Single species VS community

[TBout86]

I’m in process of building my first MBuna tank which will be in a 75 gallon tank with sump.
I’m looking to suggestion for a stocking list as an alternative to single species which is what I have been leaning towards.

single species MBuna would be Chindongo Saulosi - start with 8-10 babies
With synodontis Luccipinis x 5

if you were going to start a mixed MBuna tank, what would you suggest as a stocking list?

what do you prefer, single species? Or mixed community?

 

[G8zzaj]

I love a single species tank (am building a frontosa colony).

I always think the mixture of blue and yellow looks great with Mbuna so Saulosi and Yellow lab together would look great I think

 

[DJRansome]

I like a single species but I would want to end up with 20 fish in a 75G to manage aggression so I would order maybe 30 saulosi. You get both the blue and the yellow just with the saulosi so if I wanted a 2nd species I would do white labs instead of yellow ones.

 

[Stephen St.Clair]

If you are set on adding another species, the "Rusty" Cichlid would be a good choice. I've kept them. One of my favorites.

 

[TBout86]

I started to toss two other stocking ideas in my head now.
Still hooked on the chindongo saulosi tank.

Lake Tang community tank
Multis
Julidochromis or calvus
Cyps up top

or

Tropheus Dubiosi single species tank

-

anyone have I put? I can only have one large display tank, per wife.
I keep going back in forth between these three models.

 

[DJRansome]

The brightest most active tank would be saulosi. The most interesting tank for behavior would be Tang community. The best proof of your fishkeeping expertise would be tropheus.

 

[RD.]

single species MBuna would be Chindongo Saulosi - start with 8-10 babies
With synodontis Luccipinis x 5

Single species, but I would also up the numbers of the saulosi to at least 20.

 

[DJRansome]

Agree. 20 after removing extra males. Normally I would buy 30 or more to get enough females.

 

[RD.]

One of my all-time favorite saulosi species tanks.

This is a saulosi species tank that my friend John Labbe set up many years ago. I believe that it was a standard 40 gallon tank. With enough escapes & line of sight barriers you could probably get away with more than 1 male, so I wouldn't worry too much about sexing if you buy small juvies. The sub dominants may not color up (blue) and stay more in female dress. (yellow) If things get too aggressive as they all mature, you can always thin the males out. I would start with at least 12 unsexed juvies. Good luck.

View attachment 1388028

 

[RD.]

....disregard the numbers of fish in last comment, that was for a smaller tank.