Mixing Mbuna with other africans

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ErikV

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 15, 2007
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Hi all,

In the past I used to mix Mbuna's with other Malawi's (Utaka) and even with fish from lake Tanganyika.. Now I am reading everywhere that you shouldn't keep Mbuna's with other Malawi's or African Cichlids because they have a different diet and because they would be to aggresive.

I can only remember everything going well in my mixed tanks.. I would like to mix Mbuna's with bigger Malawi's like the Livingstonii and the Dolphin Cichlid and if possible I would like to trow in a couple of Frontosa's as well :)..

Is this a bad idea??

Thanks!
 
i wouldn't mix mbuna and fronts since mbunas can be really pesky, and would constantly harrass the more passive fronts
 
from experience i would say livingstoni and blue dolphin yes, frontosa no.
 
R.A.C.K;3656254; said:
How about Mbuna with Peacocks?

Only select few mbuna, like labs or acei (even though my acei male went totally ape$%^& on ngara and red shoulder, had to take him out) also had a rusty and afra likoma that did fine, but personal experience will vary, even jakes are too passive for mbuna. Though from my experience some hybrid peacocks like an OB or dragonblood can stand their own in an mbuna tank.
 
Thanks for the replies..

Think I am gonna wait a little and then set up a seperate Tanganyika tank... Best to play it safe in my opinion. I love Frontosa and together with some other Tan. Species like the Calvus it should make one hell of a tank..

tnx guys..
 
Good idea, fronts are better kept in a more passive tank, in colonys and in a 125 minimum. They make for great tanks and if you dont plan on breeding then they have some cool tankmates you can put with them. Even the syno cats are cool I have one in my tank and love him. With the mbuna I could see the livingstonii and blue dolphin working, not the front or peacocks but that is from my own experience. It really depends on the mbuna you have too, I have had some really agressive ones and there are a lot of species you just can't keep with them which is why I dont keep them anymore.
 
i have african with fronts and they seem ok... i have mbuna and hap with fronts =)
 
q_fish;3665205; said:
i have african with fronts and they seem ok... i have mbuna and hap with fronts =)

which mbuna do you keep with fronts? is it less aggressive species like elec. yellow?
 
ErikV;3654639; said:
Hi all,

In the past I used to mix Mbuna's with other Malawi's (Utaka) and even with fish from lake Tanganyika.. Now I am reading everywhere that you shouldn't keep Mbuna's with other Malawi's or African Cichlids because they have a different diet and because they would be to aggresive.

I can only remember everything going well in my mixed tanks.. I would like to mix Mbuna's with bigger Malawi's like the Livingstonii and the Dolphin Cichlid and if possible I would like to trow in a couple of Frontosa's as well :)..

Is this a bad idea??

Thanks!

This totally depends on tank size, the mbuna species, and the stocking levels. You could keep some mbuna with haps, peacocks and even fronts, victorians, etc. if the conditions are right.

Provide some more details for a better answer.
 
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