Mbuna in a 40b?

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FWFishTanks

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What mbuna (if any) can I have in a 40 breeder? And about how many mbuna could be in there?
 
a 55 gallon is better, but a 40 breeder would work as a species only tank. Look up dwarf mbuna. I would keep maybe 10-15. Make sure you over filter the tank




one of my fav species is cynotilapia zebroides cobue. I will breeding these in a 40 gallon breeder species only tank soon

images
 
a 55 gallon is better, but a 40 breeder would work as a species only tank. Look up dwarf mbuna. I would keep maybe 10-15. Make sure you over filter the tank




one of my fav species is cynotilapia zebroides cobue. I will breeding these in a 40 gallon breeder species only tank soon

images

Can you put up more pictures of more dwarfs? I am having trouble finding pics
 
might want to pick a less aggressive species for a 40 breeder.

Dwarf Mbuna Requirements - Dwarf Mbuna Species List

theres a list of species towards the bottom of the page, start googleing them and pick one that you like the best

Could I only get one type of dwarf? Or could I get more than one type. If I can only get one, are these all the same species?:
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Bee”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Boadzulu”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Chailosi”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Chisumulu”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Chitimba”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Greenback”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Linganjala”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Masimbwe”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Mbako”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Mbenji Brown”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Metangula”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Namalenje”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Ndumbi”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Ngkuyo”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Ruarwe”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Slab”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Taiwan”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Usisya”
Pseudotropheus sp. “Elongatus Yellowtail”

How about kenyi for a species only of larger mbuna?
 
I would get a group of one type of fish for a 40 breeder. U can do single fish, but mbuna are best kept in groups of 1male to 3-4 females. Kenyi are still too aggressive and get too lare for a 40 breeder
 
u can do 3-4 different groups in a 55 as long as you have plenty of rocks and hiding places for fish to escape aggression.
 
So only left to right length matters? How does front to back length factor in?

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length wise there is a 12'' difference between a 55 and 40 breeder with the 55 being longer. Width there is only a 5'' difference, with the 40 breeder being wider. Mbuna need a longer length aquarium in order to avoid aggression from each other, stay out of sight. They beat the crap out of each other especially if you have too many males. Adding different groups of fish in a 3ft long tank only makes those chances higher
 
length wise there is a 12'' difference between a 55 and 40 breeder with the 55 being longer. Width there is only a 5'' difference, with the 40 breeder being wider. Mbuna need a longer length aquarium in order to avoid aggression from each other, stay out of sight. They beat the crap out of each other especially if you have too many males. Adding different groups of fish in a 3ft long tank only makes those chances higher

If you compare the footprint between the two, the 40b has .5 more sq ft of space overall. 40b: 36x18= 648/12 =4.5 vs 55g: 48x12= 576/144 = 4

By that logic, a 40 long (or even a 33 long) which are 48x12 would be acceptable since it has the same footprint as a standard 55.

Really not trying to be argumentative, just trying to understand the logic. I know a lot of cichlid guys are in the same line of thought and I just don't get why.
 
If you compare the footprint between the two, the 40b has .5 more sq ft of space overall. 40b: 36x18= 648/12 =4.5 vs 55g: 48x12= 576/144 = 4

By that logic, a 40 long (or even a 33 long) which are 48x12 would be acceptable since it has the same footprint as a standard 55.

Really not trying to be argumentative, just trying to understand the logic. I know a lot of cichlid guys are in the same line of thought and I just don't get why.

it may have .5 more sq ft..but it's losing 12'' in total length. Even depth isn't as important as the length of the tank. And your right the 40L would be better than the 40 breeder for africans. That doesn't mean a 40 breeder doesn't have its uses..it would make an excellent species only tank, or great freshwater community tank etc..
 
it may have .5 more sq ft..but it's losing 12'' in total length. Even depth isn't as important as the length of the tank. And your right the 40L would be better than the 40 breeder for africans. That doesn't mean a 40 breeder doesn't have its uses..it would make an excellent species only tank, or great freshwater community tank etc..
Okay, so what is it about africans that makes them care more about the length of a tank than the width? What makes 4' the magic minimum #?
Wouldn't territories depend a lot on the hardscape?

They would lose a foot off of the tank, length wise, but gain an extra 6" front to back for every foot of the 3 feet that is left.

I know that when it comes to stocking advice most of what we throw out is conjecture, but this has always been a conundrum to me and seems to be a mantra.

If the issue is space, why is a tank that has less floor space better than one that has more? And would this also mean a 36x36 "cube" style tank would be a no go since it's only 3 feet long and 3 feet wide?
 
Okay, so what is it about africans that makes them care more about the length of a tank than the width? What makes 4' the magic minimum #?
Wouldn't territories depend a lot on the hardscape?

They would lose a foot off of the tank, length wise, but gain an extra 6" front to back for every foot of the 3 feet that is left.

I know that when it comes to stocking advice most of what we throw out is conjecture, but this has always been a conundrum to me and seems to be a mantra.

If the issue is space, why is a tank that has less floor space better than one that has more? And would this also mean a 36x36 "cube" style tank would be a no go since it's only 3 feet long and 3 feet wide?


So I could get a group of 5-6" mbuna in a 40b if I have a large amount of hardscape? I was looking at bumblebees, blue johannis, and white labs. Could I possibly get. 1 of each and 2 kenyis, giving me 5 total mbuna?
 
So only left to right length matters? How does front to back length factor in?

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With aggressive fish the extra 12" of length helps the fish avoid each other far better than the extra 6" of depth.

Territorially speaking, a longer tank is generally better than a wider tank. The fish aren't going to split territory front to back, they are more likely to split the length of the tank.
 
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