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FWaddict

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jun 20, 2007
Messages
127
Location
De Pere, WI
I need to know everything and anything on Mbuna cichlids. Since they are the reason I started my tank up again I would love to know anything and everything about them. Suggestions, hints, and ideas would be great too :)



Andy

**EDIT**

Yea I need to know everything about it, decor/filters/substrate/lighting, and everything for putting Mbuna's in a 55 gal tank

Thanks again!
 
Lots of rocks, preferably with holes so they have caves since they are very territorial. You should overfilter when you have Africans. I run an XP2 canister and AC50 HOB. Sand is a great substrate for cichlids. I just use a normal 40W florescent strip light, so I am kinda unsure as to what lighting cichlids really need.
 
my lighting is 130 watts its two 65 watt 21" 6700°K... its a 48" light fixture that goes across my whole aquarium top. my filters are a whisper 30 power filter, a Emperor 280, and a fluval 404. So I know I have more than enough filtration here. My lighting is roughly 6.3 wpg if I have both lights on, right now since I am cycling my tank, I am just using 1 light strip on. I am pretty sure my tank is cycling now, because the filter media from my fluval has been wet the whole time my tank was down, I rinsed it, enough, but not too much that i washed away all the bacteria. Some of the filter media was wet on my Emporer too, so I am pretty sure my tank is cycling right now, what do you all think? Should I add some pure ammonia to the tank? I have a fine substrate its a natural brown/quartz and some other stuff mixed together. I have 2 heaters in my tank, one on each end near the filter intake tube. Decor-wise, I only have 2 things, a log with some fake leaves on it, and a tiger skull that is cracked but so coated with algae that I couldnt get it off scrubbing it with a toothbrush. So my tank is a bit empty :(. But good news is that from yesterday the water cleared up IMMENSELY!!! Suprisingly, I can already look thru the tank and see things pretty clearly. It's somewhat foggy in there still. But things are looking good. I know I have enough surface agitation and my Whisper 30 filter is alittle small so it doesnt sit down on the tank perfectly, but it is secure enough that it won't fall. So the filter outtake(the water that comes out, I don't know what its specifically called) kind of splashes in. And you can see the bubbles going in the water. So I have enough oxygen going in the water.

So am I doing things right in your eyes? Have I missed anything? and is my tank actually cycling or am I just having false hope, if I am, I will just pour a capful or 2 of pure ammonia in my tank.
 
You need to cut back on that lighting. You are going to have algae issues. 1 wpg is enough.

How long ago did you take down the tank? You said you kept it wet, but did you dose ammonia on a daily basis to keep the bacteria fed? How are you cycling it right now? Are you using pure ammonia every day? If you aren't adding an ammonia source any bacteria that was previously in the tank is dead and the tank is not cycling.
 
In regards to African needs: They prefer a higher pH with a harder water. Lots of rock structures and a sand substrate. Do not get too picky about aquascaping because the Africans will re-do it to their liking. Each fish should have its own hiding spot and then a few extras. Feed a quality varied diet. I feed Zuc, peas, and NLS pellets. Be careful when selecting new fish. I can tell you which fish will be the most docile in theory but that may not be true for your specific fish. Always ask here before purchasing a new specie. Just because it's a Mbuna doesn't mean it can be housed with other Mbuna. For a 55 gal tank stay away from Kenyi and Auratus. They are two mean Mbuna. I had a female Auratus rip apart a 6 inch Nimbo. And get ready for varying opinion. :) Every tank is different. Every fish is different. What works for me may not work for you. African Cichlids are never cut and dry.
 
I did rinse with tap water, No I haven't given it ammonia everyday. From the looks of it it was false hope, but nontheless, I can add some pure ammonia. My pH is at 7.25-7.26. I do have a pinpoint pH meter that I bought a while back. So lighting wise, I can just use normal flourescent lights?

I am completely new to the world of African cichlids, so everything you all tell me will pretty much be gold and I will believe it lol.


*EDIT*

My pH was still acclimating on the meter, I just put it in like a couple min ago so it isn't sure yet. Now it was like 7.61, my temp is 76.6 F

I believe I am all set... to cycle that is... I'll put some baking soda in the tank toraise my pH
 
Yes, start dowing the pure ammonia (make sure you have the right kind) and test daily.

Normal flourescent lights are perfectly fine. Since you are planning to do Mbuna you could swap out and put in a 50/50 bulb.

Don't mess with the baking soda. You have to dose it at every water change. For an easy fix add limestone or texas holey rock to your tank. If you don't want to go that route (for financial reasons or if you're not able to find it) add crushed coral to a filter. It's a slow natural process. And when the buffering ability runs out, it slows lowers the pH back down to the regular level. I've just never been a fan of adding baking soda. It's another thing to remember at water change time. :)
 
If you have a 130 watt fixture, you only have about 2.3 watts per gallon of light....if you have 260 watts over the tank, then you have a little over 4wpg....not 6. Either way, thats alot of light for a non-planted tank. I can foresee alot of algae problems. ;) If you are going to continue using the 130 watt fixture, then I'd replace the bulbs with 50/50 bulbs. I've heard that 50/50 or actinics actually bring out the colors of Africans better.
 
In my tank, I usually have 1 light strip on, so 65 watts of light is going on the tank. Sadly no ammonia yet I looked and I couldn't find any ammonia at my house. I told my parents I needed either some pure ammonia or a raw shrimp or 2 and they said "let the tank get prepped for being cycled" the tank doesn't need to be prepared to be cycled, its all ready, I have never let my tank sit filtering for 3 dats before cycling... to me its a waste of time, the sooner I can get my cichlids thier new home :p I'm an impatient person when it comes to cycling my tanks.

Any specific Mbuna spiecies you recommend for a first timer in the wonderful world of cichlids
 
If you have an Ace Hardware near you, pick this up:

pACE-951690dt.jpg


It's a safe ammonia. Don't just buy any ole kind because it may have scents or additives. The Ace brand doesn't. And it's cheap. I think mine was $4 and you'll have a ton left so buy the smallest bottle they have.

Since you are a beginner and have a 55 gal tank I wouldn't get any Mbuna that are too aggressive. As I said above, skip Kenyi ( the males are terrors when they become sexually mature) and Auratus. If you had a 150 or something, sure. But in a 55 I think it's too small for such an aggresive fish.

I think the most common African is the Labidochromis Caeruleus AKA Yellow Lab. Others that would work with the lab would be Maylandia Callainos AKA Cobalt (but be careful, there is another Cobalt that has stripes), Pseudotropheus Acei. Pseudotropheus Socolofi, Socolofi Albino, Maylandia Estherae (I have one that is docile but YMMV. This one is iffy), and Pseudotropheus Daktari.

Stay away from Maylandia Greshakei AKA Ice Blue, Maylandia Lombardor AKA Kenyi, Melanochromis Auratus, and Pseudotropheus Demasoni (YMMV with this one).

These are just off the top of my head without searching. If you find a fish that you are intersted in, come back with the scientific name (not just a common name) and ask. Scientic names aren't exact when it comes to African Cichlids either. They change. And some people call one species one thing and someone else calls it a different. But if you post a scientific name we'll be able to figure it out. And in no time you'll get the hang of Africans. HTH
 
How many of each of those species would you recommend per tank?

I'll list off what I am thinking of getting

5 Yellow Labs
2 F cobalts
1 M Cobalt
2 F Acei's
1 M Acei
5 F P. Socolofi's
2 M P.Socolofi's(maybe one albino I'm not sure)


and a few others if I can, let me know if that might be too much of a bio-load on my tank
 
Trying to differentiate between M and F for the Cobalts and Acei's is going to be tricky. Visibly as juvi's they are identical. They must be vented to ensure true sex. The same applies for Labs even after sexual maturity. They are impossible to sex without venting.

I wouldn't set yourself to numbers. Start out with a specie and work from there. Only stock as many as you are comfortable with. Some want to cram 20 mbuna in a 55 gal tank but I think that is WAY overcrowded. We have 22 in a 150 and it's perfect IMO. There are probably 20 small fry in there also but that's like fnding a needle in a haystack when it comes time to net them out. I prefer my fish to have free swimming space. If the tank looks busy, it's overcrowded. You will get a feel for the tank and you'll know when it's completly stocked. Vague right? lol Each fish has a personality different than any other. No one can tell you how many will be right. Only your personal instincts can do that by observing their behavior and feeding habits.

