What To Add To Malawi Tank

[ANIM4L]

Hi, I just set up a 60 gallon Malawi Tank, I have 2 Emporer 280 Biowheels, 1 Rena xp2 Cannister Filter, 1 300 Watt Rena Heater, A couple Live swords and Vallisneria and Java Fern, about 130lbs of Lace Rock, making A LOT of caves, and 75 pounds on Varib Sea crushed coral, and everything have been us and running for a while now. I am now looking for fish to add. I dont mind the aggression, the caves give a lot of hiding spots, but I want stuff with a lot fo color in them. I was looking at some peacocks, obviously gotta get some yellow an dblue labs, snow white socolofi, malawai chrysonatus, kribs... any suggestions on these fish or others? Also, because i read about pecocks interbreeding, should i get all males? How do you even tell males and females apart? Any other suggestions on fish, i really want colorful stuff. the peacocks i know i can get my hands on are red peacocks (dont look very pretty though) or sunshine peacocks. I was also looking at auratus and zebras, and i know they get mean, but the zebras have the pretty orange, and there is a zebra with a white body and blye and red fins, and then the auratus, i want the ons that is black with white lines.... i dont know what fish to add with what. I have the room, i just need the ideas!!! PLEASE HELP ME IF U CAN!

 

[ARXC08]

I think if u add all male peacocks there will be constant fighting? But anyway I used to keep
Electric Blue Johanni in my old 55 gallon and definately my favorite fish. In my african tank this fish was definately the most agressive fish i had though.

Check out the fish profile on it


and here a pic of it.

Electric Blue Johanni

 

[ANIM4L]

that is gorgeous! I woudl love to get a few of those! i just gotta find them! im getting all the fish as youngins so that when they get bigger they are a "bit" more docile (ye si know thier attitudes change when they get older)

 

[Fishboy17]

I think if u add all male peacocks there will be constant fighting? But anyway I used to keep
Electric Blue Johanni in my old 55 gallon and definately my favorite fish. In my african tank this fish was definately the most agressive fish i had though.

Check out the fish profile on it
Electric Blue Johanni

and here a pic of it.

It says page not found

 

[freddyk]

The first thing you need to do is choose between the Peacocks and Mbuna because, except for a few exceptions peacocks will not do well in an mbuna tank - it's too aggressive and too crowded for them. Milder Species of mbuna like Yellow Lab and Pseudo Acei will work with them, but otherwise you will just have a tank of stressed and not very nice looking peacocks that are more prone to disease as well.

All male peacocks can be done - what usually happens is that the dominant fishes become most active and most colored, while the least dominant end up less active and pale in color. It's not a natural way to keep them and there will be some fighting and aggression, but it's usually at a tolerable level. I'm much more concerned about your mixing random aggressive mbuna with them.

And a Malawi tank is also not a nice place for a little African river fish like the Kribs.

 

[ANIM4L]

ok so what looks nicer, a peacock tank, or an mbuna tank? what do you suggest? i wont get the kribs

 

[Luke & Penny]

ok so what looks nicer, a peacock tank, or an mbuna tank? what do you suggest? i wont get the kribs

thats definately a difference of opinion with people, I personally wasnt biased at all when first getting into african cichlids and after viewing a few different tanks and set ups it was definatetly the Mbuna one the first time around that stayed with me.

trust your instincts and go with them, you wont regret it

 

[ANIM4L]

ok if i decide to go with the whole mbuna tank, what fish do u suggest? the johanni are a definite. what other fish bring more colors? zebras, socolofis, malawi chrysonatus?

 

[freddyk]

zebras, socolofis, malawi chrysonatus?

Maylandia Estherae (red zebra) and Pseudo Socolofi would both be good choices. Maylania Callainos (cobalt zebra) is not a good idea because mixing zebras can increase aggression and the Socolofi and cobalts are too similar in color. Chysonatus is a Haplichromine and would work in an Aulonocara (peacock) tank but would not be great for an mbuna tank.

Have you read the pinned mbuna artical yet?

 

[ANIM4L]

yes i have read it. I think i may go with zebras, socolofis, kenyis, things like that, johannis. i want lots of color, and these fish seem to be mroe active, plus my lfs got some cool colors of zebra and kenyis in. plus they got a couple electric blues! i am goin back tomorrow to get them!

 

[freddyk]

Just keep the stocking tips from the artical in mind so you don't run into fatal aggression problems. Good luck.

 

[ANIM4L]

Ok so i went out and got some small fish for the tank. They are all around one inch big, and these are what i got:

1 snow white socolofi
3 socolofi
4 kenyi
2 johanni

i dont know what else to add. I may go with some zebra, if i find some good colors.... any other ideas?