Lake Malawi Community tank

[skippyroo]

Good afternoon all!

I have been running small community tanks and marine tanks for a while but have just bought a new 230l tank and want to set up a lake Malawi community as we have failry hard water (and I think they need that?) and like the colours of these fish.

Apart from reading and asking at the local stores (which I don't really trust) I was wondering if anyone could offer me some advice in how to start this community and what I should put in it to get a successful and hopefully peaceful tank. Also is it ok to put my common plec in with these Cichlids or will it come under attack!?

I have plenty of rocks and wood to make caves and hidey holes which I think these fish need. Is it also so that plants should be avoided in Cichlid tanks?

Any advice would be really helpful as you can only read so much before things start to contradict each other, but without the years of experience it all means nothing but confusion!

Looking forward to lots of useful advice

 

[modernhamlet]

Start off by reading cichlidaddict's great post on keeping mbuna.

You said you like Malawis for their color. Did any particular species catch your eye? There are many, many options and knowing your initial preferences would help more knowledgable members to give you ideas for suitable tankmates.

Good luck!

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Hey skippyroo

So you want a Malawi Community? Well, the first thing you need to decide is what kind of malawi's you want.

Your choices are Mbuna, Haps, and Aulonocara. All three have something to offer, and in some cases they can be mixed.

In general haps will provide you with a less crowded aquarium and a calmer environement in general. This aquarium would need more open space and less rockscaping. The fish are larger, and more metallic in color. If you keep with less aggressive varieties then you can mix them with Aulonocara.

Aulonocara are like small haps that spend more time among the rocks. They can be kept on their own or mixed with certain haps or mbuna.

Mbuna tend to be the most popular, these little, active guys are always bold in color and do well in more crowded environments. They are the ones that require the heavier rockscaping. With a few species as an exception they should not be mixed with haps or aulonocara because of their active and aggressive nature.

The first thing to do is decide which type of community you want.

Plants can work just fine if you choose the right type. Typically tough, broad leaf plants that are hard for them to destroy work best. Java fern and annubias are two that work well in these setups. They also have the tendancy to get dug up from digging cichlids, but try it and you will quickly figure out the best spots to plant them where they won't be as bothered.

These fish don't need hard water, but they thrive best in alkaline water with a ph of 7.5 or higher.

 

[TheeMon]

what CA said heh but ca forgot to mention your pleco, yes he should be ok... i have like a 1/2inch pleco in my tank w/ like 10 cichlids none even give him a 2nd glance... (actually i have 3 plecos but the 1/2 one is smallest)

 

[skippyroo]

I am gonna have a look at all the spcies I like the look of and then ask for advice on whether they go together! I would hate to be one of those people that puts loads of inproper fish together just because they look pretty!

CA my pH is around 8 to 8.5 which is fairly high. I have so much trouble keeping the marine tanks buffered that I would really like not to have to mess around with it in this Cichlid tank. Do you think this pH will be to high or will they do ok? You said they don't need hardness but if my water is hard will that be detrimental to these fish?

Right I will fill you in tomorrow on species and await some more advice!!

Thanks so far

G'nite

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Your water sounds PERFECT for African rift lake cichlids! Many African keepers would be envious

 

[skippyroo]

Well CA that is why I want to kepp them! No more faffing to adapt water to the fish, I am gonna fall in love with these amazing fish that also like my water!! And on a side note any one who would like to buy this amazing water endorsed by thecichlidaddict, it is only 50p a litre!!

Right I have a list of some species that I like the look and sound of, but I have also heard there are something like 1000 species (is this correct?) and so if there are any other species you can recommend that would be great.

Like I said in my first post I would really like to have a peacful community as there is nothing worse that burying a murdered fish . I like the blues and yellows of these fish and so thats what I've gone for!

Any suggestions on a suitable community out of the following or others that fit my colour and habit criteria!!

A. nyassae - African Peacock Cichlid

Red Parrots? I know these aren't lake Malawi but they are so cute could I put them in? I think the answer is no but thought I would ask the experts!!

Cyrtocara moorii - Malawi Blue Dolphin

Labeotropheus trewavasae - Red- finned Cichlid

Melanochromis auratus - Malawi Golden Cichlid

Pseudotropheus Zebra - Zebra Blue Cichlid

Pseudotropheus acei - Yellow tailed acei

Pseudotropheus demasoni

Pseudotropheus saulosi

Copadichromis borleyi - Red fin haplochromis

Iodotropheus sprengerae - Rusty Cichlid

Labidochromis caeruleus - Yellow lab *

Maylandia estherae[ - Red Zebra

Aulonocara baenschi

Haplochromis moori *

Haplochromis ahil *




So just a few then!! Sorry to give you so many but as I am new to these communities I want to get it right and you are the peeps with the knowledge!!

The species that have a star next to them I would really like to have in my tank so I hope they go together.

Also are there any bottom dwellers that I can put in this tank apart from my plec and are any inverts suitable in these tanks like crabs or shrimp, I ask because I like them but I guess from what I have read they will soon end up as diner for the fish!!

So something for you all to have a think about for the afternoon!! I have also read that stocking densities should be high in some of the more aggresive species is this also so for the peaceful ones and either way could you perhaps suggest the number of fish I should get? The tank is 121cm long by 40cm deep and holds 230L of water. I am running two large internal filters so hopefully the water should be very clean which I think is also a requirement for these fish.

