Anything To Put With Mbuna, Catfish Maybe?

[fishlover500]

Are there any fish that can live with mbuna? What if they grow up together, the fish range from 0.5" to about 1.4"
Maybe a catfish (not plecco? What other fish?

 

[SharonCC]

An Upside Down Catfish should be fine with Mbuna...

 

[ICEEGRL]

It depends on which mbuna you have and how aggressive they are.
From what I have read so far the options appear to be smaller syndontis cats, botia loaches and clown loaches. You have to have a pretty good size tank and some of the less aggressive mbuna though I think. It gives you a starting place to research though.
I hope that helps a little.

 

[fishlover500]

The most aggressive are deffinitely the male kenyi and electric blue maingano (male I think)
But it isn't too bad because I just added some very small about 0.6" kenyis and they haven't gotten
killed/eaten/injured yet so I am guessing it isn't too aggressive in there, thought the biggest fish
is about 1.5 inches long.

full tank stocking is
2 pseudo acei
1 male kenyi
4 tiny kenyis
1 electric blue maingano
1 red zebra
2 yellow labs
1 female pseudo aurora
1 bn plecco
Soon to be
1 snow white socoloffi (quarantining)

I would maybe get a few clown loaches? what number would be good? 2?

 

[SharonCC]

What size is the tank?

 

[kj23502]

It's a 65 gallon. Clown loaches get 12"+ to large for that tank unless it's european style(the tanks over there seem to have a few more inches in width and a tid less in height).

I would go w/synodonits of some sort. The smallest is the Lucipinnis at 4" and the others are around 6"

PetricolaMultipunctatus
Lucipinnis
brichardi

You could look around this link and look at some others to see if there's anything else you'd prefer. Keep in mind some get really big.

 

[fishlover500]

Yes, it is 65 gallon measures 48" long 16" wide 20"high I don't think its european style.
I was just thinking clown loaches because a relative of mine has one that is about 3-4" and has
outgrown his 30 gallon.

And the syndotis wouldn't get picked on?

I like the brichardi and the Synodontis multipunctatus.
I know the multipunctus need to be in groups so could I get:

1 brichardi
3 multipunctus?

What would you say the maximum size for a catfish would be in my tank, it has 13 cichlids and
a bn plec and kj you recommended 19 cichlids so I do have a bit of stocking room

also it has good filtration as it has an aquaclear 500 hob (aka 110) and a fluval 103 canister

 

[johnnybravo]

i have 2 synodontis njassae in with mbuna but there about 7 inch though, they sort out my fully grown johanni's, synodontis seem to be boistrious and can handle mbuna in my experience

 

[kj23502]

I've been told from multiple sources not to mix Lake Tanganyikan fish w/Malawi so I would advise against the brichardi. Plus, they can be quite boisterous anyhow.

I'd say 4 multipunctatus


"I would not recommend keeping N. brichardi with Malawian, or Victorian cichlids no matter the circumstances, and Tanganyikan shell dwellers in most cases. "




Kj

 

[fishlover500]

okay, I will try to get a hold of them, having small kenyis, will the kenyis be eaten by these
catfish? kenyis are @ about 0.5 inches for the smallest

 

[kj23502]

If you get smaller cats it's cheaper and they'll grow with your fish anyway



Kj

 

[fishlover500]

thx

 

[kj23502]

yep, yep glad to help

 

[fishlover500]

one last question, what's the availability on these guys? and what's the price around?

 

[kj23502]

The syno's can range from $7 a fish to $35 a fish depending what species and the size the fish is. Just check around locally or through online sellers too.