Setting Up A Mbuma Tank!

[Esfa]

Setting up a new tank for some Mbuna!

The tank is 40"x16"x18" so 50 gallons. Got an external filter, so that's sorted.
I'm planning on a sand substrate with loads of rocks, but I also have a massive piece of bogwood with loads of java fern on it.

My tap water pH is 7.8. I've read that I should just keep it as it is?

I like the look of:
Metriaclima estherae
Pseudotropheus demasoni
Pseudotropheus socolofi
Labidochromis caeruleus
Melanochromis johannii

But really just looking for any advice on what to stock it with? Other tanks mates? Will a BN plec be okay? Also 4 large sulewesi snails?

 

[adamgreen240]

Sod the cichlids, go marine!

 

[Esfa]

Sod the cichlids, go marine!

You pay for it, and I will!!! lol

 

[wolfwolf]

Just starting myself but I can say a few things...

That is too many types of fish for a 50 gallon tank. Bogwood is frowned upon since it will lower pH.
You must over stock and maintain a proper male-female ratio. usually 1:3 or 4. Expcept for the yellow labs, they are fairly peaceful for mbuna. I have 12 unsexed labs in my 75 gallon tank.

Also overstocking calls for over filtering. I have 2 hobs (penguin 350 and aqueon 55) and a rena xp3 on my 75 gallon. About 1000gpm in total.


That is about the extent of my mbuna knowledge. My tank is about 2 months old. I did get some great specimens from an online breeder.

One other thing... MBUNA'S are the best fish EVER!

If I was you i would stick with the tap water at 7.8. I bother with Malawi buffer and it is a pain. My tapwater is 7.4 kH-3 gH-10

 

[dthoffsett]

Setting up a new tank for some Mbuna!

The tank is 40"x16"x18" so 50 gallons. Got an external filter, so that's sorted.
I'm planning on a sand substrate with loads of rocks, but I also have a massive piece of bogwood with loads of java fern on it.

My tap water pH is 7.8. I've read that I should just keep it as it is?

I like the look of:
Metriaclima estherae
Pseudotropheus demasoni
Pseudotropheus socolofi
Labidochromis caeruleus
Melanochromis johannii

But really just looking for any advice on what to stock it with? Other tanks mates? Will a BN plec be okay? Also 4 large sulewesi snails?

Ideally, IMO 4-ft is the minimum length for mbuna, however, your tank is a little wider than usual so as long as you stick with the less aggressive species you should be ok. Your PH is just fine for mbuna, so I'd leave it alone. BN plecs usually do fine with mbuna, but remember, your mbuna are pretty high waste producers too, and will also eat algae, so a plec isn't necessary unless you just like them. Snails (even large ones) will become a great snack, so probably not a good idea.

I'd aim for 3 species of 1m/3f each (labs are typically the exception as multiple males usually live together well). M.johannii would be too aggressive for your tank, and estherae are pretty feisty in smaller tanks. A classic pairing is l.caeruleus & p.demasoni. In your tank I'd go with 12 dems and 4 labs, because dems are small you can have more of them, in fact they are best kept in groups of either 12+ or a single specimen because in smaller groups they tend to kill each other.