Mbuna Question???
- Thread starter silver dollars
- Start date
Mbuna are best kept with other mbuna and certain bottom feeders such as african catfish (i.e. various synotontis species). Keeping them with other types of fish (even different types of african cichlids) is risky.
Also risky is keeping them in small groups and in small tanks (such as 4 mbuna in a 30gal). How big are they now and what species do you have?
Also risky is keeping them in small groups and in small tanks (such as 4 mbuna in a 30gal). How big are they now and what species do you have?
Yea like all others have said The mbuna have to be kept seperate from about everything. I do have a rainbow fish in with my mbuna and he does just fine. And to be honest with you I don't know that even the 4 mbuna you have will co-exist in a 30 for very long. I'm assuming you have provided places to hide??
Mbuna seem to work best in an overcrowded tank but one that is of a larger size. the theory behind that is that if there are a lot of fish to divert their attention they won't direct the aggression at any one. I have about 28-30 I think in a 125 and I'd like to add about 10 more. I also have over 1300 gal/hr. filtration. bottom line don't mix the mbuna in with anything unless you want it dead.
oh and I do have a jd and a convict in there but I know the faithfuls would never recommend that and honestly had I not been unknowing when first getting int o it I would of never done it either. The sa/ca cichlids are the ones suffering mostly because the diet I feed the cichlids is mostly veggie in nature. the jd is actually the boss of the tank but remember I started with all very small fish initially.
Mbuna seem to work best in an overcrowded tank but one that is of a larger size. the theory behind that is that if there are a lot of fish to divert their attention they won't direct the aggression at any one. I have about 28-30 I think in a 125 and I'd like to add about 10 more. I also have over 1300 gal/hr. filtration. bottom line don't mix the mbuna in with anything unless you want it dead.
oh and I do have a jd and a convict in there but I know the faithfuls would never recommend that and honestly had I not been unknowing when first getting int o it I would of never done it either. The sa/ca cichlids are the ones suffering mostly because the diet I feed the cichlids is mostly veggie in nature. the jd is actually the boss of the tank but remember I started with all very small fish initially.
Last edited: