Tips Advice Etc

[stan1979]

hey folks,
i currently have a jewel rio 180, 40 gallons,stocked with your run of the mill tropical community fish but have deceide to change over to keeping mbuna cichlids. i have removed the jewel internal and replaced it with the eheim pro 11 2026 and have a spare fluval 4 floating about the house,i reckon this should be enough filtration for the tank

could somebody suggest some ideal start up fish for this tank. i will be moving house in the next year so and intend on upgranding the tank to possibly 400lt tank.

another question, when i do actually complete the change i would hop to possibly complete it over the course of a weekend with a little help from a mate( he doesnt know this yet). am i being realistic with this or would it be a bit to much to take on.

any help/tips or links on any of my questions would be appreciated,

cheers folks

stan

 

[dthoffsett]

Is your tank a 4-ft? If not, I would recommend waiting until you move and have a larger tank, most mbuna keepers wouldn't recommend keeping them in anything less than a 4-ft due to territory needs and aggression.

If your tank is a 4-ft, I'd start reading here: [URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=27706"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=27706[/URL], and here [URL="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/species_for_beginners.php"]http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/spec...r_beginners.php[/URL] , and here
[URL="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/quick_reference_list.php"]http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/quic...erence_list.php[/URL], and you might check out here for inspiration: [URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=169788"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=169788[/URL].

I also recommend going to your LFS and writing down all the names of the fish you are interested in, then research them, and post on here and we can help with stocking numbers and combinations.

 

[FISH KEEPER EXP]

Mbuna are aggressive theres no escaping it but maybe this will help break it down.

Pseudotropheus species- most are moderatley aggressive

Meloncromis species - generally i find these guys run the tanks, species such as mel. johanni are more aggressive than most.

Labeotropheus species- these are like a Melanchromis crossed with Labidochromis so they have the aggression there. usually identified by the similar shape of a mel. specie but have a bigger nose, which almost look hooked in appearence. check out this specie you will see what i mean. Labeotropheus fulleborni.

hope this helps would anyone else agree?