How many Mbuna in a 75?

Rafini

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Thinking of setting up a nice show 75g for Mbuna, the tank will be using a filter rated for 170g so nice and over filtered. I will be feeding NLS and doing biweekly waterchanges, I lost all my Mbuna several months ago to a heater malfunction.
I am finding very mixed answers as to how many fish you can have, I was going to start with 10 juvie acei and 10 juvie yellow labs to get a nice mix of activity and color. which would be 20 fish. Ovbiously I want to have some more in there too, probably just random Mbuna with similar aggression levels but I`d like to know the max amount of juvies and the max amount of adults if thats okay?

anyone have any good suggestions for species that would mix nicely with Acei and yellow labs?
 

ecoli73

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If you have the money, add a group of 6-8 synodontus petricola. The catfish are not shy, and the black on white pokadot works well with the yellow and darker slate/blue of acei.


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Rafini

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I was thinking originally of going Tropheus because I like the fact that they shoal and are brightly colored. Then when I realized how expensive it would be, and how tempremental they are I just thought hmm how about a group of Aceii?
they are probably my favorite cichlid, I have kept them several times they are always so active and colorful.

I would definately consider getting a group of petricola unfortunately a lot of the synodontis species I have scene lately have been mislabeled
 

RD.

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If it was me, in a 75 gallon I would add 10 juvies of each species, possibly add some synos, and call it a done deal. I've always liked the looks of a mix of P. acei (Msuli) & L. caeruleus, a nice monomorphic mix of blue & yellow fish, and a fairly calm tank compared to most mixed mbuna tanks.

Good luck.
 

Rafini

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Thanks RD. I was thinking mainly of adding some other non aggresssive Mbuna to the mix mainly for growout purposes and then maybe a year or so down the line curb the numbers to where I am happy or possibly even upgrade, Any species you would suggest, I was thinking maybe Socolofi or something else mild
 

RD.

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I guess it boils down to what you personally like, and what's available to you.
 

Rafini

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Yeah thats True, I know quite a bit about african cichlids especially which species to avoid, but I was just curious what would be some good colors to introduce without too much aggression

I know peacocks haps and mbuna are not really supposed to be mixed but I feel like some of the more peaceful haps or peacocks would mix nicely with Acei and yellow labs. that way there is no real risk of hybridization as all the species would be very different.

That or socolofi or perhaps some zebras but I hear they are quite aggressive for Mbuna although the ones I've kept have been fine
 

RD.

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Personally with most Africans I'm a fan of species tanks, or at best a couple of species that create a nice color combo, yet will stick to their own kind. I've never been a big fan of mixing up too many species of mbuna in the same tank. I'm also not a fan of subjecting open water haps and/or peacocks to the aggression levels of mbuna, as all mbuna are aggressive & territorial, some just a lot more so than others.

As far as mild mannered mbuna go......... I recall many years ago when I watched a male yellow lab swim clear across a 6ft tank of mine, and kill another male yellow lab. Those 2 males had been living together for approx 2 years with no issues, but shortly before this attack the sub dominant male had decided to step things up, and challenge the dom male. Big mistake on his part. It was all over before I could even react.

Of course this is not to say that one can't successfully mix different mbuna, even with haps and or peacocks, I did it many years ago myself. I just feel that in the confines of a 48x18" footprint you would be best to stick to one or the other. If you really feel the need to add more to the acei & yellow labs, socolofi would be as good as bet as any as far as aggression levels go.
 

RD.

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All mbuna have the potential to cross breed, make no mistake about that. If you're letting the females spit in the tank no problem, if you are breeding with a purpose then this becomes another good reason to keep species only tanks.
 
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