Frontosa/mbuna Tank

[DazedNCoNfUsEd]

Hows it goin guys? I just moved and now that I'm getting settled in I'm ready to set my tanks back up again and am thinking about going with Africans this time. I like the idea of a Mbuna tank, but would also like to have a nice, big centerpiece fish. I was thinking a bunch of Mbunas then a Frontosa or two, but from what I've been reading its not recommended. I just wanted some info from all the experts out there.

Is it possible to be done successfully? I'm well experienced in keeping and mixing aggressive South American cichlids, and I'm very knowledgeable when it comes to water parameters and the nitrogen cycle. Is there any right way that this type of tank can be accomplished? Say maybe if I purchased them all very small? I would think that once the Fronts start getting some size on them that the aggression from the Mbunas would be minimal. Has anyone ever tried this, or any other method?

Alternatively, are there any other fish compatible with Mbunas that would make a good centerpiece?

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Hows it goin guys? I just moved and now that I'm getting settled in I'm ready to set my tanks back up again and am thinking about going with Africans this time. I like the idea of a Mbuna tank, but would also like to have a nice, big centerpiece fish. I was thinking a bunch of Mbunas then a Frontosa or two, but from what I've been reading its not recommended. I just wanted some info from all the experts out there.

Is it possible to be done successfully? I'm well experienced in keeping and mixing aggressive South American cichlids, and I'm very knowledgeable when it comes to water parameters and the nitrogen cycle. Is there any right way that this type of tank can be accomplished? Say maybe if I purchased them all very small? I would think that once the Fronts start getting some size on them that the aggression from the Mbunas would be minimal. Has anyone ever tried this, or any other method?

Alternatively, are there any other fish compatible with Mbunas that would make a good centerpiece?

You havent mentioned your tank size yet?

 

[james41683]

once the fronts got big, you wouldnt have to worry about the mbuna's aggression at all. theyll be come dinner. you could always do mbuna with a few nice haps or peacocks. it mainly depends on you tank size though.

 

[dthoffsett]

once the fronts got big, you wouldnt have to worry about the mbuna's aggression at all. theyll be come dinner. you could always do mbuna with a few nice haps or peacocks. it mainly depends on you tank size though.

As james said, when small the fronts would be abused by the mbuna, when larger the mbuna would become tasty snacks.

I like to use a single mbuna for a center-pieces personally. For example, in my last tank, (75gal) I had 6 m.callainos, 6 l.caeruleus, 4 p.acei, and a single female p.crabro. The crabro was different enough in color and size to really stand out, and it avoided the feeding, territory, and aggression issues of a non-mbuna addition.

 

[james41683]

another nice center peice would be a peacock or hap in a tank for of mbuna. if you go this route you would have to be careful about fish selection and either get the more peaceful mbuna or one of the more aggressive peacocks/haps.