Metraclima Tankmates, Chucks 2 Cents  3/18/09
Hi Crew,
<Hello Brian,>
I am steadily populating my 550 litre Malawi cichlid tank. I currently have 8 Pseudotropheus saulosi, 6 Iodotropheus sprengerae and 6 Labidochromis caeruleus.
<By the way, the genus name should be capitalised, i.e., Pseudotropheus saulosi.>
The male sprengerae are the largest and most aggressive tank members but mainly fight amongst themselves.
<Sounds normal. It's pretty mild fighting by cichlid standards, since they don't hold territories. It's rare for Iodotropheus to actually do any harm, hence their wide recommendation as good "beginner fish".>
I am hoping to add some Metriaclima greshakei to the mix.
<Maylandia greshakei are "in the middle there" with regard to aggression, for example being a bit less feisty than Metriaclima zebra, though a significant step up from Labidochromis or Iodotropheus.>
Are these compatible or are they too aggressive?
<In 550 litres/145 US gallons you may be fine. Metriaclima greshakei will almost certainly ignore the yellow Labidochromis and the purple Iodotropheus, but there may be some tension between the (dwarf)
Pseudotropheus saulosi and the (much larger) Metriaclima greshakei. They are similar enough in colour and ecological niche that there may be "crossed wires" between the two. So this is the main hazard, and if you wanted to play it safe, you'd choose one or the other.>
I also like German Red Peacocks but I expect I will need to choose one or the other of these as the peacocks are non-aggressive.
<Aulonocara are mildly to moderately aggressive, but in a big tank, if you keep a "colony" of one male to 2-3 females, they should largely keep to themselves, especially if there are lots of rocky caves to go around. I wouldn't mix more than one species of Aulonocara.>
Any advice you can give would be much appreciated!
Many thanks Brian
<Cheers, Neale.>
< Chucks .02 $ , The M. greshakei will probably become the most dominant fish in the tank depending on size. They will defend territories against all other cichlids, especially those with a similar color pattern. The Ps saulosi will not get as big nor are as aggressive and will probably not thrive.. The I.. sprengerae are not as aggressive but can hold there own. The red peacocks are a bad idea. They will be the least dominant and will hide all the time and you will probably not see them at their best. Instead of the greshakei look at something like and Ps. acei. Not very aggressive because they eat algae off of driftwood. Then you might get away with the red peacocks depending on the aggression of the Rusty 's.-Chuck.>

Re: Metriaclima greshakei (Chuck, disagree?)  3/18/09
Many thanks Neale,
Would you advise against keeping 2 or 3 specimens of different varieties of male only Aulonocara?? This would prevent hybridisation problems but I wonder of there may be other reasons for ensuring only one species per tank i.e. unable to exercise natural behaviour/fighting/less colouration displayed etc??
Thanks
Brian.
<Closely related cichlids (i.e., members of the same genus) rarely differentiate between species, so three males of one species or three males each of different species will fight about the same amount. Indeed, since
species differ in how aggressive or simply how big they are, mixing species can result in one fish bullying another. All things considered, if you want to keep things simple and ensure your Aulonocara develop their best colouration and exhibit the full repertoire of behaviours, a colony of one male to 2-3 females is the way to go. Let me put this another way. If you simply want brightly coloured fish, then goldfish will do the trick for a fraction of the cost and a lot less hard work. The point to cichlids is their behaviour. A pretty fish is a pretty fish, and after a few weeks, even the prettiest cichlids is just an annoyingly aggressive mouth to feed
if all you wanted was looks. What encourages people to stick with the family Cichlidae is that they aren't just pretty fish; they're behaviourally complex. And to fully appreciate this, you want boys and girls together in an appropriate number. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: 10 fish in 200 litres and one bad fish, African cichlids...  2/14/09
Hi
We have ten African cichlids in 200 litres and one of them is displaying aggression constantly. It will chase one fish in particular, regularly and a couple of the others every now and then. Once the aggressive fish has cornered the fish that has been its main focus it begins the shake or vibrate. When the aggressive fish has finished chasing or vibrating it will spit stones and this is a daily activity. The bullied fish sometimes looks for a bit of peace and swims over the wall into the weir where all the other fish can still see it but not reach. How do I stop the aggression or what should I do?
<What you are seeing is what most dominant male Rift Valley cichlids do.
You haven't told me the species, so I can't be any more specific. But I will make the point that the widely sold Melanochromis and Pseudotropheus spp. cichlids are incredibly violent and aggressive, and a 200-litre tank is barely adequate for even a single male of either genus, let alone a group of them. (Dwarf Pseudotropheus might give you a little more latitude, but not much.) So get back in touch with a list of the cichlid species, and I will try and analyze the situation a bit better, but in the meantime, no, there isn't something you can do to easily fix this. More than likely the
dominant male will eventually kill off any weaker males, and then bully any females on sight. It's incredibly important to identify Rift Valley cichlids prior to purchase, and then double-check that you can accommodate their behavioural quirks. The *worst* thing you can do is buy a bunch of "mixed African cichlids" as these tend to be Pseudotropheus hybrids of unpredictable size and temperament. In a small tank like yours, you should be sticking with the smaller or milder species, such as Labidochromis.
Cheers, Neale.>

