choosing the right fish for my aquarium

[daxton6]

To be honest mate, I'd just stick with the malawis, they're a great choice. Adding some Synodontis catfish, like featherfins or upside-down cats, would complement them nicely. This way, you'll get a more natural look and behavior, with less chance of hybridization. It's just easier all round, for you and the fish. With 3-4 species in groups, or larger groups of 2-3 species, it'll look fantastic. Just remember, you'll need more hidey places for the fish. Syno's, by the way, are Synodontis catfish.

[kalevi]

Synodontis Catfish are a great choice, they work really well with malawi's, as well as Bristlenose's. I've seen some set-ups that include clown loaches too, but I'm not too sure how well they do in the long run, considering they get quite large.

Out of the fish you mentioned earlier, I'd personally go with these: 4x Labidochromis caeruleus, 4x Cynotilapia Afra Jalo Reef, and 4x Pseudotropheus ndumbi red top. If your filtration system is up to scratch, you could even consider raising the numbers to 6 per species or adding an extra species. However, I'd advise against having as many species as you listed earlier, as it'll more than likely cause more problems for both you and the fish.

[daxton6]

Thanks for the advice, I'm thinking of swapping the loaches for bristlenoses now, they seem like a good fit. I probably got a bit carried away with my initial list, so I'm going to scale it back to around 20 malawis and add a couple of bristlenoses for some variety. I'll take another look and let you know what I decide.

[kalevi]

I've been going through your Malawi tank lists, and I've put together a list of fish I think would work well in my tank. Assuming they're compatible in your tanks, they should be fine in mine, right?

My tank's a 4ft, 1200w x 477d x 745h mm. Rock setup's not too big, see the picture below. Let me know if I need more rock or less open space.

So, here's my list:

- 4x hap sp. 44
- 4x Yellow Labs
- 4x Cynotilapia afra Jalo Reef
- 2x Pseudotropheus elongatus neon spot
- 4x Ndumbi red tops
- 4x Pseudo Elongatus Mpanga
- 2x Aulonocara Sunset
- 2x Aulonocara Orange Peacock
- 2x Horse Face Loaches - They bury themselves in the sand, which should help with gas buildup.

That's 28 fish, I think. Do you think they'll get along most of the time?

Is that too many fish for my tank?

I don't plan on adding them all at once. Which ones should I start with?

Looking forward to your thoughts.

Thanks for that, yeah filtration and maintenance are key, get that right and you can tweak your stocking levels to get the perfect balance for your set-up, just don't be afraid to ask for help or advice if you need it.

[floriana]

Synodontis Catfish are a great choice to pair with Malawis, they work really well together. I've also seen them do well with Bristlenose's. I've come across some set-ups with clown loaches too, but I'm not too sure how they'll do in the long run, considering they can get quite large. Out of the fish you mentioned earlier, I'd personally go with these:
4x Labidochromis caeruleus
4x Cynotilapia Afra Jalo Reef
4x Pseudotropheus ndumbi red top

If your filtration is up to par, you could even consider increasing the numbers to 6 per species or adding another species. But, to be honest, I think having too many species can cause more problems for both you and the fish.