I know a bit about malawis, but not enough really, considering my mom just got a bunch (4) malawi cichlids for my empty 55. my pH is 7.6, I'm slowly getting it up. I'm adding rocks, limestone, to the tank for rockwork, and I put an algae wafer in, which they seem to have rejected. One I know is Melanochromis auratus, don't know about the others. They were in the "assorted cichlids" and are yellowish, one being more on the orange side. I'd very much like to keep these fish, considering I have nowhere else to take them and I wanted to do malawis anyways, but I don't know enough as I would like to. I'll post pictures in a second.
Ahh! Malawi!
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Skip the wafers and get them on a quality cichlid pellet staple. Introduce different foods/veggies from there. If your looking to raise your ph, a crushed argonite substrate is very suitable for africans. You might also want to add a few more to your 55, cause being zebras or auratus or whatever, that amount is going to have a higher aggression rate.
Alright, I've confirmed one is an orange zebra, one is a yellow lab and one is Melanochromis auratus. I'm adding more rocks to the tank, should a "carpet" over the bottom do? What other kinds should I add? I'd like some other colors in the tank, I'm going to get an electric blue tomorrow to add some blue, any recommendations?
The problem your gonna have with all those rocks is that your gonna have to move them all around each time you gravel vac to remove the debris underneath them. Other than that, it's a start. Try getting some larger rocks/objects to scatter around to make them homes and caves, to space them out and give them their own territories. This will cut down on your aggression levels. Your first picture is definitely a red zebra, but your other ones are too hard to see to tell.
looks good, might want to add some holey rock, especially now since your understocked you want to break the line of sight to avoid deaths! agree with the crushed coral, I use it to buffer my 55g, although I'm lucky to get straight 8.0 out of my tap =] new life spectrum cichlid pellets would be AWESOME for your guys, 1mm and a guy on here can get you a 5 pound bucket shipped for 50 bucks, which is unbeatable. Good luck!
Where could I get "holey rock" easliy? ATM the rocks work because all of them can hide in the small crevasses, but I know that won't work forever. I got those rocks from the side of my house, so I don't really know where else to get it. PetSmart is mucho overpriced. Also, the last cichlid is L. caeruleus by the looks of it, maybe a hybrid. Too small to tell really. I'm going to PetSmart again today, how many others can I get?
Lol, when people say more rocks, they don't mean as a substrate. The rocks provide hiding places (likes caves, tunnels) for mbunas to go hide in. Might have to start stacking them; get larger rocks, size of a softball.
If your getting auractus and zebras, you probably don't want to get any more yellow labs (if you do have one). They tend to be less aggressive.
Also, you won't see much aggression now, but once they reach 3-4 inches and "puberty" kicks in, that auractus will be the meanist fish in your tank. I'd advise that you do not get any more auractus unless you plan on having an auractus only tank.
Good luck!
If your getting auractus and zebras, you probably don't want to get any more yellow labs (if you do have one). They tend to be less aggressive.
Also, you won't see much aggression now, but once they reach 3-4 inches and "puberty" kicks in, that auractus will be the meanist fish in your tank. I'd advise that you do not get any more auractus unless you plan on having an auractus only tank.
Good luck!
