Who Gives A Fish Forums

I popped into my LFS yesterday and I'm already itching to set up an Mbuna aquarium. While browsing, I spotted an eel swimming with the African cichlids - has anyone got a clue what it's called? Was it meant to be housed with them, or was it just a random tankmate?

Need a bit more to go on, mate - a picture would be ideal, or even just a rough name. There are eels from the Great Lakes that you don't often see, so without more info, anything's possible.

Why not give the LFS a ring and ask them about it, might be worth a quick call to see if they can tell you what type of eel it was. David

Went back to the LFS today, forgot to take a photo though. The label just said 'Tanganyikan Eel', which is all I've got to go on. To be honest, I didn't even know eels existed in Africa, but now I'm definitely sold on the idea of a Cichlid setup. That eel's £45 price tag isn't putting me off either.

£45 is a bit steep for me, I'm afraid. We've never paid more than a fiver for a fish before, and that was for a GBR, so this is a whole different ball game. If you're willing to part with that kind of cash, I hope you'll be giving it the royal treatment - I know I would.

I'd definitely be treating it with kid gloves then. Got to save up for the tank first, but that eel is definitely on my wish list.

The only Tanganyikan eel that comes to mind is Mastacembelus moorii and Mastacembelus plagiostomus - both notorious for being fish eaters and likely requiring a species tank. I'd imagine they could be kept with large Frontosa or Boulengerochromis microlepis, but Boulengerochromis microlepis needs a lot of space - we're talking a tank at least 5m long, considering they can grow over 90cm.

If you're serious about a cichlid setup, decide on a region - Malawi, Tanganyika, or river cichlids. I personally wouldn't mix lakes or regions in a single tank, it's just not a good idea. For a Malawi/Mbuna setup, I'd stick to fish from Malawi. Upon a quick search, I also found Aethiomastacembelus shiranus, which is apparently a Malawi native eel.

Cheers for the info, I was actually thinking of asking about mixing the lakes/regions. I know it's generally not recommended, but I've heard of some people doing it, so I was wondering if there are any exceptions to the rule.

Hi kayora, I was just thinking of setting up a Mbuna aquarium myself and I'm curious about your experience, but I also wanted to let you know that I'm considering selling my cichlids - I've got some lovely fish, take a look at the pics.

Your cichlids look lovely and healthy. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to take them, I don't have a suitable tank - my largest is 120L and I also have a 22L. Plus, I don't drive, so collecting them would be a problem.