New Fish

[Ginge]

Hi I have just got my new 4' tank and will be buying my africans soon i was thinking maybee 18 fish and there are 6 species available at my lfs that i like sould i get these and get 6 species 3 of each would this work.
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[Ferris]

It would heavily depend on what the species are, you would probably find it better to pick 3 species and have 5 or 6 of each. 6 different species of Mbuna in a 4 footer is pushing it a bit IMO.

 

[Ginge]

And could you explain this in a bit more detail please, like why not 6 species what problem woul this cause? I'm geusing just a bit of unwanted agression.

 

[Ferris]

If you have 6 species with 3 of each you can't provide a sufficient male to female ratio and multiple males of the same species is asking for trouble. By limiting the species slightly you are also reducing potential problems. If you can list the species you can get hold of, i can be more specific.

 

[freddyk]

Ginge, as Ferris casually mentioned it really depends on the species involved. The best thing you can do is note down what the species are at your store and list them here to get an idea of aggression level. We don't necessarily need to keep the same amount of each fish, I'm not sure why everyone always thinks in balance, but you may be able to do 3 of one species, but may need 5 of another to keep the peace. It's unfortunate, but some of the most common mbuna (Kenyi, auratus) found in stores happen to also be the most aggressive, so take care.

 

[Ginge]

Well as i have said i have just recieved my new tank ad will be going back there soon to purchase my filter i will note some down then.