Mbuna's beatiung up my Haps

[MikeDean]

Hello folks, I have eight African's in a 75 gallon tank; 5" peacock hybrid x 1, 3" peacock hybrid x 1, 2" peacock hybrid x 1, 4" blueberry x 1, 3" yellow lab x 1, 1" yellow lab x 1, 2" electric blue x 1 and 3" dolphin x 1. I also have two 2" upside cats and two 3" rainbow sharks. I am new to fish keeping and have two questions, anyone who could answer my two questions I would greatly appreciate it. Question 1; My blueberry has secured her territory in a cave, she spends all her time moving small boulders. The electric blue hap is always causing trouble, trying to enter her cave and she chases him catches up to him and rams him into the gravel.
If the electric blue does not go into the cave there is never any trouble, as soon as the electric blue starts chasing my 1" lab or trying to enter the berries cave the berry chases the electric blue and rams him badly. Will this continue? I do not want any fish to die, my question is; should I just give the electric blue away? My other hap never causes trouble, he floats near the top of the aquarium and minds his own business. If the electric continues to bother the 1" lab or entering the berries cave I am afraid the berry may end up killing the electric. My second question is; I have this very strange 5"-6" peacock that just kind of sits in spot all the time at the bottom of the tank ( I got him a week ago ) he never bothers any of the other fish, he seems extremely peaceful. When I woke up this morning one of my rainbows was gone, literally missing. Could this peacock have eaten one of my 2" rainbow's? He seems like such a calm fellow ( all my peacocks are very mellow ) I never ever see him chasing my remaining two rainbow's. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance!

 

[tlindsey]

james99

 

[james99]

Mbuna are normally more aggressive than haps and peacocks, so there's a pretty big chance the haps and peacocks will get beat up and live completely miserable lives. Having pairs will also lead to trouble, the dominant one will constantly harrass the other. It's usually best to have properly stocked breeding groups or singles of the same sex. Even if no one is killed, all of the stress from being picked on can cause disease will can spread throughout the tank.

 

[MikeDean]

Mbuna are normally more aggressive than haps and peacocks, so there's a pretty big chance the haps and peacocks will get beat up and live completely miserable lives. Having pairs will also lead to trouble, the dominant one will constantly harass the other. It's usually best to have properly stocked breeding groups or singles of the same sex. Even if no one is killed, all of the stress from being picked on can cause disease will can spread throughout the tank.

I appreciate your response. When I started being a fish keeper three months ago, I did nlot realize the difference between the three. I though an African Cichlid was and African Cichlid, and a SA Cichlid was a SA Cichlid. I knew there were different species, but had no clue it was much more complex than that i.e. different cultures such as peacocks, haps and mbuna's. The peacocks and mbuna's get along fine, they do not even bother each other ( for now anyway ) It is this darn hap flying all over the tank starting trouble with the mbuna's. Do you suggest I find the haps a good home? Just keep the peacocks and mbuna's? The blueberry which is 4" made very good buddies with my lab which is 1". Half the beef between the berry and the electric blue is that the electric blue tries to bully the little lab and the berry comes darting in, chases the electric, when he catches him he bites him then rams him into the rocks. My buddy told me electric haps were cool fish, they look very cool so I thought I would try a couple, my buddy obviously is ignorant when it comes to African's. I do not want any of my fish to be unhappy, I should just find the electric and dolphin a new home huh?

 

[MikeDean]

Mbuna are normally more aggressive than haps and peacocks, so there's a pretty big chance the haps and peacocks will get beat up and live completely miserable lives. Having pairs will also lead to trouble, the dominant one will constantly harrass the other. It's usually best to have properly stocked breeding groups or singles of the same sex. Even if no one is killed, all of the stress from being picked on can cause disease will can spread throughout the tank.

I forgot to thank you for the advice about the stress and disease. I never knew that ( I do now ) my buddy doesn't know jack **** about African's like he thinks he does.

 

[Joshomaru]

I raised six mbuna from 1" to full grown, in a tank of immature- but larger- peacocks. They all grew and matured and I never had a problem. The mbunas hung out on the bottom and the peacocks took the rest. I lost two peacocks and 2 mbuna over time, so I picked up 4 peacocks at about 4" and added them to the tank. This one mbuna just went over the edge. Like, super cuckoo bananas. He managed to kill two of the mbuna he grew up with, three of the new peacocks and one of the old ones in a half hour. While trying to catch him, he evaded the net and kept attacking at the same time.
The really sad thing was, his colors were never more vibrant and amazing. It sucked.
I don't personally mix mbuna with anything anymore.
I currently have a mix of peacocks and a couple haps (electric blue ahli and ndiwi fire haps) and some dragon bloods and ngara flame tails with a bunch of plecos. It's pretty peaceful, really. The male dragon blood makes a show, but no real fights. Two of the 4 ngara spar with each other, but, nothing really bad. They school up together, so it's like watching brothers argue.
The haps are the the bigger of the fish and the most meek! Go figure!
Good luck with your tank. Africans are swimming jewels full of hormonal aggression.

 

[james99]

I would decide on haps and peacocks or mbuna. Depending on tank size things could get alot worse depending on you m/f ratio and how many are sexually mature.

 

[duanes]

I agree with the others, mbuna and haps(peacocks) don't belong in the same tank. In the rift lakes they inhabit totally different area, and the mbuna are too territorial and aggressive to be kept with mild mannered haps and peacocks.
Either get another tank, or decide which ones you prefer.
Soon the haps, will be dead, if you don't.

 

[Johnnyracer72]

I've never had a peacock or hap live successfully with mbuna. I believe a tank with mbuna, needs to be mbuna only.