Planning a mbuna aquarium setup

[rivora2]

Been considering an African tank for a while now, have a small tetra/loach community in my 60L, but the 250L is empty and I thought, why not do something different? I've always loved the all rock setups of mbuna tanks, but then I found a small crack in the tank while cleaning it today...

So, I'll replace it with a similar size tank - maybe a bit thinner, like a 55gal - in the new year when I have some spare cash. In the meantime, I'm planning and researching everything.

We have semi hard water here, 7.5, so I'm thinking of using coflake sand as the substrate and river rocks/limestone to buffer, or just using playsand and adding some coflake sand to the filter.

For filtration, I'm looking at either a Fluval FX5 if I can get one at a reasonable price, or a combo of smaller alternatives - any advice on what works well? I was going to splurge on a G6, but I've heard they may have issues and they don't turnover enough for the price tag.

As for stocking, there are so many to choose from and I'm not sure what works well together. I've put together a list of what I like and what I think I can get - the ones I'm particularly fond of are in bold.

Cynotilapia afra (Likoma)
Cynotilapia afra (Jalo Reef)
Abidochromis caeruleus (Electric Yellow)
Labidochromis chisumulae
Labidochromis sp. "Hongi"
Metriaclima callainos
Metriaclima pyrsonotos (Red Top Zebra)
Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" (Msuli)
Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos (M. Tangazo)
Pseudotropheus sp. "Elongatus Mpanga"
Pseudotropheus saulosi

I don't think I have any really aggressive ones on the list. For a 55gal, I'm thinking of 3 or 4 species with a ratio of 1Male to 4 or more Females - is that about right? Which species on my list go together reasonably well?

[kalevi]

Been considering an African tank for a while now, have a small tetra/loach community in my 60L, but the 250L is empty and I thought, why not do something different? I've always loved the all rock setups of mbuna tanks, but then I found a small crack in the tank while cleaning it today...

So, I'll replace it with a similar size tank - maybe a bit thinner, like a 55gal - in the new year when I have some spare cash. In the meantime, I'm planning and researching everything.

We have semi hard water here, 7.5, so I'm thinking of using coflake sand as the substrate and river rocks/limestone to buffer, or just using playsand and adding some coflake sand to the filter.

For filtration, I'm looking at either a Fluval FX5 if I can get one at a reasonable price, or a combo of smaller alternatives - any advice on what works well? I was going to splurge on a G6, but I've heard they may have issues and they don't turnover enough for the price tag.

As for stocking, there are so many to choose from and I'm not sure what works well together. I've put together a list of what I like and what I think I can get - the ones I'm particularly fond of are in bold.

Cynotilapia afra (Likoma)
Cynotilapia afra (Jalo Reef)
Abidochromis caeruleus (Electric Yellow)
Labidochromis chisumulae
Labidochromis sp. "Hongi"
Metriaclima callainos
Metriaclima pyrsonotos (Red Top Zebra)
Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" (Msuli)
Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos (M. Tangazo)
Pseudotropheus sp. "Elongatus Mpanga"
Pseudotropheus saulosi

I don't think I have any really aggressive ones on the list. For a 55gal, I'm thinking of 3 or 4 species with a ratio of 1Male to 4 or more Females - is that about right? Which species on my list go together reasonably well?

You've clearly done your research already, got the basics covered. The FX5 is a great choice for a 55G, if you can't find one at a reasonable price, the larger Eheim Filters are a good alternative, similar to the FX5's. If not, two smaller externals will work just as well, just means more pipework showing in the tank, which I'm not a fan of, but it's doable.

Your pH is fine as it is, but it's your water hardness that's more important, KH and GH. Unless you're planning on keeping wild Mbuna, it's not worth tampering with it too much. Your list of fish looks good, a nice locale species tank always looks great. You could go for a tank with fish from around Likoma island, like the afra you mentioned.

The ones you've bolded should work well together, just keep in mind that the Afra Jalo's and Likoma's might interbreed, since the females look similar. But if you're not planning on keeping the fry, it's not a problem. Your ratio of 1 male to 4 or more females should work well, and you could even get away with keeping multiple males with certain species, as it spreads the aggression between males and females, so the females don't get too battered by the dominant males.

[rivora2]

Considering dropping one of the afra species to keep the other four I've got in bold, I'm thinking of stocking six of each - would 24 fish be too much for a 55gal, or should I scale back the numbers? Maybe choosing just three species would be a better option?

I'll definitely look into locales and see if I can find a combination that would naturally coexist in the wild.

For water turnover, I'm aiming for 10x - does this need to be achieved solely through filtration, or can a powerhead help share the load, even if it doesn't filter the water itself? Just looking to get as much advice as I can, thanks for the input so far.

[kalevi]

Been considering an African tank for a while now, have a small tetra/loach community in my 60L, but the 250L is empty and I thought, why not do something different? I've always loved the all rock setups of mbuna tanks, but then I found a small crack in the tank while cleaning it today...

So, I'll replace it with a similar size tank - maybe a bit thinner, like a 55gal - in the new year when I have some spare cash. In the meantime, I'm planning and researching everything.

We have semi hard water here, 7.5, so I'm thinking of using coflake sand as the substrate and river rocks/limestone to buffer, or just using playsand and adding some coflake sand to the filter.

For filtration, I'm looking at either a Fluval FX5 if I can get one at a reasonable price, or a combo of smaller alternatives - any advice on what works well? I was going to splurge on a G6, but I've heard they may have issues and they don't turnover enough for the price tag.