African? ID request - 2/13/09
Malawi Cichlid ID
Dear Bob and Crew,
I want to start by thanking you for the service you offer to the aquarist community. I read through your FAQs regularly and consider this my top source of knowledge. I'm a fairly well read novice of SW aquariums, but I had to take mine
down to move several hours away (my fish and shrimp made it to a reputable fish store, but much of the live rock was destroyed - a loss that still stings me). I haven't been able to resume the hobby due to expense. My brother with whom I live, however, has resumed fishkeeping.
Unfortunately he is not nearly as deliberate and cautious as I. He purchased a few fish for his 60 gallon, but only one remains. The store from which he purchased them (a store I am fairly wary of) labeled them "Africans."I intend to take over maintenance of the tank, and if he moves out leaving the tank behind as I expect, I may take it over as my own. But first things first, I need a proper ID for this scrappy little guy so I can ensure his home has appropriate conditions and possibly select tankmates (I fancy having a planted tank). Please see the attached photos for details. He is about 4 inches long. I appreciate your help, thank you in advance.
~ Keith
< Your Melanochromis auratus from Lake Malawi likes hard alkaline water. It would not do well in a planted tank.-Chuck> <<RMF can't find the file for the images>>

Malawi Cichlid ID II - 2/13/09
Thank you Chuck. While I'm disappointed to hear he won't get along with plants, it's very relieving to know his actual species. What I am beginning to read of his species leads me to assume he will not tolerate another of his own species and will likely bully any smaller fish of any species.
< Looks like a female. Males are mostly a dark color. You could use her in a Malawi Cichlid tank set up but they usually don't do well with plants or community fish.>
I now wonder if aggressiveness, rather than hardiness was the contributing factor to him being the "last fish standing" in my brother's tank. Keith
< Probably a combination of both.-Chuck.>  

Haplochromis Help
Victorian Haplochromis With Problems 2/7/09
Hi, Just wondering if you might know what is wrong with our Thick Skin ( Red Tail). His eyes are milky and puffed up and one of them has a white spot on the film of his eye. Regular water changes are being done and the pH levels are about 8.2.
His tank mates include 5 females and 1 male & 3 female Lombardoi. Both males are same size and we have yet to witness them being aggressive in anyway, but I don't want to rule it out if there is a possibility that one doesn't like the other. Any ideas as to what we can do to fix the red tails eyes? He is the only one with this condition. Thank you in advance! Matthew & Angela
< Your Haplochromis red-tail is from Lake Victoria. The Ps. lombardoi are from Lake Malawi. The Ps. are usually bigger faster, have thicker scales and more teeth that the Victorians. If there was any serious fighting then the Victorians would surely come out on the short end of the stick. Victorian cichlids do not like elevated water temps. Anything over 80 F and they start to get sick. It sounds like you male has come down with a bacterial infection. I would recommend isolating him in a hospital tank and treating him with either Nitrofuranace or Erythromycin. Keep the water at around 75 F. Follow the directions on the package.-Chuck>

Nimbochromis venustus tank mates 1/31/09
Hello everyone in the crew. First just want to acknowledge the knowledge that you guys seem to possess in the field of aquaria, take it from a guy who spends 5 hours out of each day reading up on keeping my tanks healthy and happy. Ok now on to my question I have a 20 gallon tank with a N. venustus only with the standard equipment, I guess Aquaclear 30 power filter, air pump, heater and just added a powerhead (Aquaclear 20) to give him a current to swim. I want to know what algae eater I can put in there with him?
< The regular Pleco will work out fine as long as he is too large to be eaten by the venustus.>
Something small because he is the focus of this tank.
< Small Plecos will be eaten. Think about quickly scraping the algae off the back of the tank with a single edged razor blade.>
I wanted him only in there but there is algae all over the back of the tank and the few rocks. I have in there and the sand in the bottom is getting dirty and I hate those syphon things making a mess sometimes. I feel its a waste of time I see more stuff floating around after I use it. I had put in some feeder fish in there and they did a number on the algae (actually got fat eating that stuff) until he ate them but I don't want to feed him feeder fish(will cry if he dies) and whilst I'm on that topic, is it ok to feed him krill ?
< Depending on the size of the fish, krill can be fed as part of a variable diet.>
What can i feed my damsel in my 30 gallon saltwater( feeding him brine shrimp now), i plan to give him back and stock the tank better but for now I'm watching my coralline grow.
<Go with a New Life Spectrum Pellet Food for salt water fish.>
I have a lot of patience ( watched that saltwater tank for 1 year with only water and sand).Thank you very much and I would appreciate any advice except telling me my tank is too small for one venustus( I will upgrade if I have to but I only want him in a tank)
< Eventually the Nimbochromis venustus will get up to 8 inches when properly cared foe. When the nitrates exceed 20 parts per million and the cannot be kept under control with just water changes then it will be time to upgrade to a bigger tank.-Chuck>

