Who Gives A Fish Forums

willie32 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 20, 2025 11:18 pm Hi, I'm also working on an Mbuna tank right now. I agree with your ID, but I'll give you the updated scientific names since Malawi cichlids can be tricky to research due to the constant name changes. The striped ones are likely Chindongo Demasoni - not necessarily from Pombo Rocks, as they're commonly tank-bred. The pale blue ones could be Chindongo Socolofi or Metriaclima Callainos, while the orange ones are probably Red Zebras, Metriaclima Estherae. Alternatively, the orange ones might be female Metriaclima Msobo Magunga, with the male being the black and blue fish above them.

For a tank your size, consider having four 'slots', each with one male and 4-7 females. However, I'm not a fan of the species mix in the picture. Demasoni can be quite aggressive, and having two Chindongo or two Metriaclima species doesn't sit well with me. You could achieve a similar look with just two species - Chindongo Saulosi, which has black and blue striped males and yellow/orange females, and Metriaclima Callainos. I'd suggest three male Saulosi and one male Callainos, with four females for each male Saulosi and five for the Estherae.

I initially planned a mixed species tank in my 75 but decided on a single species tank with Metriaclima Msobo Magunga. I love the unique males and bright orange females. My plan is three males and 12 females, but I might add a small group of Socolofi - one male and four females. If you choose to keep multiple males of the same species, always have at least three.

willie32 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 20, 2025 11:18 pm Hi, I'm also working on an Mbuna tank right now. I agree with your ID, but I'll give you the updated scientific names since Malawi cichlids can be tricky to research due to the constant name changes. The striped ones are likely Chindongo Demasoni - not necessarily from Pombo Rocks, as they're commonly tank-bred. The pale blue ones could be Chindongo Socolofi or Metriaclima Callainos, while the orange ones are probably Red Zebras, Metriaclima Estherae. Alternatively, the orange ones might be female Metriaclima Msobo Magunga, with the male being the black and blue fish above them.

For a tank your size, consider having four 'slots', each with one male and 4-7 females. However, I'm not a fan of the species mix in the picture. Demasoni can be quite aggressive, and having two Chindongo or two Metriaclima species doesn't sit well with me. You could achieve a similar look with just two species - Chindongo Saulosi, which has black and blue striped males and yellow/orange females, and Metriaclima Callainos. I'd suggest three male Saulosi and one male Callainos, with four females for each male Saulosi and five for the Estherae.

I initially planned a mixed species tank in my 75 but decided on a single species tank with Metriaclima Msobo Magunga. I love the unique males and bright orange females. My plan is three males and 12 females, but I might add a small group of Socolofi - one male and four females. If you choose to keep multiple males of the same species, always have at least three.