Which specie do you REALLY want in the tank? if it's the labs, after you have cycled the tank add all 5 labs. Then about a week later add the next specie that you REALLY want. And keep doing that until you feel the tank is full. But remember, you'll be buying these fish are juvi's, not as adults. They need room to grow. I recommend adding one specie at a time so you don't have 5 labs, 1 cobalt, 1 Acei, and 6 Socolofi before calling it quits with stocking. You want groupings of the first three.

And above all, it's important to over-filter the tank. Africans are messy fish. :)
 
Yea I am also trying to get odd numbers of fish so it isn't tic for tac with fighting. I think you get the idea or already know that lol. I also have a 29 gal that i am thinking of setting up as a quarantine tank or grow out tank if my fish would ever happen to spawn. I don't know lol. I feel like I am rushing things, but it's exciting. Mbuna's are beautiful fish and I can't wait to get them lol. I went to petsmart and checked out their stock.. $22 for 1 fish!! Yea I am not buyin from them!


**EDIT**

My pH keeps climbing... so the acid isn't an appearant permanent solution. But I am not worried about that since my fish want a high pH :) its roughly 8.1 now... possibly odd but I ain't gonna complain. Still not sure on hardness... and still trying to convince my parents to get me some ammonia for my tank... almost there lol.
 
With the fish I listed you shouldn't have a big problem with fighting. This is not to say that you wn't, but theoretically based on the majority of the fish of those species, you should be fine.

29 gal is a good size for a grow out tank for future fry. Right now we are using a 10 gal for fresh spawn then after a few months we switch them over to the 55 gal grow out.

What exactly do you have in your tank? How long has the water been in the tank? CO2 gasses out over approximately 24 hours so that's when you'll get your true pH reading. But you may have something in the tank causing the pH to rise.
 
i have had the water in my tank for 3 days now. But as long as my pH is higher I am not gonna be worried about it
 
FWaddict said:
I went to petsmart and checked out their stock.. $22 for 1 fish!! Yea I am not buyin from them!

If you don't mind buying online, check out http://www.aquabid.com when you decide your stocklist. I bought 3/4 groups of my Malawians off of there and they were cheaper than in the store (even with shipping). You may get more than you are planning on keeping though, so it may be a good idea to see if any of the LFS in the area will give you credit for fish....or try to sell the extras later, when you can sex them. :)
 
If I would buy online I would probably do it from http://www.bluegrasscichlids.com or whatever it is called lol. They are really reasonable prices... shipping wise I don't know those details.

*****EDIT*****

**UPDATE**

No ammonia yet. My pH is still climbing... we are at 8.26-8.31, so thats pretty good cichlid wise. But the bad thing is my dad is insisting on using fish for cycling, I told him that using ammonia is better because it will give me a higher amount of bacteria to start with, but he says "there is no way to have a regular supply of ammonia for the tank." Believe me, I am still trying to convince him to use pure ammonia, but he wants me to do a fish cycle.

Can you guys give me some tips and stuff to convince him that I should do a fishless cycle? He wont go for the "its inhumane" stuff... I haven't told that to him, but it's just his attitude on it. :-/ so I am at a loss here, HELP ME!!!
 
Caution: Keep in mind, no matter what advice you receive here, do not get into a heated debate with your parents. The loser in that battle will be you.. Parents do not take kindly to being contradicted by total strangers.

You can talk to him about the wasted money issue. If that doesn't work, go with his advice.
 
There are many benefits to fishless cycling but like Bill said, don't get in an argument otherwise you'll probably lose the tank all together.

Pros
It's faster than cycling with fish
It's less of a hassle since you don't have to do water changes
What are you going to do with the fish that you cycle with? That's money down the drain when you return them to the LFS because it's not what you ultimately want in the tank.
It's inhumane
You can cause perminant damage to the fish through Ammonia burns or Nitrite poisoning
It gives you time to read up on the fish that you want to have while the tank is cycling
 
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