Kenyi cichlid question, incomp.   ~ 01/12/09
Bob, I just inherited a 4" yellow male Kenyi cichlid from my son because it was eating all his other fish.
<Wild Pseudotropheus lombardoi primarily feed on algae from rocks and zooplankton in the water. But as you have observed, these fish are highly aggressive and very opportunistic, and have been reported to eat small fish many times. Still, they're best maintained on a largely algae-based diet.>
I have this bad boy in a 20 gal tank alone in my office.
<"Alone" being the operative word. Super-aggressive even my Mbuna standards.>
I would like to get him a buddy however I have no clue what to get that he will not bully or eat.
<He does not want nor need a buddy. If it's edible, he'll eat it; if it isn't, he'll kill it anyway. Can be kept in groups in big, overstocked tanks, but that simply isn't an option in a tank this size.>
Can you send me some advice? Thanks, Lenora
<Enjoy your fish for what it is: a colourful, active, but oh-so-nasty little killer. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Kenyi cichlid question
Thanks so much for your prompt reply! You were a huge help. Lenora
<Pleasure is all mine. Good luck, Neale.>

SYNODONTIS/PLECO FOR MALAWI TANK  10/14/08
Hi Crew,
I was hoping you could advise on some bottom feeders for my 125 gallon Malawi tank set up. The fish I intend to stock are Iodotropheus Sprengerae, Labidochromis Caeruleus, Pseudotropheus Saulosi and
Copadichromis 'Midnight Mloto' which I will be adding in that order.
<All great fish and well chosen.>
I would like a few bottom feeders for this tank. Synodontis are nice fish but I would like a species that doesn't grow too big, say under 9 inches maximum and isn't a cuckoo fish that will lay eggs in the cichlids batch where the cichlid eggs are likely to get eaten.
<I wouldn't bother. Cichlids "sift" the sand great themselves, and if they can't keep the substrate clean, then you're overfeeding/under-cleaning. About the only thing you might add are some Malayan livebearing snails to keep the sand turned over.>
They will need to enjoy a majority herbivore diet with the occasional treat of brine shrimp or
daphnia to fit in with the Cichlids. Can you please recommend a few options??
<The only _bona fide_ benthic fish traded that would fit a Malawi system would be Synodontis catfish and a few Mastacembelus spiny eels. Mastacembelus can be great, but they're predatory, with at least species being major predators on juvenile cichlids. Mastacembelus spp. also suffer from being a bit delicate in some ways, and certainly very prone to escaping. Synodontis are egg-eaters even if they aren't brood parasites, and because they forage at night, when cichlids are at their weakest (in terms of brood care) they just aren't an option in tanks where you'd like fish to breed.>
I understand that common and bristlenose Plecos are often used in these tanks. My PH is 8.3. Will this be within their tolerance range??
<Yes, they can survive, just, but they do tend to get hammered by territorial cichlids. Consequently they hide a lot, and you may as well not keep them because you won't see them much. That said, at around pH 8, I have kept both Ancistrus and Panaque species in Malawi tanks. If the pH wasn't higher than 8.0, the Horseface Loach (Acantopsis choirorhynchos) might have been an option in a tank with a sandy substrate. These fish are so fast moving they tend to avoid problems with cichlids by burrowing into smooth (silica, not coral) sand. They aren't especially predatory, despite their large size. The same might be said for Garra spp., which also seem to thrive in moderately hard (to 20 degrees dH) water.>
I would rather add fish that will thrive in this PH as opposed to just survive. When should I add these fish relative to the Cichlids? I have plenty of ocean rock for all residents to establish territory in so this may not matter hugely.
<Honestly, I wouldn't bother. Apart from maybe Nerite snails, nothing much will thrive under these conditions AND be harmless towards eggs/fry.>
Any guidance you can give will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Brian
<Sorry can't make any better suggestions. Cheers, Neale.>

