Well im looking for some colorful and active cichlids so i was tihnking of mbunas does anyone no a good setup of these type of cichlids and how many could i have in a 55?
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:Mbuna cichlids
- Thread starter Cichlid Me Up
- Start date
Mbuna's are very fun fish to keep!
In a 55g, you could easily house 15. Make sure you have excellent filtration.
Mine are set up with a sand/crushed coral mixture as the substrate with cichlid stones to provide caves.
Red zebras, yellow labs, socolofi, yellow-tailed acei, and demasoni all make excellent mbuna tankmates.
I'd advise 5 each of three of those species listed. Mbuna tanks need to be overstocked to spread the aggression out.
In a 55g, you could easily house 15. Make sure you have excellent filtration.
Mine are set up with a sand/crushed coral mixture as the substrate with cichlid stones to provide caves.
Red zebras, yellow labs, socolofi, yellow-tailed acei, and demasoni all make excellent mbuna tankmates.
I'd advise 5 each of three of those species listed. Mbuna tanks need to be overstocked to spread the aggression out.
i have a 55 mbuna. i love it.
here is a good guide:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_55g.php
that guide is somewhat conservative, if you have good filtration and do regular water changes you can get away with more than that.
here is a good guide:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_55g.php
that guide is somewhat conservative, if you have good filtration and do regular water changes you can get away with more than that.
If you can, buy from a breeder or reputable fish dealer. Mbunas found in most pet stores are hybrids. Stick to true species and you'll get much nicer colours. Do your research before buying. The large Metriaclima types would not work well in a 55-gallon for long. They get 5-inches and a male Red Zebra (estherae) would quickly dominate the tank. Also avoid Melanochromis auratus and Metriaclima lombardoi (Kenyi). They need a much larger aquarium in order to dilute aggression.
A good stocklist for a 55-gallon.
2m 4f Labidochromis chisumulae or caeruleus
2m 4f Cynotilapia afra
or
2m 4f Pseudotropheus saulosi
2m 4f Labidochromis chisumulae
The above stocking lists are using dwarf mbunas that aren't nearly as aggressive as their larger counterparts. Also it avoids hybridization by keep fish that are quite different from another. Another good fish to keep is Gephyrochromis acei. They're an active but passive mbuna.
Goodluck.
A good stocklist for a 55-gallon.
2m 4f Labidochromis chisumulae or caeruleus
2m 4f Cynotilapia afra
or
2m 4f Pseudotropheus saulosi
2m 4f Labidochromis chisumulae
The above stocking lists are using dwarf mbunas that aren't nearly as aggressive as their larger counterparts. Also it avoids hybridization by keep fish that are quite different from another. Another good fish to keep is Gephyrochromis acei. They're an active but passive mbuna.
Goodluck.
there are several easily available mbunas (zebras, acei, labs, auratus, etc), but you should try some of the less common ones.
Think about Afra or Hongi for your tank
Think about Afra or Hongi for your tank
as others have stated overstocking your tank will help alleviate the aggression but at the same time will foul your tank up faster. if you are going to do this you must get an oversized filter system for the 55. something that is rated for 100-150 gallon tanks would be ideal. lots of water movement will help direct the waste into the filter. furthermore plan out on paper all of the decorations and the water flow in accordance with the filter location.