Malawian Cichlid Quarentine Advice

[Max L]

Hello! So over the weekend I’m going to get 5 more Malawi cichlids about 2-3.5 inches in length for my 55 gallon mbuna tank. However, I plan on doing the smart thing and quarantining these fish for 2 weeks. I have an effective quarantine process, but my question is if 5 Malawi cichlids 2-3.5 inches in length could survive in a 10 gallon for 2 weeks. I have another 10 gallon tank I could set up, but I want to know if it would be more effective to put all 5 in one quarantine tank or divide them between tanks. Thanks!

 

[Steve_C]

Five mbuna in a 10g is not a good idea even if it is for only 2 weeks QT. You don't want to end up losing new fish you just got. Also when it comes to Malawi / mbuna there's a wide variety of of species so it also depends on exactly what ones you're talking about as well. Five 3" Yellow labs for 2 weeks in a 10g while no where near ideal, could be okay. But make one of them something like a Kenyi or socolofi or something like that and it'll wipe out the others before the days end. Best to split them between the two tanks and also put a few sections of 6" pvc tube into the tanks so each can claim his own hiding cave so they aren't in each others line of sight all the time.

 

[Max L]

Five mbuna in a 10g is not a good idea even if it is for only 2 weeks QT. You don't want to end up losing new fish you just got. Also when it comes to Malawi / mbuna there's a wide variety of of species so it also depends on exactly what ones you're talking about as well. Five 3" Yellow labs for 2 weeks in a 10g while no where near ideal, could be okay. But make one of them something like a Kenyi or socolofi or something like that and it'll wipe out the others before the days end. Best to split them between the two tanks and also put a few sections of 6" pvc tube into the tanks so each can claim his own hiding cave so they aren't in each others line of sight all the time.

Thanks for the advice. I have plenty of pvc tubes to add to the tanks.

 

[duanes]

I know many people think 2 weeks is sufficient, but I'm in the minimum 2 month camp.
I believe 2 weeks is barely enough time for most diseases to manifest and/or become noticeable.
And I usually add daily doses of the water from the main tank the new fish will eventually live in, because quarantine isn't just about keeping disease out, but also about gradually getting the new fish used to, what the fish you already have, may have built up a bit of an immunity to. That immunity can be compromised when a new fish, that hasn't built immunity becomes overwhelmed, and starts an epidemic.
A friend of mine (who manages the fish room of a major zoo) quarentines all new fish no less than 6 months.
You may be lucky, if your fish came from a very trusted source.
But even then, the stress of transporting fish can compromise even the strongest immune systems.
And if the fish are from some big box market, all it takes is one slightly compromised individual to wipe out your entire tank.