Malawi Tank

[julibob]

After the first disaster and total extinction of my new tank, I decided to change the type of occupant. I emptied and scrubbed the tank, boiled the rock and ornaments and threw away the plants!!! I set it up again, and cycled it for 6 weeks with a dozen livebearers from my other tank. After a second outbreak of whitespot, the fish were treated and I had a happy, healthy tank with values of:

0 Ammonia
0 Nitrites
5 Nitrates
Ph 8.2 (standard for my tap water)

At the weekend I did a water change, removed the fish and added some more rocks! I now have 6 beautiful Malawi Cichlids. I know that 2 are yellow labs, and I have 2 blue ones with vertical stripes and 2 orangey/brown stripey ones with blue heads (I have tried to find out what they are, especially the orangey/brown ones, but with no luck as yet!!!). Currently they are about 2" long.

My filter is not really up to the job (fluval 3 plus), so I have ordered an Eheim Ecco 2236 external to run alongside. Then, hopefully I can add a few more!!!

Are there any tips anyone can give me to make sure that my new fish are kept happy and healthy

My tank is a Hagen Duo Deep 800 which is 29 gallons.

Just realised this should be in African Cichlid section! Will post it there.

 

[juanveldez]

just wanted to make sure I was looking at the sig right is this the same 29 that is there?

 

[julibob]

Yes it is the same tank, but I decided against the Parrots!!!

 

[sylvia]

It's going to be a blood-bath in there before long.

 

[freddyk]

Yup, these cichlid grow to be about 4-6" long, and they only get more aggressive as they mature. The labs will be a little tight for space, but otherwise won't be a problem. The others... well we don't know what they are - it's not a good idea to stock these types of fish without knowing about them first, many will, as sylvia put it, cause a bloodbath, and almost all mbuna with few exceptions are not suitable to a tank this size. If you're blue ones are Lombardoi (Kenyi) then I guarantee that blood bath!

 

[julibob]

Thankyou for your helpful comments. I shall let the 2 LFS I brought the fish from know that they dont know what they are talking about.