Small Scale African Tank

[Xebadir]

I thought id put my idea out there....i know many of you will put me down for choosing this idea and say you should go tanga micro, or shells, or dwarf SAs but here is my thoughts.

1. The tank would be an interum option/feature of Malawi Mbuna. The tank is a 20USG

I have read through cichlid forum, and everything I can find on smaller species and have come up with a list of species that take my fancy:

Labidochromis caeruleus Though this i suspect would be a species trio or the like.
or as a grow out tank for pindani/electrics.
Labidochromis chisumulae ossibly small group cohabiting with a small group of Pidana(Pseudotropheus socolofi).
A species tank of the dwarf Mbuna:Pseudotropheus socolofi.
A species tank of the dwarf Mbuna:Pseudotropheus saulosi

Note that all these combinations would have a bristlenose as algae patrol.

These are the species that attract my attention, and I would like opinions on suggested group size in a 20 gallon. sizes in general are 4 inches or less(except for electric yellows 5inch max). The fish I would purchase would approximately be 1-1.5 inches and I plan to start with a larger group, then remove males as they become evident til I have 1 male to several females.

Any suggestions besides coughing shelldweller would be much appreciated.

 

[Ferris]

IMO the tank is too small for any Mbuna with the possible exception being the Saulosi. Yellow labs grow quite large and a 20 gal just isn't big enough, Socolofi are not dwarf Mbuna and the same applies with them.

I wouldn't do it personally but due to their small size you could keep a small group (5 max) of Saulosi in a 20 gal but better options would be a pair of Kribs, Rams or Apistogramma.

 

[Xebadir]

Well, having looked further and browsed my LFS repeatedly i have found a species, and fell in love with it.

Melanochromis simulans "Auratus Cichlid"(not to be confused with Melanchromis Auratus which are evil)

The fish shop has a pair of these most beautiful creatures, and I believe as the pair would make a great feature for my tank.

The only thing elsewise I would add would be a bristlenose or two to add to the bottom cleaning. The Tank I am working on structure for: with rock rubble (6.5kg added) with sporadic plants being the plan.

What do people think of this in a 20 gallon setup?

 

[BiffMalawi]

Although not as aggreessive as the auratus, it is a melanochromis and still one of the more aggressive types of cichlids. A pair in a 20g is a little cramped but with some good hiding spots you might be OK. I'm not sure anything else will survive long term in such a small tank. Males and females look the same when small so watch for the colour change. If you end up with two males one will probably kill the other. A pair or maybe two females would work best.

But that being said and all fish are individuals and you experience may be different from the general experience. They certainly are beautiful fish.

 

[Ferris]

Melanochromis Simulans are now regarded as a "threatened species" in the wild so i'm surprised you can get hold of them. Be extremely careful though as they look very similar to Melanochromis Chipokae, which make Auratus look like neon tetra's in the aggression stakes. If you end up with 2 of them in a 20 gal you'll have world war 3. Again IMO a 20 gal isn't suitable for any Melanochromis species.