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Hello all, I have a 90 gal cycling and I've decided I want to take a crack at a mbuna setup, I'm looking for some suggestions on stocking, I do warn you I'm new to cichlids so please be patient....thanks for the help

If you go mbunas, try not to stock and any malawi haps or aulonocara(peacocks) with them. Electric yellows are the expection to this rule.

I kept the following in my 55 gallon Mbuna setup...I really enjoyed them and loved them to the very end, of which case it was a weak seal that was their end:#(

So here is what my combination was, and it was awesome...hint of adivise get plenty of Texas Holey Rock and stack it to your likings...and keep in mind that your cichlids will move the gravel to their likings

Iodotropheus sprengerae (Rusty)
Labidochromis caeruleus (Electric Yellow/Yellow Lab)
Metriaclima callainos (Cobalt Blue/Cobalt Zebra)
Pseudotropheus Acei (Acei)
Pseudotropheus Iobardoi



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Nobody can explain it
Some say she's still alive
They even claim they've seen her
On the shoreline late at night
So if you go down by the water
You'll see her footprints in the sand
'Cause every night she walks the beaches of Cheyenne

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heidi michelle attached this image:


Last edited by heidi michelle at 09-May-2005 18:32[/font]

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

YOUR FISH DIED???
When did that happen?
Anyway, in a 90 you could also go with haps like didimos compresips (sp.) the "eye-biter" You got to love them and they're really not too rare ($7 at petland) Unfortunately, you can't mix them with mubuna (as the bubble-bursting heidi will tell you) because of dietary needs. If your set on mubuna, then some melonchromis (sp.) like electric blues are nice.
you might want to look at this

4 Hongis
1 kingsizei bright blue and gorgeous(called Elvis)
1 electric yellow (called Donovan)
4 clown loaches
1 pleco

Have crabros slated as an addition.

This setup is a copy of justbeginning's. Haven't had any trouble with getting it up and running (a relief).

Good luck with Mbuna's. I love my set up and am happy with the result (I researched if for a few months and took it slowly)


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~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~

I would advoid the melachromis and lombardis in that tank for a beginner. Yellow labs, acei, afra, zebras, and saulosi are all good picks for a beginner. They're colorful but not too hard and arn't the most agressive of mbunas. They're are some other but you need to mostly just tell us what you want and then we can help you more.

I'd steer clear of Pseudotropheus lombardoi for a beginner too. As I've mentioned several times in other threads, lombardois have reversed sexual colouration compared to 'typical' Mbunas, and thus the females of lombardoi can look a lot like the males of several other species. Consequently, mixing them with other Mbuna is an exercise requiring a LOT of care. Also, lombardois are pretty feisty (though a long way from being one of the 'hard nuts'), and male lombardois might decide to take the opportunity to stage a campaign for aquarium domination if put in with some of the gentler 'beginner recommendations' unless they had a decent amount of space. Even then, they'd probably pick the best of the rockwork 'real estate' for themselves and see off would-be squatters in a fairly forceful manner.

As for Melanochromis, some of the species in that Genus are serious aquarium criminals. Bayoubuddy has a chipokae that is a complete and utter berserker, a psychopath that exterminates all comers on sight. Tread VERY carefully with the Genus Melanochromis, as some of them are utterly demonic.

Oh, and of course, all the usual caveats about water quality maintenance being a bigger challenge in hard, alkaline water also apply here. But, if you're willing to take the challenge on, and have the dedication, best of luck, especially if you DO get it mostly right first time and enjoy the spectacle of momma fishes with buccal pouches full of fry

EDIT : 90 gallons? Nice size to start Rift Lake keeping with. You should have numerous options there even if you stick to the 'beginner recommendation'. That's enough space for some fairly spectacular fishes.


Last edited by Calilasseia at 21-May-2005 14:58

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

yes dj, [link=I lost all of my babies :#]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Freshwater/59013.html" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]( earlier this month. It was already a horrible day, but that just seemed to end it, and make it even worse...

I'm still cussing the tank each time I pass it...and haven't even began to reseal it, guess it will wait till summer begins...

I still don't know what I'm going to do with the tank...I miss my cichlids so much it still hurts, but don't know if I want to do them again only time will tell...

And yes the Kenyii are hard to tell the difference in sex when they are juveniles, but they are rather nice, and the 55 was my first go with Malawi Cichlids *shrug*

heidi



heidi michelle attached this image:


"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle