Who Gives A Fish Forums

Hi all,

I'm pretty new to african cichlids, so any tips would be awesome. I just set up a brand new 55-gallon tank for mbuna only.

I chose a Marineland C360 and a Penguin 200 for filtration - over 500gph should be good, right? I'm planning to overstock a bit.

For the substrate, I mixed 40lbs of Florida crushed coflake with some mixed gravel. Decor is marcosrock's Key Largo dry rock - no buffering, I know. I also need eggcrate to protect the glass from cracking - any ideas where to get it cheap?

My tap pH is around 7.1-7.3. What do I need to do for water quality, and should I add any chemicals to adjust the pH? I plan to change 10% of the water weekly and do partial gravel vacs every 2 weeks.

Any advice, tips, or tricks would be great. Also, suggestions for colorful and lively mbuna community tank options would be awesome.

Your pH looks good to go. Welcome to the world of Mbuna, I've got a 65-gallon tank with around 20 of them in there.

I've always been a fan of keeping things simple when it comes to additives - the less, the better. There are products that can buffer your pH to match the African rift lakes, but I don't think you'll need any of that. Cichlid salt is another option, it's got minerals like those found in their natural habitat, but I'm not convinced it's necessary either.

What's your stocking plan looking like?

Thanks for the feedback darkflow.

I'm glad to hear my pH levels should be fine - that's a big relief. I'm definitely looking to stock strictly mbuna, like I mentioned earlier, since I want to replicate their natural habitat as closely as possible.

I'm not set on any specific types yet, but I'm open to suggestions - I want a mix of colors that will really pop against the rock. Compatibility is a must, so I'd love to hear any recommendations you have for a harmonious and visually appealing mbuna community.