As for stocking, there are so many to choose from and I'm not sure what works well together. I've put together a list of what I like and what I think I can get - the ones I'm particularly fond of are in bold.

Cynotilapia afra (Likoma)
Cynotilapia afra (Jalo Reef)
Abidochromis caeruleus (Electric Yellow)
Labidochromis chisumulae
Labidochromis sp. "Hongi"
Metriaclima callainos
Metriaclima pyrsonotos (Red Top Zebra)
Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" (Msuli)
Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos (M. Tangazo)
Pseudotropheus sp. "Elongatus Mpanga"
Pseudotropheus saulosi

I don't think I have any really aggressive ones on the list. For a 55gal, I'm thinking of 3 or 4 species with a ratio of 1Male to 4 or more Females - is that about right? Which species on my list go together reasonably well?

Dropping one of the Afra species is a good call. 24 fish in a 55gal with 10x turnover will be manageable, but regular maintenance is key. The mbuna you've chosen are mostly smaller species at adulthood, except for the callainos, which is a plus for higher stocking numbers. I think having more individuals of each species looks better and creates a more natural environment, spreading aggression throughout the tank.

Locale set-ups do look amazing, but they take time to plan. I'd recommend researching different locales and finding a combination that you like. Having multiple species from the same locale can create a unique and interesting environment.

As for filtration, the higher the better for malawi's. Powerheads are a great addition to a mbuna set-up, but they won't contribute to your filtration. They're more for water movement and creating currents.

[rivora2]

If I drop one of the afra species and keep a ratio of 1m to 4-5f, I should be alright. From what I've read, the Metriaclima callainos can be a bit feisty, so I'd say they're probably the most aggressive out of the ones I've got in bold. The Labidochromis chisumulae seem pretty chill, but I've heard the Labidochromis sp. "Hongi" can be a bit territorial.

As for keeping two male Liongi, I don't think that's a good idea - I've read that they can be pretty aggressive towards each other, so I think I'll stick with just one male. Maybe I'll keep a few more females to balance it out.

If I do decide to go down the locale route, I'd love to find a resource that lists different species and their corresponding locales. I know it's not just about throwing a few species together that come from the same place - I want to make sure I'm creating a natural environment for my fish. I've found a few species that come from Likoma island, like the afra 'Likoma' and the Ps cyaneorhabdos (M. Tangazo), but I'd love to find more. Does anyone know of a good resource for this?

[kalevi]

The Callainos can be pretty dominant, I'd stick with 1M to 4F/5F, they get pretty big. The Liongi shouldn't be too bad, multiple males should be okay together. Thing is, mbuna can be different in different setups, so it's hard to know what multiple males would be like together. I'd start with 1M to 4F/5F, then as you watch your fish over time, you could add an extra male/female to balance the stocking in your tank.

[floriana]

I've had good experiences with the Acei, they seem pretty chill compared to other Mbuna, not sure if I've just been lucky though. The Pseudotropheus Socolofi is another one I think is great, they're just a bit on the larger side.

[rivora2]

Thanks for the advice guys, really appreciate it. I'm looking to get everything sorted before I start setting up, so I'll keep researching and collecting bits and pieces as I go. Just had a thought, if I buy all the fish from the same supplier, is it recommended to stock them all at once or is it better to add them in stages? Obviously I'll be doing a fishless cycle first, but after that, what's the best approach? Should I add a species at a time, and if so, how long should I wait between each addition? Would be great to hear your thoughts on this, just want to get it right first time and avoid any potential issues down the line.

[kalevi]

Been considering an African tank for a while now, have a small tetra/loach community in my 60L, but the 250L is empty and I thought, why not do something different? I've always loved the all rock setups of mbuna tanks, but then I found a small crack in the tank while cleaning it today...

So, I'll replace it with a similar size tank - maybe a bit thinner, like a 55gal - in the new year when I have some spare cash. In the meantime, I'm planning and researching everything.

We have semi hard water here, 7.5, so I'm thinking of using coflake sand as the substrate and river rocks/limestone to buffer, or just using playsand and adding some coflake sand to the filter.

For filtration, I'm looking at either a Fluval FX5 if I can get one at a reasonable price, or a combo of smaller alternatives - any advice on what works well? I was going to splurge on a G6, but I've heard they may have issues and they don't turnover enough for the price tag.

As for stocking, there are so many to choose from and I'm not sure what works well together. I've put together a list of what I like and what I think I can get - the ones I'm particularly fond of are in bold.

Cynotilapia afra (Likoma)
Cynotilapia afra (Jalo Reef)
Abidochromis caeruleus (Electric Yellow)
Labidochromis chisumulae
Labidochromis sp. "Hongi"
Metriaclima callainos
Metriaclima pyrsonotos (Red Top Zebra)
Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" (Msuli)
Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos (M. Tangazo)
Pseudotropheus sp. "Elongatus Mpanga"
Pseudotropheus saulosi

I don't think I have any really aggressive ones on the list. For a 55gal, I'm thinking of 3 or 4 species with a ratio of 1Male to 4 or more Females - is that about right? Which species on my list go together reasonably well?

I'd add a group of 6, give the filter a week or so to adjust to the increased bioload of a malawi tank. Then, with each subsequent addition, aim for 6-12 fish at a time, this way singular fish aren't picked on. You can also rearrange the rockwork a bit when introducing new fish, it'll confuse the existing ones, giving the newcomers time to settle and claim a territory.

[rivora2]

Thanks again, will just have to sit tight now until I can get my hands on the new tank. Might take a trip out today to grab some rocks though, get a head start on the setup.