And I also think that one has to keep in mind that most mbuna fry are raised in the shallow rocky areas, many at the 1 meter mark, or less, where the water is typically warmer. Some papers/studies report that there is typically a higher proportion of female fry guarding territories at 1 meter than at 5 meters. At the 1 meter mark, during the spawning season, 75-80F is quite normal. Other observations have indicated that the density of breeding territories at 10 metres depth and beyond was much lower than in shallow water. For fry, warm water is where it's at, but for the reasons that Duane stated I tend to avoid temps over 78F. As the fish mature, I dial temps down 2-3 degrees to a more mid 70's range.
