Mbuna Stocking For 38 Gallon...

[ab420]

Hello, I have a 38 Gallon (36" long) tank that currently has:

4 Metriaclima Estherae (2m, 2f)
5 Metriaclima Callainos (2m, 3f)
1 Labidochromis Caeruleus (unknown)

They are all between 3"-4"

For filtration I have:
1 Whisper 60 HOB (rated at 330gph)
1 Whisper 30 HOB (rated at 150gph)
for a total of 480gph (rated), more than 12.5x the volume of the tank per hour. I do bi-weekly water changes of 9 gallons of water each time (around 24% each time).
My ammonia and nitrites are always 0, and my nitrates stay below 20, so the tank is having no issues with bio-load what so ever. I have a lot of caves and tunnels I made from various terra cotta pots and saucers, as well as some natural rock work as well, so there are plenty of hiding places. There are also ways for fish to get from one side of the tank to the other without ever going out into open water, so if a fish is getting picked on, they can dissappear fairly easily.

Do you think I could add a few more fish in this tank? If so, I am thinking that 2-3 more Labidochromis Caeruleus would be perfect, as there is just the lone lab in there now. Then I would have a nice mix of blue, orange and yellow, which would really be stunning, but I just want to make sure I wouldn't be pushing it if I did.
Thanks in advance!

 

[nukeonekitty]

I would not add any more fish just because it is a little bit of a small tank for a mbuna and when they get mature you want them to have their space!

 

[Druchii]

i would personally remove one of the cobalts and of the estheraes males now, leaving you 1M,3F of each and then add 4 yellow labs to make a group of 5 right and then sex off a few months doen the line

 

[Ferris]

Completely agree with Druchii, multiple males is asking for trouble in that size tank. If you could trade in 1 male Callainos and 1 male Estherae and increase your labs to 4 or 5, you will have a better chance of a settled tank - particularly when they are adults.

Would be a nice colour mixture aswell.