Right thats the end of the essay, I am looking forward to some suggestion soon.

Thanks a lot for now and enjoy this sunny afternoon (if you are in the UK anyway!!)

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Where to start, where to start...

Those parrots are human engineered hybrids, they don't have a scientific name or a natural biotope--I don't even consider them cichlids. Kind of funny how everyone thinks they're cute, I find them quite grotesque. Anyway, that's my problem, not yours, but I wouldn't mix them with your Africans.

Ok, I'm going to arrange your list into three groups.

Group A: Haplichromines
Cyrtocara moorii
Copadichromis borleyi
Sciaenochromis fryeri (Ahli are very rare and expensive, and fryeri are often mislabled as ahli, they look the same to most)
Aulonocara. nyassae (not a hap, but we'll place it here)
Aulonocara baenschi (not a hap, but we'll place it here)

Group B: Mbuna suitable for a hap tank
Pseudotropheus acei
Labidochromis caeruleus
Iodotropheus sprengerae

Group C:Mbuna not suitable for a hap tank
Maylandia estherae
Melanochromis Auratus
Labeotropheus trewavasae
Pseudo. Zebra
Pseudo Saulosi
Pseudo. Demasoni

You can mix group A with group B, or group B with group C, but group C mbuna are just too active and aggressive to go with haps.

The next question is whether you prefer all males, or if you want breeding groups. Breeding groups mean less species, and less color in the tank, as the females of all peacocks and many haps are very bland. Pseudo. Acei and Lab. Caeruleus are most rewarding when kept in groups.

An example hap/mbuna show tank might be:
1 S. Fryeri
1 C. Moori
1. Protomelas Stevani (see picture below)
1 Aulonocara (pick one)
8 P.. Acei

An example hap/mbuna breeding tank might be:
1m/2f S. Fryeri
1m/2f Aulonocara
8 P.o. Acei

An example less aggressive mbuna tank might be a mix of:
L.. Caeruleus
P. Acei
I. Sprengera
P. Saulosi
L. trewavasae
(Aulonocara may be mixed with these species)

An example of a more aggressive mbuna tank might be a mix of:
M. Auratus
P. Demasoni
P. Zebra
M. Estherae
L. trewavasae
(Auloonocara should not be mixed with these species)


This should give you an idea of the type of thing you are looking at. If you choose to mix mbuna and haps it is important to decorate the tank accordingly, with a nice balance of open swimming space and rocky caves. A variety of food is also important to ensure all the fish are getting a complete diet. If I've only raised more questions don't hesitate to ask.
As far as species are conserned, while there are hundred of different varieties, the hobby is generally made up of only a small portion of these, the rest are harder to obtain, something you may aspire to obtain after you've been keeping them for a bit, but not found in any fish stores. These numbers also include what would be many strains of a species (there are at least 40 varients of L. trewavasae, for example, but most of these are difficult to get a hold of)

 

[skippyroo]

Thanks for all that advice CA.

I think I like the sound and look of the less aggressive mbuna tank species you suggested.

If I went for:
L. Caeruleus
P. Acei
P. Saulosi
L. Trewavasae
A. baenschi

How many of each would I want to go for. In your eariler post you said that p.acei and L. Caeruleus are best kept in groups so could you give me an idea on the stocking density.

Also if I went for this combination would it be possible to add a breeding pair in later or will the comination of fish not allow this? Also do I need mainly rocks and a bit of open space with these fish or a good mixture of both?

The last questions for now is what bottom feeders work well in these tanks or is the fact that the fish naturally dig through the gravel mean they do a good enough job of clearing up any missed food? I have seen that the Synodontis sp. are a good choice for these tanks but frankly I think they are a bit ugly. Is there any thing else I can put in? Also no one actually answered if I could put some inverts on the bottom? I do presume they will get eaten but what about a large crab or are they not compatiable at all with these fish.

Well I would greatly appreciate some help with the stocking density of the fish selected.

Thanks for now

 

[thecichlidaddict]

As far as stocking numbers go, a lot of it is your call, depending on what you predominently want in the tank.

L. Caeruleus
P. Acei
P. Saulosi
L. Trewavasae
A. baenschi

Starting with the Aulonocara, I'd recommend going with just one nice male. This will act as a sort of centerpiece fish. Since females are a very drab grey, and not very pretty fish, you may as well not take up space with them unless you had plans on breeding them. If you do want to breed them then a couple of females and a male is fine.

As to how many of each? That depends in large on what you want to achieve.

I'll use my own latest setup as an example. I wanted my mbuna tank to be a flood of yellow with spots of bold blue to draw the eye. So I went with 8 Saulosi (6 yellow, 2 blue), 7 Caeruleus (all yellow), and 4 Johanni (3 yellow, 1 blue).

The main thing I'll recommend is to have at least 2 females per male for the Saulosi and Trewavasae. Gender of Acei and Caeruleus isn't important. Going for a group of 6 or more is best for Acei to get the full effect of their shoaling habits (unique among mbuna).

As far as bottom feeders, you don't need to worry, mbuna will find anything there is to eat. Only get them if you actually like them. If you don't like these cool looking creatures (it's all personal taste of course)

then you can also go with clown loaches as well, though they get very large.