African Help

[JDogg]

Ok I am thinking about starting up a 50 gal for Lake Malawi africans I am thinking of Lavidochromis caeruleus, Metriaclima zebra and Sciaenochromis ahli.
1. do these three species work well together?
2. are there any cleaner fish, i.e algae eater and catfish, that fit the general biotope?

thanks

[Fishyfanatic]

The yellow labs are Omnivores and are a very peaceful Mbuna and are kept best in groupings of at least 4. They pretty much get along with all other Africans, but that's not to say that other fish get along with them. If you want to mix this specie with other more aggressive Mbuna, a large tank is required.

The Pseudotropheus zebra is a Herbivore and is very aggressive. Much more so than the Labs. I see a potential conflict in this situation in a tank of that size. You could try it, but I would limit the number of Zebras.

The Ahli is a Carnivore and is generally pretty peaceful. I've never kept one so I can not attest to it's behavior when mixed with labs or Zebras.

The main issues that I see with the species listed are the dietary requirements and aggression. To assist with the dietary requirements, feed a quality African Cichlid pellet such as New Life Spectrum. It may seem expensive, but the containers hold ALOT of food.

Is there a specific color combination that you are looking for?

The only algae-eater that I recommend for an African tank would be a pleco. But stay away from the dwarf species or they may become lunch due to their size.

[JDogg]

Originally Posted by Fishyfanatic

Is there a specific color combination that you are looking for?

I like the bright blues and yellows

[kay-bee19]

Be aware that sciaenochromis get up to 7". You might get by with one. Having several may pose future aggression problems if you have multiple males (in which case your 50-gal may prove too small).

While the zebras usually more aggressive than yellow labs, I think that having a small group of them (along with a slightly larger group of labs) may decrease potential aggressive directed toward your labs since they're likely to be more aggressive with each other first. But anything can happen in a mbuna tank.

Bristlenose pleco's usually work well with african cichlids (in regards to algae consumption), and synodontis catfish are also compatible scavengers (though they usually don't eat algae).

[kay-bee19]

Originally Posted by JDogg

I like the bright blues and yellows

Another option, you could try a group cobalt blue zebras (metriaclima callainos) and pseudotropheus socolofi instead of the sciaenochromis and metriaclima zebras to go along with your yellow labs.

[Fishyfanatic]

I have to agree with Kaybee on the Cobalts (Maylandia Callainos) . They are a beautiful baby blue coloration. They are very docile and get along great with labs.

I know you said you like blues and yellows, but the Pseudotropheus Acei has a beautiful deep purple coloration.