them up as and when I had a few minutes and let it sink in slowly. Keep them in a magazine rack next to my bed, so I think some of the info may have got into my head by osmosis.

Most useful one I have was Lake Malawi Cichlds - A complete Pet Owners Guide - by BARRONS.

1/4 of the book is probably a bit suck eggs for you
1/4 is history of Lake, environment details etc
1/2 the book is nice photos of various fish split into their main groups with a reasonable idea of what will mix.

You can then cross reference it with the internet guides.

Ordered mine from Amazon a few quid and arrived the next day.

 

[glolite]

Definately go for the second filter. My mbuna tank has the juwel internal plus an Aqua Pro 3 external filter. I run the outlet from the external filter at the opposite end to the outlet on the internal filter using the spray bar set just under the water. This gives quite a fast flow of water without upsetting the feeding patterns.

This means the two inlet tubes are at the same end of the tank but I don't think this matters, as the fast water flow must send the water around the tank so that it all goes through both filters.

If you do decide to go for 2 filters it's less work and the filter flosses need less regular cleaning. Also of course, it's always good to have back-up incase one fails.

Hope this helps.

 

[dthoffsett]

Definately go for the second filter. My mbuna tank has the juwel internal plus an Aqua Pro 3 external filter. I run the outlet from the external filter at the opposite end to the outlet on the internal filter using the spray bar set just under the water. This gives quite a fast flow of water without upsetting the feeding patterns.

This means the two inlet tubes are at the same end of the tank but I don't think this matters, as the fast water flow must send the water around the tank so that it all goes through both filters.

If you do decide to go for 2 filters it's less work and the filter flosses need less regular cleaning. Also of course, it's always good to have back-up incase one fails.

Hope this helps.

Agreed.

If you haven't done so, I'd highly recommend reading the links below for more information. Stocking is by far the most difficult part of an mbuna tank, I'd suggest going to your lfs and writing down the names of all the fish you are interested in, then research them and post on here for help with compatability.

[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=27706"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=27706[/URL]
[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=98179"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=98179[/URL]
[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=299333"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=299333[/URL]

 

[leeroy]

thanks for the replies...

yeh i've read through the guides and keep flicking through them trying to get the info to stick...

been round a few lfs's today and its really sperred me to get the tank done so i've been round numerous DIY stores this afternoon looking for the decor and im glad to say i now have a tank im pretty happy with (even better though the gf likes it). now got it filled and heating with an already cycled filter clearing the water from the sand i added.

Forgot to bring camera home from work so i'll hopefully get some pics up tomorrow evening..

Im still baffled after looking at several malawi fish today as to what stocking i want. i know i'd like several varieties but several of each variety. any ideas for a stocking and compatability list for a 240ltr would be appreciated

oh and i'll be picking up another fluval 305 on tuesday for the tank

Lee

 

[dthoffsett]

Can you remember the names of the fish you liked the look of?

For your size tank I'd aim for a total of 15-17 adults, so you could do 3 species of 5-6 individuals each or 4 species of 4 individuals.

As for actual species, I'd avoid any of the Melanochromis species and Metriaclima lombardoi (often sold as Kennyi/Kenyi) due to their high aggression. I could come up with an infinite combination of species that would work, so if you could list a few that you like I can help with compatability.

Edit: forgot to add that you'll want to be sure to dose your empty tank w/ammonia to keep the bacteria alive until you start adding fish.

 

[leeroy]

Edit: forgot to add that you'll want to be sure to dose your empty tank w/ammonia to keep the bacteria alive until you start adding fish.

nope not forgotten and about 10ml of ammonia dosed for 2nite.

my gf want some yellow labs and demasoni (although reading up i think i can only keep 1 or 12+).

i guess i shouldn't include Melanochromis Auratus in a stocking list then? shame as i like them.......

 

[dthoffsett]

my gf want some yellow labs and demasoni (although reading up i think i can only keep 1 or 12+).

i guess i shouldn't include Melanochromis Auratus in a stocking list then? shame as i like them.......

Yup, demasoni should be kept in groups of 12+ or as a single specimen. Your girlfriend has good taste as labs/dems are a stunning combo.

I agree, auratus are lovely looking but they are very aggressive and IMO shouldn't be sold in the hobby. The worst part with them is they may get along for months or even a year and then suddenly they turn and start killing.

 

[leeroy]

[/quote]

Yup, demasoni should be kept in groups of 12+ or as a single specimen. Your girlfriend has good taste as labs/dems are a stunning combo.

I agree, auratus are lovely looking but they are very aggressive and IMO shouldn't be sold in the hobby. The worst part with them is they may get along for months or even a year and then suddenly they turn and start killing.
[/quote]


so i'll defo be getting yellow labs then possibly 4 or 5 and am i right that they can be a mix of m/f or should they be kept 1m//3f or something??

also will be having 1 dem rather than 12 as i like the idea of having a nice and multi coloured tank if poss. if i was to go for dems what would the m/f ratio be??

thanks for all the help by the way !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dthoffsett]

You are correct m/f ratio doesn't matter with labs. Part of the reason you want at least 12 dems is that they are very difficult to sex, so I wouldn't really worry about the ratio if you decide to get multiples.

And you're welcome, I'm happy to help.

 

[leeroy]

well the yellow labs are for cetain then... i should have taken a pad and pen to jot down the names of the fish we saw earlier...

think i'll head back up the lfs tuesday and get the ball rolling and then have the issue of also picking some cats or plecs to go in the tank lol.....

are red zebra's a good mbuna community fish??

 

[dthoffsett]

Red zebras (Metriaclima estherae) are a gread addition, however, they do tend to cross breed with labs so you'll want to make sure no resulting fry make it out of your tank if you keep both.

Synodontis cats work great with mbuna, probably the two most popular are S.petricola & S.multipunctatus, and bristlenose cats can handle the higher ph and mbuna aggression in most tanks.

 

[leeroy]

just having a quick look could you advise with the following??

Tropheus moorii 'kasanga' x1
tropheus moorii 'bemba' x4
labs x 4
labeotropheus trewavasae x4
pseudotropheus greshakei x4
copadichromis borleyi x4
pseudotropheus zebra x4
pseudotropheus cabro x4
dems x1

also 2 or 3 syno cats and 1 plec

hows the above sound and advice is very much appreciated!!!!

oh what about the little shell dwellers??

 

[dthoffsett]

Tropheus moorii 'kasanga' x1
tropheus moorii 'bemba' x4

Tropheus are highly aggressive and very prone to bloat, they are best in a species only tank.

labs x 4
pseudotropheus greshakei x4
dems x1
also 2 or 3 syno cats and 1 plec

all of these would be fine, greshakei can be somewhat aggressive so make sure you get 1m/3f.

pseudotropheus zebra x4

Which zebra (any pics by chance) there is a species that is Pseudotropheus sp. Zebra Long Pelvic, but isn't seen too often. Some lfs will label M.estherae or M.callainos as zebras. Either of those two will be fine.

labeotropheus trewavasae x4
pseudotropheus crabro x4

Both of these reach 7 inches and should be kept in a minimum 6-ft tank. However, kj, ferris and I have all kept a single crabro successfully with other mbuna, females tend to be less aggressive.

copadichromis borleyi x4

Can reach 7" and are peaceful so too large for your tank and may be picked on by the mbuna.

 

[leeroy]

darn you know so much..... thanks for all the advice... i'm primarily going on the looks of the fish so far...

think im going to have to head back to the lfs with a wacking great big list and hope i get compatible fish.....

are these guys an option? Protomelas Fenestratus



or these Iodotropheus sprengerae