For Chuck or Neale (Cichlids; compatibility)      10/14/08
Hello, I wrote to EricR twice now and he has been very helpful. My first issue was noisy plumbing for my 135 gallon drilled tank that I installed a 2" bulkhead and PVC drain. This goes down to a plastic bin that has a drip drawer, white/blue filter pad and then pot scrubbies for biological filtration. This is pumped back up to the main tank via a spray bar. Pump is a Quiet One 4000. My next question was about stocking the tank. The original message and EricR's reply is below. He requested that I contact Chuck or Neale for a better opinion on freshwater stocking...
<Oh...?>
Right now I have a Lab Electric Yellow Cichlid and a Hypostomus plecostomus. I am thinking about giving the Plec to a friend since they are a huge bio-load and get big. My main fish I want to be either a Jack Dempsey or a Green Terror. I cannot decide on which one though, what is your opinion?
<Would tend to agree that Plecs are more trouble than they're worth in Malawi/Tanganyikan tanks. Removing algae by hand is more effective, and a big catfish will raise the nitrate level through the roof, and infinitely bigger problem re: cichlid maintenance than a bit of algae! As you hopefully know, African cichlids are prone to Hexamita and other problems if exposed to high nitrate levels. Now, I wouldn't keep either the JD (Rocio octofasciata) or the Green Terror (Aequidens rivulatus) in a Malawi tank. Both are aggressive fish, and the Green Terror (in my experience) is the less predictable of the two species, and could be quite nasty towards the (much smaller) Yellow Lab (Labidochromis caeruleus). My concern is that Yellow Labs are fairly peaceful (by Malawi standards) and tend to work better with "dwarf" Mbuna and non-aggressive Malawians such as Iodotropheus and Cyrtocara. Aulonocara also work great, if you have lots of open water above the rocks. I'm not a big fan of mixing Malawians with Tanganyikans, though I dare say Tropheus and perhaps even some of the bigger Lamprologus might work well.>
The rest of the fish will be 5 Silver Dollars, a Senegal Bichir, Acei cichlid, and my yellow lab. I know the Acei and yellow lab may not be a good mix with the JD or GT but the footprint of the tank is pretty big and 5 silver dollars for distraction will help too. Do you think that would be ok?
<Mixing Malawians with community tropicals can work, and indeed is widely done here in England for display tanks in offices and restaurants. You will frequently see Malawians of various types with Leporinus, Silver Dollars and Plecs. Do I recommend this? No, not really; there are just too many variables to guarantee that every combination will work. Where the display tank is managed, it's easy enough for the service company to remove fish that aren't working; hobbyists don't always have that option. Apropos to your selection, I've seen Malawian cichlids literally dismember Senegal Bichirs by biting their fins away, one peck at a time. The poor Bichirs end up unable to swim, and eventually die.>
If not, can you recommend some acceptable colorful replacements for the Acei and Yellow Lab?
<Would encourage you to concentrate on Malawian cichlids if that's your interest.>
With these 9 fish in my 135 gallon I would think the bio-load and keeping Nitrates under 20ppm would be pretty mediocre, do you?
<From this perspective, you should be fine, though take nothing for granted. Generous filtration (upwards of 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour) will be essential. Do watch pH though, and balancing the carbonate hardness the Malawians need against the tolerances of the (soft water) Silver Dollars will be tricky.>
Can you guess on my expected water change routine once full grown?
<As ever in freshwater, 25-50%, weekly, making sure pH and hardness of new water is similar to the old water taken out.
Thanks for all the help! Dan
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: For Chuck or Neale (Cichlids; compatibility)  10/14/08
Thank you, I am learning a lot. I move about 800gph (after head loss on my 1000GPH pump) on the 135 tank so I am right at 6 times turnover.
<Feel free to bump up the circulation with powerheads!>
I have a friend who can take my yellow lab and Plec so I can start with a clean slate. I am pretty new at stocking and compatibilities (my past tanks only housed around 2 fish). I love Cichlids and want to keep with that species.
<Do invest in a good cichlid book before doing anything else. This group is one that DEMANDS research. There are great prizes and terribly problems. Do see some suggestions here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bookswwmsugg.htm
>
I also like bright colors. I have kept Oscars in the past but they are a huge bio-load and are messy, I want more fish than just one or two.
<Hmm... would recommend dwarf to medium sized species: a lot of cichlids get their best colours when in social groups, where the males have to compete with one another AND flirt with the females. But that requires careful planning so the males don't beat the heck out of each other, and you don't want the females bullied by the males either.>
Jack Dempseys have always appealed to me. Let's discuss 2 different scenarios...
<OK.>
1 Jack Dempsey
5 Silver Dollars
1 Senegal Bichir (be ok with the American JD Cichlid? I just think they are very interesting acting and looking fish)
<The Bichir shouldn't be mixed with JDs. Bichirs are just too docile and easily bullied. They may be predatory, but they aren't aggressive and they don't have the speed to avoid trouble. JDs work best with cichlids of equivalent temperament and heavily armoured catfish. Suspect you'll find a JD/Silver Dollar tank a bit boring after a while. Think carefully before dedicating a large tank to one aggressive fish and a bunch of mindless characins -- you'll have to care for them for many years. A collection of smaller cichlids more easily accommodated in groups could be a lot more fun to watch.>
any other recommendations?
<Do consider medium sized Central Americans of low to moderate aggression (e.g., Firemouths, Archocentrus spilurum, Archocentrus sajica) as these can be reliable community fish that combine well with large barbs and tetras. West African cichlids also offer some good options: Pelvivachromis taeniatus, Pelvivachromis subocellatus, Nanochromis transvestitus, Nanochromis parilus, Tilapia joka to name but a few of the smaller, more peaceful species.>
Or...
Malawi tank...
1 Yellow Lab
What others do you recommend? A colorful smaller (3-6") Malawi community tank would be very cool.
<Do see my thoughts on these fish here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_2/malawian_cichlids.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/malawisysf.htm
Many, many options. Tanganyikans can also be fun, usually being a little less difficult to keep in groups. What they lack in sheer colour they make up for in overall prettiness and variety.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/RV_Cichlids.htm
Cheers, Neale.>

