does anyone else keep mbunas?

[florant]

I was just wondering, does anyone here keep mbunas? How's your experience been with them? What do you love about these guys?

I've had them for nearly 2 years now. They're so entertaining to watch. I know about the aggression issues and I've lost a few fish in the past. But I've got a good handle on how to manage it now, so I haven't lost any for a while. I'm just curious if there are others out there who appreciate these crazy, feisty fish as much as I do.

The tank boss is in the pics below.

[detroit]

I had them for a brief time, but I loved their beauty and intelligence. They're incredibly fast swimmers and always seem to be at the front of the tank, eager to interact. Their bold nature makes them really interesting to watch, and I found them entertaining - a big difference from my experience with Discus, which I found to be timid and easily scared.

[florant]

I had them for a brief time, but I loved their beauty and intelligence. They're incredibly fast swimmers and always seem to be at the front of the tank, eager to interact. Their bold nature makes them really interesting to watch, and I found them entertaining - a big difference from my experience with Discus, which I found to be timid and easily scared.

Yeah I'm with you on that, feeding them is a blast. They're like little vacuum cleaners, always on the lookout for their next meal. What made you decide to part ways with them, detroit?

[detroit]

I was just wondering, does anyone here keep mbunas? How's your experience been with them? What do you love about these guys?

I've had them for nearly 2 years now. They're so entertaining to watch. I know about the aggression issues and I've lost a few fish in the past. But I've got a good handle on how to manage it now, so I haven't lost any for a while. I'm just curious if there are others out there who appreciate these crazy, feisty fish as much as I do.

The tank boss is in the pics below.

I had too many tanks in the living room back then. I was also pretty into Apistogrammas and Blue Rams at the time.

If I were to keep them now, I'd need to use salt for African fish since my tap water is soft. For long-term keeping, it might not be the best idea to keep African fish without using something like Seachem Cichlid flour, or their Malawi buffer.

[florant]

I'm at a similar point now, too many tanks taking over my space. I was really into Apistogrammas and Blue Rams back then, so I had to make some tough choices.

If I were to start keeping mbunas again, I'd need to add some salt to the water, mineflakes or something similar, since my tap water is too soft for them. For long-term care, it's probably not ideal to keep African fish without some kind of water conditioner, like Seachem Cichlid flour, or Malawi buffer.