tankmates for my maingano

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Dan_Forbz

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Apr 28, 2010
Messages
143
Location
South Coast Australia
hello , one of my smaller tanks (14 L ) has got a 8 cm maingano cross in it, and have tried many a fish that would go, and wouldnt be harrassed. im thinking because of my maingano's size, no other fish will be acceptable. but i thought i'd ask anyway :) . ive tred already with a electric yellow (rip squirt), a ruby shark ( from when i was just starting, that i saved and has now sadly passed in his community tank with my friendlies) and an angel ( also from my inexperience days rip smokey). i have also tried placing another maingano in there, with the sad result of her getting overharrassed and now shes happy back at the petstore. :) any idea welcome please help me find a friend for my maingano cross ( Mr. Grumpy ) :)
 
haha i agree with that normally but he seems to like it alot, and seems very happy. he loves moving rocks all the time :). thanks for the post
 
That small tank may cause his extra aggression as it isn't big enough for another fish to claim a territory or even stay out of what the maingano feels is his territory...are you sure its a maingano and not another melanochromis?
 
Regardless of species I wouldn't put another fish in that tank. I would suggest finding a bigger one if you can. He is going to claim around 30 gal of space (depending on set up) and not allow another fish to be at home there. You've seen this first hand. If he is happy in that small tank I'd suggest leaving him solo as many adult male melanochromis can be quite happy that way. They have personalities that need a lot of "alone time" like a grumpy old man lol

I doubt it is a maingano if there is yellow on it, but it really does not matter since it is most likely a mix anyway.
 
I agree with the previous posters. I have a tank full of Malawi cichlids -- electric blues -- and I wouldn't think of housing them in a tank smaller than four feet long. As it is, my dominant male -- Bully Boy -- bullies every other fish in the tank, but he and Mama Mbuna are crazy spawners -- every 30-40 days for over a year now.

I wonder if your maingano suffers from claustrophobia? :)
 
after some careful thinking, im looking at a 4 foot tank ( approx 45 g) to house 4 maingano (1 male, 3 females) with a rockwork at either side of the tank, and a cave underneath in the centre. as for making rockwork and caves , is it best to put pvc tubing through it to prevent cave ins, or is silicon sealant enough to hold the rocks in place?
 
I would just stack the rock carefully. I wouldn't use silicone as you may want to rearrange in the future. PVC isn't really needed either. Just test the rocks when you stack them and make sure they won't readily fall over. Don't stack them too high either and you should be fine.
 
Hello Dan. I agree with Kristin for the very same reason.

In the many years that I have designed and maintained aquariums, I have never used PVC for support, or silicone. Being as we live in an area of the world which is subject to earthquakes, I take extra caution when stacking my rocks, as one bad slide in the tank could possibly crack the glass. I have never had a mishap yet.

Also, I can't begin to tell you how many times I have changed the design of the rock decor in my mbuna tank. In fact, I just did it again not too long ago.

I suggest that you use as many flat, thin rocks as possible. The idea is to maximize on the number of caves that you can create in that tank, while minimizing the amount of space that they the rock decor takes up. Plus, using thin, flat rocks allows you to create some very small spaces where new fry can find refuge.

If you can find limestone-based or coral rock, that would be best, as it will help to maintain water hardness and alkalinity, which African cichlids love. I live on an island, so sand and coral rock is everywhere...even out in the back yard. :)
 
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