Mbuna Tank

[hungryguppy]

I have a 48Lx13Hx20W tank, i was thinking about the mbuna comunity and came up with these fish.
The fulleborn cichlid-mid-level, 4 3/4in, 71-77F, omnivore, min of 48 gallons
The blue white Labido-mid-level, 4in, 71-77F, omnivore, min of 48 gallons
The zebra-mid-level, 5in, 71-77F, omnivore, min of 48 gallons
The Auratus-Bottom, 4 1/4in, 71-77F, omnivore, min of 48 gallons
The chipokae-Mid-level, 5in, 71-77F, omnivore, min of 48 gallons
Are these fish compatible? do i have to many mid-level fish?do i have a big enough tank? Do i need aqurium salts? Am i going to want an overhang fliter and a canister fliter?if this fish have babies what should i do with them? What should i feed them? Should i use my 12 gallon tank to breed feeder fish? Should i buy the fish big or small? Is a mbuna comunity easy to keep?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Ferris]

That didn't take long

I like the look of the research you've done already including diet etc - a good start

Firstly i would avoid the Auratus and Chipokae - they are probably the 2 most aggressive Mbuna species and will almost certainly cause problems.

I don't see any problems with the others you've listed.

Some other compatible possibilities would be Melanochromis Johanni or Cyaneorhabdos, preferrably Cyaneorhabdos as they are generally less aggressive. Pseudotropheus Elongatus (various different morphs but Mpanga are nice and reasonably easy to get hold of).
Pseudotropheus Socolofi Albino - a nice colour contrast with your other selections.
Cynotilapia Afra (again various morphs to choose from).
Pseudotropheus Saulosi - intersting species as the males are blue and the females yellow at adulthood.

I've put some links below for the fish i've suggested but check out the other profiles on cichlid-forum.com - it's a good site. There's also a link at the bottom to our own fish species index (African section) for more pics and info.

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=760
http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=756
http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=876
http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1786
http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1675
http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1

http/www.fishforums.net/Cichlids-African-f41.html

 

[hungryguppy]

Pseudotropheus Saulosi, i like the look of this fish, but its min. temperature is 78F. The other fish listed have a max of 77F, will this cause problems? Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos, i like this one a lot. which would be the most compatible? How much algael growth am i going to need? do i want a natrul looking rock habitat? should i implement hardy plants tied to driftwood, or will that decrease the algae to much? Is my tank the right size? Ive heard of mixes i can add to my tanks to achieve the proper ph, hardness, and salinty, would you recomend these or not? How many of each fish would i need to distrbute agression? What would you recomend for filters? At my pets mart, it listed these fish as needing aquarioum salts, do i?

 

[hungryguppy]

bump*

 

[Ferris]

Most Mbuna will be quite happy with a temp between 76 -80F so don't worry about that.

You don't need algae to keep Mbuna but it does add to the natural environment feel. You just need to make sure they get plenty of Spirinula in their diet - plenty of foods available that contain this.

Plenty of rocks is pretty much a must - In addition to it being natural for the Mbuna, it can help buffer your water depending on the rocks used.

Plants are likely to be eaten and are therefore not generally kept in Mbuna tanks. Java fern and Amazon sword tend to survive though. Driftwood is OK in small amounts - too much can lower your Ph.

Most Mbuna are tank-bred these days and can generally survive in Ph ranges of 7-8.5. However a Ph of 8-8.2 will bring the best out in them. This can be achieved by using something like crushed coral as a substrate or filter media, which naturally raises the Ph or by using buffer products. If you go down the product route, i can reccommend Tropic Marin pro-cichlid mineral - it actually works and there are plenty out there that don't.

Salt is not required at all.

For your tank size - i would suggest 3 species with 4 of each, preferrably with a ration of 1 male to 3 females to cut down the aggression.

Filtration is imporatnat with Mbuna as the tank should be fairly heavily stocked to spread the aggression around - the more the better. 1 large external filter or 2 medium sized like Fluval 305's or eheim pro 2 2026's will be ideal.

 

[hungryguppy]

what type of rock should i use to help my ph to get from tap level 6.4 70 8.2? I think im going with the crushed coral substrate. I heard that coral might cuase iritation on the gills of the fish becuase the mbuna are diggers, will different degrees of fineness remedy this problem? is spirinula an algae? am i going to want to encourage algae growth? how big of a light am i going to need?Are tetratec filters as good as everyone says?