Re: For Chuck or Neale (Cichlids; compatibility)  10/14/08
Ok, I have done a lot of research and have read every link you provided, thank you. I will nix the idea of a Senegal Bichir, even though I have wanted one for a while because of the fascinating look.
<Sounds wise. Wonderful, peaceful (if predatory) fish best suited to quiet community tanks with things too large to be eaten but not big or aggressive enough to be scary. Congo tetras, Dwarf Synodontis, Ctenopoma acutirostre, etc.>
My current plan is to get rid of my Hypo Plec and keep my Yellow Lab and do a Malawi tank. After reading your links these are the fish that I am planning on, hopefully all pretty tame and should mix well.
1 Labidochromis Caeruleus (my current Yellow Lab)
1 Iodotropheus Sprengerae
1 Peacock
1 Utaka
1 Cyrtocara Moorii
1 Aulonocara (fire fish)
<Peacock cichlids and Aulonocara are the same thing, so take care to mix compatible species here, or better yet, keep one male, two females of a single species so that hybridisation doesn't occur. There are just so many wonderful species in this genus that tracking down just the right one for your tastes won't be hard. Many can be obtained mail order, even if your retailer doesn't stock them.>
That should be an entertaining tank with mild temperament and still 1 "main" fish (Cyrtocara Moorii).
<A wonderful "gentle giant". Do remember it's an open water sand-shoveller, so plan the tank accordingly. The open water area will do double duty as the swimming space for the Aulonocara spp. and the Utaka, both of which are more zooplankton eaters than anything else.>
Opinions? I am still unsure about sexing though. I have heard that it is very hard to tell Cichlids when young.
<Almost impossible in most cases. Females and juvenile males share the same colours, usually some variation on a theme of vertical dark bands.>
I also want a colorful tank once full grown which after reading seem to be mostly the males.
<No, you want males and females. Question: do you smarten up and look your best when watching football on TV or when going out someplace to flirt with girls? Fish are just the same; you'll get best colours when the males have a reason to have their best colours on display. While they will also use their colours to threaten rival males, you don't necessarily want to contrive that situation. Much, much better to have one brilliant coloured male and 3-4 (admittedly less colourful) females. You will have peace, harmony, and an interesting tank with lots of social behaviour going on. You won't get bored because you'll always have something to observe. Trust me on this. In any case, the females of many species aren't "dull", just different. Female fish often (in my experience anyway) turn out to be easier to tame and generally more friendly, perhaps because they aren't so worried about territories and the like. Look at the big picture, not just the colours. A successful tank is balanced, engaging, fun to watch, and fun to keep. These fish will be around for 5-10 years a piece, so you may as well plan ahead.>
Thank again, hope I am not eating too much of your time.
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: For Chuck or Neale (Cichlids; compatibility)
Hmm, I didn't know that Peacock cichlids and Aulonocara are the same thing. 10/16/08
<Yep.>
5 medium fish in a 135 will seem under-stocked. Do you recommend that I just keep those 5 or what would you add?
<Keep 5 species, but upgrade the numbers, so you have decent sized populations of each kind.>
If sexing is pretty much impossible to do when young, how can I intelligently mix the sexes?
<You don't. Standard practise is you buy six or eight fish, and then remove surplus individuals. Do please read books like those by Paul Loiselle, Ad Konings, etc... there's a tonne of stuff written about cichlid aquaria.>
When you say that I should only keep 1 of each genus you mean 1 peacock, 1 lab, 1 utika, etc?
<A single species per genus is wise. Limits aggression somewhat and usually avoids hybridisation. It's too easy to buy a dozen cichlids now, and then a year later to end up with a couple dozen runty, muddy-coloured hybrids no-one wants.>
Thanks, I am trying to limit my replies :)
<Happy to help. Cheers, Neale.>
I understand now. Peacock, Maylandia, etc are the genus and there are then further subcatagorized (zebra, lombardoi, etc).
<Correct!>
Also just wanted to thank you for all the help. I am ordering a book you recommended as well. Thanks again!
<Good luck with your aquarium, Neale.>

Re: For Chuck or Neale (Cichlids; compatibility) 10/16/08
Sorry, Confused a little. You said "keep 5 species but upgrade the numbers so you have decent sized populations of each kind." Then later you wrote "a single species per genus is wise." Can you explain this?
<A single species per genus would be one species of Maylandia, for example five specimens of Maylandia zebra, one male, four females. Keeping mostly females with this genus is not big problem because the females of many Maylandia species are attractive fish in their own right. Maylandia lombardoi for example has yellow males and bright blue females with blue-black vertical stripes. Maylandia estherae are even better, with a whole bunch of forms depending where they're caught. One nice variety is Maylandia estherae 'Meluluca', where the males are blue but the females orange with black blotches all over them (think marmalade tabby cats!). Repeat for other genera (Aulonocara, Labidochromis, etc.) taking care whatever you choose will get alone. Some Maylandia are very aggressive and not compatible with Labidochromis, so mix-and-match accordingly.>
Are you saying to get multiple labs, peacocks, etc?
<Yes. Cheers, Neale.>

