why are tanganyikans so much cooler than malawis?

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wrslrcichlid: i wish you were closer, i need a new home for my smallest comp, he's about 3 inches and is looking really battered. I have 4 others that are about 1-2 inches longer despite all being the same size when I got them and some small but mean blue dolphins, the biggest dolphin is presently 1.5 inches and he is second in command after my 4-4.5 inch dominant male comp, who is constantly chasing the others or flirting with them.

the mbuna may ahve less variaty but you can clearly see the variation in haplochromides. d comps look much like elongated calvus, blue dolphins (c.moori) somewhat resemble frontosa, and nothing i've seen from tanganyika compares to nimbochromis livingstonii, champsochromis caerulius, abactochromis labrosis, aulonocara rostatum, or ramphochromis ferox
 
those are some nice fish you listed, trout, and this goes to reinforce the theory that my preference is, in part, based on a lack of knowledge about lake malawi and its cichlids in comparison to tanganyikans. However, I would still argue that these fish still demonstrate less variety in body shape as the tangs. With the lamps, frontosas, julies, shellies, I could add tropheus, the cyprichromis species, xenotilapias and enantiopus which I've only seen pictures of but that they have very interesting shapes/finnage, and the goby cichlids which are also very unique.
 
the behaviour is also interesting. d comps are always swimming at odd angles and performing odd contortions trying to hide in open water or along reef edges, livingstonii will half bury itself and play dead to lure prey within range, a. rostatem is effectively an old world geophagus. there are a myraid of other odd behaviours I know from malawi that make the cichlids so unique.
 
Malawi mbuna swim in front of the tank ferociously because the have been taught that "human like blob in front of glass = something to eat"..

If you stang off a few feet after they realize they aren't being fed - you would be surprised in their behavior. The social structure (re: pecking order) of all of the fish in the tank is very cool. Are they highly territorial & aggresive? You bet! That has a lot to do with why I find them so interesting...

Are they being penalized because they are more attractive than tangs? I mean, Tropheus are practically no different than mbuna from Malawi. Right?

I think it is like anything else. Personal preference and neither is superior...
 
pudgeking said:
those are some nice fish you listed, trout, and this goes to reinforce the theory that my preference is, in part, based on a lack of knowledge about lake malawi and its cichlids in comparison to tanganyikans. However, I would still argue that these fish still demonstrate less variety in body shape as the tangs. With the lamps, frontosas, julies, shellies, I could add tropheus, the cyprichromis species, xenotilapias and enantiopus which I've only seen pictures of but that they have very interesting shapes/finnage, and the goby cichlids which are also very unique.
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so the ones you like are the ones you have,and you dont know anything about malawis,so you dont like them as much.
I have fish from all 3 lakes,and fish from all over the world.They are all interesting,but this topic is not.
I used to think fronts were boring and I know people who think that.That's how I thought when I was ignorant,but there is no competition.period,it's not about that.All living creatures are interesting in their own way.
 
I had Mbuna in a 65g show and tangs in a 10g before I downsized and removed the mbuna and just have one 65g Tang tank. For me, there is no comparison. The tangs have such a funny way of dealing with the hierarchy than the Mbuna did. The Mbuna just sat there waiting for food and every once in a while would chase each other around, not really entertaining. The Tangs however dont stop surpirsing me, of course some of the bigger ones like my Daffodils and the Transcriptus, chase the smaller ones, but every now and then, the tiny Multi's actually turn and face their attacker and have a go! These guys still look like dogs at feeding time and are not afraid of me or anyone coming near the tank (sans the transcriptus) All in all, the community I have built for them is a bustling little metropolis that entertains our whole family.
Tangs FTW
 
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