Thinking About Starting An Mbuna Tank...

SouthernCross

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So I have a spare three footer and have been thinking about mbuna, its something I have been wanting to try for years (I have predominently kept Americans).
 
Have done a bit of reading today and some resources say four foot minimum and others say three foot minimum.
 
The one I have is a 36 x 14 x 18 and my calculations put that at around 150 liters or 40 gallons. For decor I'd like to use texas holey rock (also as my tap water is fairly neutral and this would help buffer it).
 
The fish I am liking are yellow labs, maingano OR demasoni OR johannii (I like the black and blue), yellow tail acei and rusties. I like the patterning of the maingano/johannii more but if I want more blue fish than yellow fish then only demasoni females are blue right?  I understand it should be one male 4 - 5 females.
 
Could small colonies of these fish (how many species could I fit?) work in a three footer? Its my understanding these ones are not quite as high up on the mbuna psychotic aggression scale except for demasoni but from what I have read they are only aggressive to each other.
 
With the overstocking with mbuna I'm not sure exactly how far you can  take it. If anyone could suggest numbers for a three footer for the species outlined above I'd appreicate it. I assume I am going to have to buy excess juveniles until I can tell what they are too....
 
Sorry for so many questions, looking forward to your feedback!
 
 
I kept cichlids in a 46 gallon bowfront for a couple years... they were okay until they got larger. Yellow labs are really great..and if I were you I would stick with them and do a species tank with one male and four females. They're more on the more peaceful side of cichlids and a tank full of them looks beautiful! I had a yellow lab for five years in with a red peacock and a yellow tail acei. The peacock and acei were in there for only about two years though before I rehomed them due to aggression and the fact that they just get too large to be kept in such a small footprint.
 
Stick with labs, rusties or a dwarf species like PS. Salousi or afras and you could have a nice tank. You may even be able to have 2 males of some species with 6-8 females.
 
I couldn't get away with two species at least? Would love a blue/yellow mix.
 
james41683 said:
 
I couldn't get away with two species at least? Would love a blue/yellow mix.
Go with salousi. Males are blue with bars and females are solid yellow.
 
Ooooh I like this idea. To get a chance to get my ratios right, how many juvenile fish do you suggest I order (will have to get these guys online) and how many salousi would be fair to keep in a three footer? I note these guys are one of the smaller mbuna.
 
So I'm finally getting around to getting this project going (hopefully).
 
What kind of sand would be best to help with bufffering? Coral or would normal sand be ok as I am going to get texas holey rock?
 
Also I have two brichardi/fairy/princess cichlids. They are not a pair, have had them ages and theyve never bred. They don't really fit in in the tank they are in, and I was wondering would the two be okay to go in with a salousi colony?
 
Cheers
 
Playsand will work if you're on a budget, if you want to spend more you can go with cichlid sand. I can't help with the brichardi, you can try them but have a back up plan in case it doesnt work.
 

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