African Cichlid Compatibility  - 6/3/08
I am new to owning cichlids and purchased some fish from a pet store.
<Welcome to cichlid keeping! Certainly one of the most challenging but rewarding bits of the hobby.>
I have 3 Red Zebra's, 1 Albino Zebra, 1 Kenyi, 1 Auratus and a peacock of some sorts. Are these fish compatible?
<Depends on the size of the tank. But broadly speaking Melanochromis auratus and Pseudotropheus zebra are "psychotic" as far as aggression goes, with mature males easily killing other fish in too-small aquaria. These cichlids are commonly kept in highly overstocked systems because that prevents any one male from marking out a territory, and therefore aggression becomes less severe. But an overstocked tank is EXTREMELY difficult to maintain and requires massive filtration and lots of big water changes. For a beginner, that sort of system isn't really viable. Pseudotropheus lombardoi (the "Kenyi" of the trade) is very aggressive but only half the size (at about 7 cm) of Pseudotropheus zebra or Melanochromis auratus (both of which reach about 15 cm). In other words, it is at risk of being killed. Aulonocara spp. cichlids ("peacocks") are aggressive but not excessively so. But they are big and they are highly active open water swimmers, and need to be kept in groups in very large tanks to do well.>
If not, which would you suggest I return to the store? And what would you replace them with?
<That's really up to you. For beginners, there are definitely good species to begin with and bad species to begin with. A lot of people start out with Malawi cichlids just by buying a bunch of fish, and then get surprised when there's a massacre, and end up with a single "mean" fish. It's also easy to end up with hybridisation in the tank, and that means you end up with baby fish you can't sell or give away. I've written my thoughts on Malawi tanks and Malawi cichlids on another site, here:
http://www.tropicalfishfinder.co.uk/article_detail.asp?id=80
Have a read through that, and if you want some more information, get in touch. None of the species you've bought is a good beginner's fish. I'd recommend the usually well behaved if lively "yellow lab" Labidochromis caeruleus and the rather placid purple Iodotropheus sprengerae as two ideal species for beginners. At least some Aulonocara, such as Aulonocara baenschi, have a well-earned reputation for being good beginner's fish as well, though they are touchy about water quality.>
All are in a 30 gallon tank.
<Really too small for Malawians, except perhaps some of the Dwarf Mbuna, but even then you're dicing with death.>
Thanks!
<Hope this helps, Neale.>

Rainbows in a "peaceful" African tank  4/26/08
I have 90 gallon tall tank that is stocked with Peacocks and Haps (Total about 20, all juveniles ) . I still have top level of the water empty. Can i get 4-5 Rainbows Boesemanni? Do you have any experiences/recommendations? I know they are not same biotype but I heard Rainbows are tolerant to high PH .
<Can be done, but not 100% reliable. Rainbowfish should be fine with non-aggressive cichlids of similar size, particularly if the cichlids are juveniles when introduced. But do keep a close eye on things, and we aware that some bullying, and even fatalities, can occur.>
Or do you have a other fish suggestion for the top level for African tank.
<Rainbows and livebearers are the usual recommendations. Depending on the Rift Valley cichlids being kept, options include things like Ameca splendens, Xenotoca eiseni, and swordtails. Choose fast, robust species with a certain degree of aggression themselves. Very occasionally you see Tanganyikan killifish (Lamprichthys tanganicus) on sale here in England, as well of course Cyprichromis spp. cichlids which are the classic open water cichlids.>
I wanted to also thank you all for a great service that you do for this hobby.
<You're welcome! Cheers, Neale.>

"M'buna compatibility" or "Sentencing platies to death"
Finding Platies A New Home 4/13/08
Hello! I've got somewhat of a moral dilemma.
I've got a 300 liter tank (150x40x50 cm) that I've been preparing for m'bunas. Everything seems to be in order: some 50 kg of rocks with caves a-plenty, extra filtration (2 x Eheim 2217 canister filters; one as a bio filter, the other mechanical), a couple of Anubias and a Java firm tied (and now mostly rooted) to a piece of ultra-boiled drift wood. It's been cycling for two months now and the water parameters are stable for the past 3 weeks at: ph=8.0, dKH=8, dGH=20, NO2=0, NO3=10... So far, so good I think.
On Tuesday, I'll be receiving my fish from an M'buna breeder. All are juveniles measuring no more than 4 cm. The species are as follows:
10 x Pseudotropheus elongatus "usisya"
10 x Labidochromis sp. "hongi"
6 x Labidochromis caeruleus
2 x Pseudotropheus sp. "acei"
1 x Maylandia zebra
1 x Cynotilapia afra
(This may seem like a lot of fish, but it fits what I understand to be a proper "1 fish per 10 liters" ratio...)
So what's my problem, you may be wondering...
Well, for the second month of the cycling process, I "borrowed" 8 of my sons' platies (they say I stole them... it's a matter of semantics, really):
4 orange + 4 silver-blue "Mickey mouse" (one of the orange died almost immediately, the others are quite healthy, with 3 pregnant females). They're all about 4 or 5 cm right now.
So why don't I just return the platies to my sons? Because they shattered their aquarium last night! (long story).
I've tried, unsuccessfully, to find a new home for the platies, so I have to make a decision: keep them in my tank even once the m'bunas arrive, or send them down the toilet of death. Which option is less cruel? Will they be tortured to death by the cichlids? Can I really bring myself to flush 7 perfectly healthy platies? Any other options that you might suggest?
Thanks in advance, David
< Keep the platies in the cichlid tank until suitable homes can be found. As the cichlids grow you will have time to either set up a new tank or find a new home for the platies. Over time the cichlids will take their toll on the platies but you have a few months.-Chuck>

Re: "M'buna compatibility" or "Sentencing platies to death"
Finding Platies a New Home II 4/13/08
Great! Thanks for the tip!
I thought my margin for action would be days or even hours after the cichlids arrived, not months. Gives me plenty of time to set up a new tank for the platies.
<Most Mbuna don't start to get too territorial until they get around 5+cm. At that size they are starting to mature and stake out some turf. If you add some floating plants they will hide out and you could probably keep them in there even longer.-Chuck.>

