setting up a malawi mbuna tank

[photobug]

Just set up my cichlid tank, converted it from a predator tank.
I'm planning to add more fish every week until it's complete.
My rock arrangement used to look way better, but I had to remove the old fish, now it's all over the place.
Will be redoing it in about a week, since I'm moving soon anyway.

[stacker]

nice setup, looks like you've found a good fit. glad to see it's working out, even if the rocks are a bit of a mess for now.

[photobug]

i'm pretty stoked about it. gonna add some red zebras next, then some white ones - still deciding on the exact type, and after that maybe some jewel spots or more yellow labs.

[daxton]

You're making good progress. What's your current stocking like, and what filtration system are you using?

[finley22]

That rock with the red in it at the front is really nice, do you know its name?

[photobug]

that rock at the front was a 9$ find at wal mart, the rest i either picked up from the landscape yard or my local fish store. for filtration, i'm currently using an aquaclear 70, but an upgrade to a canister filter is on the cards when i move. as for the stocking list, i've got 3x Labidochromis Caeruleus, 1x paratilapia polleni, and 1x large plecostomus so far. next on my list is a freshwater snowflake moray eel - no idea what the technical name is, but the one at my LFS is massive and i think it'll go well with my cichlids.

[daxton]

I'm a bit concerned about the eel with Mbuna, double-check the water requirements to make sure they're compatible. Just because the LFS has them together doesn't mean it's a good idea - I've seen some weird combinations at my local store too. As far as I know, Mbuna are best with other Mbuna, maybe certain catfish are okay but that's about it.

Thanks,
Steve

[photobug]

I'll definitely check the compatibility. Saw the eel at a pet store, not a dedicated fish store - they had some at the fish store but different ones. Those ones at the fish store are compatible though, just need to feed them by hand with tongs.

[photobug]

next addition is gonna be white labs, then i'll get some red zebras

[daxton]

Just set up my cichlid tank, converted it from a predator tank.
I'm planning to add more fish every week until it's complete.
My rock arrangement used to look way better, but I had to remove the old fish, now it's all over the place.
Will be redoing it in about a week, since I'm moving soon anyway.

I'd avoid mixing Nkhata Bay Labs with the yellow ones, cross breeding and con-specific aggression can be an issue. Zebras should do just fine though. If you're looking for something with a light blue tone, you might want to consider Pseudo. socolofi or maybe Cyno. White Top Hara or Iodotropheus stuartgranti could also work.

Thanks,
Steve