mbunas and territory

[mariners]

I originally bought 3 mbunas, sorry not quite sure on exact names yet still trying to i.d. and put them into my 29 gallon, just those 3 and they are all around an inch long. However after a month of being in the tank one of them didn't seem to have a territory and was being bullied by the others and now i have seen physical damage done to his fins i have removed him from the tank but i don't have anywhere to put him...at all. At the moment he's in a breeder net in my other 29.

I tried rearranging all the decorations so they could establish new places but the other two always seem to claim half of the tank each.
So my new dilemma is do i:
a) take the fish back to the lfs so it can be in a 15 gallon with 10 other fish it's size
b) buy more of these fish and slightly overstock my 29, i heard that this decreases the chance of tension, i'm not bothered about the extra upkeep.

 

[Somonas]

I'd tend to side with "b" but with a 29 gallon you are really limited. you realize these fish will grow at least 5". you might get away with a pair in a 29.

 

[mariners]

yeah i've been trying to read up on certain situations on google but not much help so far, i mean i could try just the pair but if one of them decides he wants the whole tank then im back at this point again.

 

[mariners]

*bump* guys i really need your advice i can't keep him in the breeder net for much longer!

 

[Iggy]

I would say add another couple... I think the idea is to crowd a tank to avoid establishing territories. You might have to add some more filtration to manage the load.

OR bring em here I'll take em! Its just a short drive down to Leduc Eh!

 

[Purple]

Find which two get along together the best and keep them - take the others back. A 29 won't hold much more than two when grown, and you'll still get the aggresion even if it is spread.

I used to have a pair that took it in turns to chase each other without fin nipping, but if you have two males in there it could be a problem. 29 gals won't give each a territory, so they must be able to co-exist by their own choice. Let the fish decide which two to keep.

 

[mariners]

Ok well i've been watching the final two left in there and they seem to get along fine but my new plan is to reintroduce the 3rd one but only after a complete makeover (lol i think ive been watching too much extreme makeover home editions) with new wood and stones and positions for them , hopefully this time there will be a lot more hiding space for them.

The third fish seems to have recovered now, before he would tilt to the side a bit when he swam but now all is good.

 

[tiggeryoda]

I have been keeping these guys for years and tried all sorts, seems nothing is certain with malawi although heavily stocking with good filtration often works, since you will end up with several fish at the bottom of the pecking order, meaning the bullying gets spead out and the top dogs distract each other...

You can try a UV steriliser as an addition to the filter to help reduce pathogens/bacteria in the water, with damage from fighting such as torn fins seeming to repair quicker.

 

[mariners]

Ok, the whole makeover didn't work, and the no matter which combination of 2 fish i had in theres eventually they started to fight. So i went to me lfs and waited until the man that knows his stuff about cichlids came and i explained my situation and everything and his suggestion was to get 3 more, mbunas and up my filtration to cope with them. So far so good, the original 3 are about 2 1/2 inches and the new 3 are about 1 inch and there is very little agression.

However, if problems arise i will just have to get a new bigger tank (oh what a shame? ) but at the moment thats not going to happen unless my parents believe i really need one.

 

[tiggeryoda]

I would be inclined to go for heavy stocking, provided you keep on top of maintenance and frequent water changes. It makes for an interesting setup, but malawi are fairly agressive so its likley they will still give each other agro, some species such as yellow lab's (labedecromis but thats not how its spelt!) are smaller and can be less agressive.

 

[wayne]

I find it hard to believe controlled overstocking will work well in small tanks as it essentially requires a fish to 'get lost in the crowd', but in a small tank that doesn't happen. How long is a 29, three feet? Might work, might not, depends on what you've got.
I would try and be really fussy about what fish I got. Yellow labs and a few other peaceful (for cichlids) fish should be ok. Unfortunately 'mixed mbuna' usually means mixed psychotics with ytruly aggressive fish like auratus and bumblebees. I don't beleive you'll ever get a settled 29 with these fish

 

[tiggeryoda]

good point on the tank size, larger the better.

I agree fish such as yellow labs are usually a good choice.....