Confusion About Stocking...still

[Lisa67]

I continue to have some confusion about stocking a mbuna tank. While I have a 55gal tank with quite a mixture (and so far no problems), I keep reading that I should have stuck to 2 or 3 "types". I'm totally unclear about what is meant by that.

Does it mean that I should only have (FOR EXAMPLE): yellow labs, salousi, and perhaps say, orange zebras

OR does it mean I could have a mixture of 3 species...for example a mixture of any pseudotropheus, melanochromis and cynotilapia.

I am only using these as examples... I'm not trying to find out if the fish I mentioned are compatible. I'm just trying to figure out how many different fish I can have in my tank at once.

Thanks again!

 

[ardandy]

I believe it would mean 3 types, as in;

Some Rock dwellers
Some Shell dwellers
Some open water

But I could be wrong of course!

 

[Fish Guy]

I have kept several different species of africans togehter in my 75 gallon. The key thing with african setups is numbers, having it overstocked a little. So my guess when it says types it can refer to either really, if you have a mbuna tank I would assume it means having a few different types of mbuna. I havn't had any trouble in the past with mixing all kinds of africans together ( well of course when they are from the same lake/have similiar requirments ). Actually I must correct myself, I have had trouble with Auratus....of course.

 

[Lisa67]

In my tank I have ALL mbuna. Like I said, I have quite a mix of types... I have 3 yellow labs, three orange zebras, 3 parallelus, 4 afra cobue and 3 red top ndumbi. So far there has been chacing, but no major aggression problems (the parallelus chase each other, mostly). I'd like to add an acei and maybe a male and few female salousi. That is currently 16 mbuna in a 55 gal tank. My water peramaters have remained perfect most of the time. I've always been told overstock... and that 20-24 fish would be appropriate. Just worried that I may be mixing it up too much.