Mbuna aggression. -03/17/08
Hello there.
<Lisa,>
Just a quick question. I experienced a horrible encounter with introducing an Mbuna to an established tank yesterday. Despite rearranging décor and shutting off the lights, about a half a dozen Mbuna went after the new guy. They ripped him to shreds.
<Happens with Mbuna, unfortunately. Why you need to select species super-carefully, and ideally introduce them all when young, and the most aggressive last.>
Poor guy. I immediately isolated him to a 10 gallon hospital tank and added Melafix (I also see you made this recommendation for an individual with the same problem).
<Not I said the Little Red Hen. Melafix is not something I'd personally recommend/use for this sort of damage.>
Is there anything else I can do for his damaged fins and open wounds?
<Industrial-strength anti-Finrot/Fungus medication of your choice. Maracyn for example.>
I cannot see any gashes but I know the mbunas' teeth are sharp...
<Indeed so, for scraping rocks.>
Should I raise the temp to high seventies?
<I assume this is degrees-F! Yes, Mbuna should be maintained at 25C/77F regardless.>
I have plenty of filtration and using an established sponge filter for bio and aeration purposes.
<Good stuff.>
Thank you. Lisa.
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Mbuna aggression. 03/19/2008
Thanks Neale. I have Maracyn-2 on hand. I have about 1 tsp of Melafix in the tank. Is it okay to add the Maracyn to the Melafix? Shall I do a 25% water change first?
Thank you. Lisa
<Hi Lisa. Water changes are always good when finish one course of medication and before starting a new course of medication. Melafix and Maracyn can be used together without problems.
Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Pseudotropheus socolofi albino holding?
Mixing Lake Tanganyikan Shell Dwellers With Malawi Cichlids 1-11-2008
Hi Chuck, Thank you very much for your note last week.
I am pleased to report my albino survived Bloat. I treated him with medication for five days and he is much better! (This leads me think it was pathogen related.) I am going to keep him in the 10 gallon hospital tank. I've already begun to convert his new 10 gallon to a home with crushed coral substrate. I have some holey rock on the way also. I'm wondering if Cracker will get along with four cichlid shell dwellers?
< In the wild they don't encounter each other. The shell dwellers come from Lake Tanganyika while your Ps. comes from Lake Malawi. If the shell dwellers are attacked they will simply retreat into their shells. You may not see them very often but they should be safe as long as they can get their entire body inside.>
Cracker is about 3 inches in length and I don't foresee further growth esp. in small housing quarters. I understand the Dweller's suitable companions are Danios and a small Pleco (Corys and Otos are dinner for them).
< Shell dwellers come from hard alkaline water. Danios and domestic Plecos can usually handle the water requirements as long as they are not too extreme.>
Do you think mixing Cracker with the little guys is asking for trouble?
< Cracker may try and get them but they will just hide if they feel threatened. Not much to look at.-Chuck>
If so, I will just have to add my six tank for the Shell Dwellers...Hope to hear from you and thanks!
Lisa.

Planning a 55 Gallon African Cichlid Tank  1/7/08
Planning to revamp my 55 gallon tank with new fish. Have completely cleaned it out, have tested the water for three days straight, pH is coming in at a 7.0, nitrates and ammonia etc. seem to be in order and temp is at approx 76-80 degrees.
I would like to have a cichlid tank and noticed the Aquarium store in my area has a very strong selection of African Cichlids which are quite beautiful. Could you please advise how many fish I can purchase, what types of Cichlids would mix well together, and what non Cichlid fish I could also have that would mix well. Thank you, Eric
<Lake Malawi cichlids do make an attractive and active tank. They like hard alkaline clean water. Water should be between 75 and 77 F. The pH needs to be up around 7.4-8.0. The filter should run at least 150-300 GPH. There are approximately 1000 cichlid species from Lake Malawi. Most of the cichlids in the hobby come from the rocky habitats and are referred to as Mbuna. They eat algae off of the rocks so they require a diet high in vegetable matter. Generally these fish need to very densely populated because they can be very aggressive and have lots of sharp teeth. By keeping them crowded the aggressive males are able to chase all the fish and not just a selected few. Generally I would recommend getting all the fish as juveniles and let them grow up together. I would get about thirty. As some of the males mature they can be traded back to the store. This would leave you with about 20+ adults. A good book would be "Enjoying Cichlid" by Ad Konings. It covers most of the available cichlid species in the hobby. Good fish to go with them are Australian rainbows and Synodontis catfish from Lake Tanganyika.-Chuck>

