Stocking - Malawi Mbuna + Haps

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Eric A

Polypterus
MFK Member
Nov 28, 2008
5,003
22
92
Australia
Hi everyone.

Just asking this question for a mate, that happens to have a 4x2x2 :naughty:. We decided that we are going to go for african cichlids, and after a little discussion, decided that we will employ one of these two options.

- 6 or so electric yellows
- 6 or so maingano
- 3 or so yellow peacocks

or

- 6 or so electric yellows
- 6 or so maingano
- 3 or so white knights

The tank will have two stacks of rocks at each end for each colony of mbuna and the middle open section will be for the open water specie.

Tell me what you think. This tank will be situated in an office, so needs to be visually appealing for those who know little about fish.

If you have got a better idea, please do say so, but the fish need to be fairly cheap, and not that rare, and obviously visually appealing.

Thanks in advance, Eric.
 
sounds good lol im thinkin mainganos e yellow and e blue normal version the white ones are too much
 
looks good to me...
 
Eric A;3152278; said:
Hi everyone.

Just asking this question for a mate, that happens to have a 4x2x2 :naughty:. We decided that we are going to go for african cichlids, and after a little discussion, decided that we will employ one of these two options.

- 6 or so electric yellows
- 6 or so maingano
- 3 or so yellow peacocks

or

- 6 or so electric yellows
- 6 or so maingano
- 3 or so white knights

The tank will have two stacks of rocks at each end for each colony of mbuna and the middle open section will be for the open water specie.

Tell me what you think. This tank will be situated in an office, so needs to be visually appealing for those who know little about fish.

If you have got a better idea, please do say so, but the fish need to be fairly cheap, and not that rare, and obviously visually appealing.

Thanks in advance, Eric.
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The red worry me. I know these can be more aggressive, which can stress haps and peacocks. The yellow labs could work, but even some of them can get that aggressive as well.
 
mike dunagan;3155675; said:
The red worry me. I know these can be more aggressive, which can stress haps and peacocks. The yellow labs could work, but even some of them can get that aggressive as well.
Click to expand...

Got any other suggestions for a neon blue fish? We are trying to go on a colour thing with not too much of one colour.

Yellow - Labs
Blue - was Maingano
White - White Knight
 
mike dunagan;3158178; said:
There are mbuna that are white and ones that are blue. Why not stick to them.

A group of salousi will give you yellow and blue. Species setup can breed them as well.
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All mbuna can be done too, but I was just thinking for visual reasons we could have an open patch of sand with some val for the haps to occupy.

I guess in a 4' we could still have 3 defined rock piles for each species. We were thinking of saulosi, but there is more orange than blue. Can you think of anything else. I like the melanochromis. What do you think about demansoni? I know they can be mean, but they are also smaller which = more fish, which = more visual appeal...
 
Heres a few fish that caught my eye on an Australian site. tell me what you think of them in this situation, useful or useless.

- Aulonocara Maleri 'Gold'
- Aulonocara Stuartgranti 'Cobue'
- Cynotilapia Afra 'Cobwe'
- Iodotropheus sprengerae
- Melanochromis Chipokae
- Protomelas sp. Tanzania
- Pseudotropheus Salousi
- Pseudotropheus Socolofi 'Pindani'
- Electric Blue
 
Eric A;3158721; said:
All mbuna can be done too, but I was just thinking for visual reasons we could have an open patch of sand with some val for the haps to occupy.

I guess in a 4' we could still have 3 defined rock piles for each species. We were thinking of saulosi, but there is more orange than blue. Can you think of anything else. I like the melanochromis. What do you think about demansoni? I know they can be mean, but they are also smaller which = more fish, which = more visual appeal...
Click to expand...

The tank is not long enough to have piles and open area. The haps will be too big for that. Your mbuna will make use of that open space as well. They will not cling to the rocks, but swim all over the tank. Salousi are blue and yellow not orange at all. Also the species is heavily male in broods, which you will a lot of males unless you buy adults.

You will not be able to have many melanochromis in this size tank. They will kill each other off.



Eric A;3158851; said:
Heres a few fish that caught my eye on an Australian site. tell me what you think of them in this situation, useful or useless.

- Aulonocara Maleri 'Gold'
- Aulonocara Stuartgranti 'Cobue'
- Cynotilapia Afra 'Cobwe'
- Iodotropheus sprengerae
- Melanochromis Chipokae
- Protomelas sp. Tanzania
- Pseudotropheus Salousi
- Pseudotropheus Socolofi 'Pindani'
- Electric Blue
Click to expand...


I will say it again, stay all mbuna or all peacock haps.

- Aulonocara Maleri 'Gold'
- Aulonocara Stuartgranti 'Cobue'

If you mix these, you can not mix females. They can crossbreed.

- Protomelas sp. Tanzania
will out grow a 120... trust me learned the hard way.

- Electric Blue- which type? Scientific name?

The rest (mbuna) can be mixed but keep an eye, the afra's do not like salousi and will often fight with your males. I have even had afra's lighten their colors up and try to get in the middle of salousi breeding.

Hope this helps. I have three of these tanks setup, check my picture threads and you will see. I have one for mbuna, one haps/peacocks small tangs/ one tropheus

The tanks have a great depth that will allow you to do alot that other 4fter will not allow, but they are still 4fters and limit your choices and mixes.
 
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