55gal Mbuna tank: top dwellers?

RedRain5

Small Fish
Mar 20, 2006
43
0
0
#1
*BOUNCINGS Yay my African mbuna tank is up and running wth fish for almost a month. I got eight baby fish to start, 3 yellow labs, 3 red zebra, and 2 blue zebra; I'm planning on getting 2 more yellows. They are really growing fast! & The colors WOW! My rubber lip pleco gets along great with them and he eats all the green algae off the walls but I went on vacation and came back and there was brown algae all over the tank I had to scrub the walls down:( I had to leave the light on for 3 days while I was gone for my plants I think that's what caused the algae.

Any way I'm looking for a hard water top dwelling species some one suggested rainbow fish or hatchet fish. I didn't know rainbows were top dwellers I usually see them in the middle, & hatchets in hard water 8.2 - 8.0 Would my cichlids kill them? I'm adding a second power head today so there’s allot of current in the tank. Could rainbows or hatchets handle all this or is there a species that can?what about dannios(sp)? :confused:
 

FreddyJ

Large Fish
May 5, 2006
187
0
0
#3
danios

I have read on certain threads that giant danios can be used as "dither fish" in a cichlid tank. I assume this means they will get picked on and probably live a rather stressful existence, depending on comparative size of your cichlids. Good luck!
 

kay-bee19

Large Fish
May 6, 2006
156
0
16
Tampa, FL
#4
You could try mbuna like pseudotropheus acei. They're not exclusively top dwellers, but they swim in the upper levels more than most other mbuna. They're also one of the more peaceful species.
 

FishLuvr

Large Fish
Jun 19, 2005
406
1
0
50
Pittsburgh, Pa
#5
RedRain5 said:
*( I had to leave the light on for 3 days while I was gone for my plants I think that's what caused the algae.
You can get timers for your lights at most LFS mine only cost 10.00 and i have one for each tank that turns the lights on at 6am and off at 6pm or any time of your choosing of course
 

RedRain5

Small Fish
Mar 20, 2006
43
0
0
#6
I had a timer but when I went to hook it up before my vacation I found out that it wasn't working and I didn't have time to get anther but the tank is now free of algae and I am geting a new timer so it's ok :)