 

[Ferris]

Many people use crushed coral as a substrate and don't have a problem with it so i wouldn't worry unduly. I use sand simply because i prefer the look of it. If your Ph is 6.4 you will probably struggle to raise it to 8.2 naturally with rocks etc so i would look into buffering products. Bicarbonate of Soda is one option but i use Tropic Marin pro-cichlid mineral, which is the best i have tried and also adds various mineral elements found in Lake Malawi. I have Ocean rock in my Mbuna tank - again because i like the look of it - it does little or nothing to the Ph but helps a little as a general buffer for the water hardness.

Spirulina is indeed a type of algae - it won't promote algae growth but is a food supplement. Using standard lighting for 12 hours a day should be plenty to stimulate algae growth.

I haven't used tetratec filters, i have Eheim and Fluval's but they have a good reputation.

 

[dthoffsett]

Here's a link to another homemade buffer recipe. http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/buffer_recipe.php

I have crushed coral in my tank, if you vacuum it well, it get rid of the dust that bothers the fish. I have found though, that they can't really dig in it, so in a couple of months I'll be breaking down the tank, removing the crushed coral, and putting in aragonite sand.

I use the crushed coral in my filter, and have found it does a better job there than as a substrate.

 

[hungryguppy]

whats epsom salt? do i add this mix during the cycling process? is there any online stores in the us where i can buy the tetratec canister filter?

 

[dthoffsett]

http://What are Epsom salts and how do they work?

Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate. Salts are just molecules that form because the parts have opposite electrical charges that bind together. Magnesium has a positive charge. Sulfate has a negative charge, and performs all sorts of unique biological functions. The two elements dissociate in solution (English translation: break apart and separate in liquid). Epsom salts are available at most local grocers or health food stores, or inexpensively in bulk at agricultural supply stores.

Epsom salts can be found in the healthcare section of your local grocery store, usually near the hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol.


You can add it during cycling if you want, but since they cycling is going to make your ph fluctuate like crazy, I'd wait until it's done, then add the buffer before adding fish. Make sure you acclimate them slowly if your PH is much different from the LFS.

I don't see any US sites for the tetratec, however Eheims and Fluvals are just as good, if not better, and they can easily be found here.

 

[hungryguppy]

i understand ph, but hardness? How do i make my kh, gh go up? what are the desired levels for that? what will the baking soda make my ph got to? what is the ratio per teaspoon to 5 gallons? Can i take the carbon from a rite size-G cartride and put it in the canister to accelerate bacterial growth?

 

[dthoffsett]

i understand ph, but hardness? How do i make my kh, gh go up? what are the desired levels for that? what will the baking soda make my ph got to? what is the ratio per teaspoon to 5 gallons? Can i take the carbon from a rite size-G cartride and put it in the canister to accelerate bacterial growth?

In laymans terms hardness represents the amount of dissolved minerals in you water. Mbuna come from an area with high hardness, so we try to imitate that. This will explain better http/www.fishforums.net/Whatand39s-In-Yo...ter-t59467.html

Baking Soda, which is calcium carbonate, will raise your KH, it will also raise your PH but no higher than 8.2 I believe.

There is no sure fire amount to add to your tank, it really depends on your starting PH & KH. Here's an excerpt from the buffer recipe in the link I posted earlier: The amount of Baking Soda and Epsom Salt that you will need varies from household to household and depends upon the tap water. Start by adding 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda to five gallons of dechlorinated water and see how much this raises your pH. Then adjust your dosage so as to attain a desired level (somewhere in the neighborhood of 8.2-8.6). Repeat this procedure for Epsom Salt, starting out with ½ teaspoon. Try to achieve a GH between 15 and 25 dgh. Then add 1 teaspoon of salt.

I don't think the carbon is going to help with bacterial growth, but if you add some gravel from an existing tank to a new nylon, you can put that in a cannister filter to add bacteria. That's what I did anyways.

 

[hungryguppy]

how much faster will the cycling process be with the bacteria in the tank? what filter media am i going to want in a fluval canister?

 

[dthoffsett]

IME adding bacteria cut the cycling in half.

Fluvals come with the materials you need; sponges, biomedia (porous rings), and carbon though I don't use that. You can add other stuff too, I added crushed coral in a filter bag, and bio-balls.

 

[hungryguppy]

As subadult fish, how do i tell if they are male or female? do the egg spot apear on you males?