I just got a job in a lfs, and I have general knowledge about the fish we have in stock. However, there's nothing worse than a salesman who doesn't know exactly what hes selling. I have years of knowledge with SA/CA cichlids however I have never kept Africans. My personal feelings are that doing research and reading random information can only teach you so much, and you really only learn by owning and caring for a particular animal. So, if you have time to enlighten me on some personal experiences that you have encountered throughout the year, It would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you could give some insight on decor/stock/tank size ideal for the "typical" African. I've read sites where its suggested that a 30g tank is alright for a pair of Oscars, which I know is just wrong, proving you cant believe everything you read so I'm asking the experts.
Need educated
- Thread starter sprntswimm86
- Start date
When it comes to mbuna I feel that a 55 gallon tank with good rockwork or pvc pipes is a minimum for keeping a community tank. Mbuna unlike new world cichlids can be overstocked to a certain extent. Make sure your customers understand that the fact that mbuna can be overstocked doesnt mean you can jam 25 full grown mbuna in a 55 gallon tank. Tell new mbuna owners to aviod auratus and chipokae and even kenyi until they get some expierence keeping african cichlids.A dominat male Chipokae is capable of completely dominating tanks up to 125 gallons.
As far as decor goes crushed coral substrate and Limestone rocks are best as they buffer the water. A less attractive option is good ol' pvc pipe. Mbuna if fed to much protien can suffer from malawi bloat. Personally speaking I try to aviod keeping mbuna together that are of the same genus. This helps hold down aggresion and hybridizing.
There mbuna which are rock dwellers and haps which inhabit the open water. Mbuna tend to be herbivores while haps tend to be carnivores. There is a third group called peacocks who are also carnivores. It is generally not advisable to mix fish from one of these groups with fish from the others. Mbuna tend to be the most aggressive, haps mildly aggressive, and peacocks the least aggressive. It is reccomended to have a lot of rockwork for mbuna tanks. It is also reccomended that mbuna be overstocked with a high female to male ratio. Haps need large tanks (75 gal plus) with less rocks and more open space to swim. Decor should be arranged to break the fishes line of sight. This helps prevent a little aggression. Overstocking haps isn't usually necessary. Peacocks can do well in medium sized tanks. Peacock males are very colorful and females are very plain. Any of these fish will be more likely to thrive in large tanks.
