55g African Malawi tank! - Aquarium Advice

JustOneMore20 · 08-08-2006, 02:56 PM

I have a wild idea of making the empty 55g I have into an African Mbuna tank. I would like to keep Yellow Labs, Red Zebras, and maybe another type. I am still toying with the idea and doing some research.

My question is, what are some Mbuna friendly plants? Do they exist? I would like to have some plants in the tank, as I can't imagine a tank without them. I will shoot for around 2 watts per gallon.

I would use a kind of Cichlid substrate...maybe the Eco Cichlid substrate and have a lot of rocks, as well as plants.

This tank was going to be a planted tank with Rainbowfish as the centerpiece school, but I am in the mood for something different, since I will soon have a 4th planted tank.

Is a 55g big enough for Mbuna? Does anyone have any suggestions on plants? What about a 3rd type of fish?

TIA
Kristin

jkrumholz · 08-08-2006, 03:10 PM

I have some plants in my Mbuna tank. I've had the most success with various types of vals, but anubias will also grow. The problem is two fold. 1) finding plants that are pH tolerant, and 2) finding plants that the cichlids won't dig up.

Africans tend to shuffle the gravel around a lot, and I've been frustrated more than once when I get some plants arranged in a way that I really like, and find them floating on the surface in the morning, with a bunch of smug looking fish.
I've seen one beautifully planted Mbuna tank, although the owner acclimated the fish down to a lower pH (7) rather than acclimating the plants to a standard Mbuna pH.

As far as other species to keep, I'd look at some Peacocks, or maybe Melanochromis johanni or pseudotropheus demasoni to blend some blues and blacks in with your yellows. Personal preference though

Menagerie · 08-08-2006, 05:17 PM

The best planted Mbuna tank belongs to travis simonson and you can see its development over the past 20 months. I saw it in person last November and this was my reaction

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=39189

Thebluyak · 08-08-2006, 05:20 PM

ive got some plants with my africans, mine dont dig around in the substrate that much tho, ive got a swallowtail peacock, iceblue zebra, 2 yellow labs and a few various tetras for schooling. Plants im using dwarf onions, babomba, java fern and another plant I cant remember substrate is 90%flourite with gravel at the bottem

JustOneMore20 · 08-08-2006, 06:35 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Thanks for the link, Menagerie. I have seen pictures of Travis's tank on here. It is gorgeous. I'm not going for that planted though. I have 3 planted tanks and another one starting soon, so I want this one to be lower maintenance. I could never pull off anything close to as nice as his!

So you can mix Peacocks and Mbuna? I wasn't sure. I have an onion plant (not a dwarf though), that I would love to get out of my 55g community tank. I can also get some vals, anubias, and java fern. Those seem to be the ones that everybody has luck with.

DeFeKt · 08-08-2006, 09:04 PM

Quote:

I can also get some vals, anubias, and java fern.

Including myself

Mind you, now that I think about it, my java may have disappeared....

JustOneMore20 · 08-09-2006, 12:30 PM

I'm still toying with the stocking. I know for sure I want the yellow labs and a group of Cynotilapia afra 'Cobue' because they are so pretty! But I can't decide on another group. Could I mix a type of Peacock with these two? If so, what species do you recommend? I'm trying to mix different colors and not repeat the same colors, so a type that was blue or red (or both) would be great.

I thought about getting Pseudotropheous socolofi since they are blue, but the females are yellow and I don't want to repeat colors...lol. Going for a good visual tank here! That's why I'm wondering about Peacocks.

Thebluyak · 08-09-2006, 03:36 PM

ive got a 5 inch swallowtail peacock with my 2 labs and zebra and they dont pay him any attention

JustOneMore20 · 08-09-2006, 03:45 PM

Good...that's good. I read that they can't be kept together, but thought that some people do without problems. I just needed to hear it from someone's personal experience. Thanks!

Thebluyak · 08-09-2006, 04:14 PM

but remember your experience my vary and also ive got my tank way understocked to allow good amounts of room, ive only got 5 lemon ice tetra's, 2 bloodfin tetras, 2 labs 1 iceblue zebra and the big daddy 5inch swallowtail in a 36 gallon bow

08-08-2006, 05:17 PM	#3
Menagerie Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 11,266 Images: 77	The best planted Mbuna tank belongs to travis simonson and you can see its development over the past 20 months. I saw it in person last November and this was my reaction http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=39189 __________________

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
My 55g Malawi tank..tons of pics (updated 3/17/07)	JustOneMore20	Members Freshwater Tanks Showcase	36	10-30-2007 08:42 PM
125G Mostly Malawi, Mostly African Tank	maxwell1295	Cichlid Discussion	4	10-15-2007 10:00 PM
New 55G Malawi in the making.	CHBGator	Cichlid Discussion	11	10-22-2006 10:56 PM
Lake Malawi 55g	slurpbro	Cichlid Discussion	17	12-06-2004 10:42 PM
Malawi Tank	fishstixs05	Cichlid Discussion	14	12-09-2003 09:34 PM

08-08-2006, 03:10 PM	#2
jkrumholz Aquarium Advice Newbie Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5	I have some plants in my Mbuna tank. I've had the most success with various types of vals, but anubias will also grow. The problem is two fold. 1) finding plants that are pH tolerant, and 2) finding plants that the cichlids won't dig up. Africans tend to shuffle the gravel around a lot, and I've been frustrated more than once when I get some plants arranged in a way that I really like, and find them floating on the surface in the morning, with a bunch of smug looking fish. I've seen one beautifully planted Mbuna tank, although the owner acclimated the fish down to a lower pH (7) rather than acclimating the plants to a standard Mbuna pH. As far as other species to keep, I'd look at some Peacocks, or maybe Melanochromis johanni or pseudotropheus demasoni to blend some blues and blacks in with your yellows. Personal preference though

08-08-2006, 05:20 PM	#4
Thebluyak Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: where the wild things are (NC) Posts: 378	ive got some plants with my africans, mine dont dig around in the substrate that much tho, ive got a swallowtail peacock, iceblue zebra, 2 yellow labs and a few various tetras for schooling. Plants im using dwarf onions, babomba, java fern and another plant I cant remember substrate is 90%flourite with gravel at the bottem

08-09-2006, 03:36 PM	#8
Thebluyak Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: where the wild things are (NC) Posts: 378	ive got a 5 inch swallowtail peacock with my 2 labs and zebra and they dont pay him any attention

08-09-2006, 04:14 PM	#10
Thebluyak Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: where the wild things are (NC) Posts: 378	but remember your experience my vary and also ive got my tank way understocked to allow good amounts of room, ive only got 5 lemon ice tetra's, 2 bloodfin tetras, 2 labs 1 iceblue zebra and the big daddy 5inch swallowtail in a 36 gallon bow