Cichlid Compatibility with other Cichlids and other type fish 1/6/2008
Hello,
<Hello,>
I apologize beforehand as I know this type of question has been answered; but I have looked through the site and other sites and being new to cichlids still I am not sure on some compatibility issues. Your help if you have time would be most appreciated.
<No problems.>
I have a 46 gallon aquarium. Mostly sand, some small gravel substrate.
HOT Magnum filter with BioWheel. Plenty of rock with caves and hiding places. A small quantity of plants, mostly broad leafed variety.
Currently, I have two (2) male blue ahli (Sciaenochromis ahli) in the tank. Both are about 5 inches long. No other fish are currently in the tank. These have been in the tank for approximately one (1) week.
<Hmm... Sciaenochromis ahli are notoriously aggressive, and one of those two fish will likely kill the other eventually. A 46-gallon tank is simply too small to expect two mature male Sciaenochromis ahli to coexist. Do bear in mind also the maximum size of this species, up to 20 cm/8" for males, a little smaller for females. A single territorial male will easily hold your 46-gallon tank as its private demesne, to the exclusion of any other fish you add, including females. As a "community" tank resident, Sciaenochromis ahli is (realistically) a species for the 200-gallon tank.>
I would like to add additional fish to the tank at this time or near future as all parameters are looking good; e.g. pH=8.0, Temp=76F, NH3=almost 0, Nitrate and Nitrite= almost 0.
<Water quality does need a little clarification. While aquarists new to the hobby often focus on pH because it is easy to understand, it actually isn't all that significant beyond the fact it needs to remain stable. What matters more to Mbuna is carbonate hardness (measured in degrees KH, usually). To a lesser degree, general hardness (degrees dH) is also important.>
I plan on setting aside time to perform maintenance on the aquarium once every two (2) weeks including vacuuming, filter change-out, and 30 percent water change.
<Not nearly enough. Mbuna are very intolerant of old water, and you need to be doing 50% water changes WEEKLY.>
These would be my expected typical maintenance items. Any upset in water conditions, which I test daily, would result in earlier maintenance being performed.
<If you do big, regular water changes, you shouldn't need to do water tests anything like as frequent as daily. Once a month should be fine.>
<<Mmm, weekly would be better. RMF>>
Please feel free to let me know if I need to expect to do more to keep optimum tank conditions as I am open to any advice.
<Have done so, above.>
Now, my questions.
1. Can I place two (2) electric yellow lab (Labidochromis caeruleus) and two (2) blood parrot (unknown scientific name; believe to be hybrid)
with the two (2) blue ahli's?
<Not a chance. Labidochromis caeruleus is a small (~10 cm/4") relatively peaceful Mbuna only marginally more aggressive than something like a Krib. As such, it's a good resident for robust cichlid communities alongside things like Lamprologus and Aulonocara of similar size. But when kept with aggressive Mbuna, it tends to get hammered, and at the very least will spend more time hiding than swimming in the open. Blood Parrots are weak, deformed, large hybrid cichlids formed from some type of American cichlid cross. Not sure anyone knows for certain. In any case, because they can't swim properly they can be easily bullied by "proper" cichlids. They are best kept on their own or with big but peaceful things such as Tinfoil Barbs and Plecs.>
Additionally, I assume these fish would need to be of a similar size; correct?
<Nope. When mixing cichlids, you add them all when relatively young and ideally pre-territorial, but with the least aggressive first, and the most aggressive last.>
2. Is this too many or too few cichlids for my 46 gallon tank?
<Yes.>
3. In addition to the cichlids in question 1; I would like to add a Synodontis catfish and a black ghost Knifefish. Is this possible? What is the probability they would coexist peacefully? Or is that dependent on each fish's "personality"?
<You could possibly mix a really robust Synodontis with the Sciaenochromis ahli. Something like Synodontis nigrita or Synodontis njassae for example. But that presupposes the tank is large and filled with abundant hiding places, and do remember you won't see the Synodontis catfish. Ever. They are very, very nocturnal and shy, and when kept with aggressive tankmates simply don't leave their hiding places. Knifefish require completely different conditions to your cichlids, and cannot be combined.>
4. Finally, I have read much on your site related to plecostomus having their eyes removed by cichlids. Are the types I am considering or the type I have ones that would do this? Could I put a Plecostomus in the tank and expect a peaceful coexistence?
<Nope.>
5. Finally, if I purchased a large enough shark (be it red-tailed, rainbow, etc.) could this be placed in the aquarium with the cichlids?
<Nope.>
Thank you very much for your time and help.
<Hope this helps. Sciaenochromis ahli was, unfortunately for you, a poor choice for a first cichlid, and in all honesty you should consider replacing it with a species more amenable to the sort of tank you have in mind. A 46 US gallon tank is not large, and works best when stocked with fish around the 5-10 cm/2-4" mark. Dwarf Lamprologus for example would offer you a much better range of opportunities, as well as the ability to stock the upper layers of the tank with things like livebearers and halfbeaks. Similarly, West African dwarf cichlids combine brilliantly with barbs and small oddball fish such as African Butterflyfish. Cheers, Neale.>

Mixing Rift Lake Cichlids  12/18/07
Dear WWM, Hi have a cichlid tank of multiple kinds from different lakes. (warned but worked out fine)
In there I have a brichardi which has no problem swimming with the big fish. I believe its a male since their not to hard to sex and it has the longer fins and that ugly bump on its head. I would like to breed them since their small and I've read that they take good care of themselves. The problem is that its recommended to buy them as fry and let them pair off but I already have one. If I were to add a female in there would they pair up or not at all?
< Very risky. If they are not compatible the male may kill the female right away. Some aquarists have been successful by placing a glass divider between the pair and waiting to see how they react to each other. On a weekend when you are home you can lift the divider and see them interact. If he turns on her you can always replace the divider and try again later.>
Or if I added 2 females and try to get them somewhat smaller then the male so less of a threat?
< Giving the male a choice can be better than a forced pair. The female that is not chosen will be killed or driven out of the tank.>
Also since I have other more aggressive fish in there like a yellow zebra will that stop them from mating even thou it doesn't ever bother it and the brichardi has hiding spots that the zebra cant get into?
< The brichardi may breed and get a batch of fry going in your community tank. When one of the fry ventures too far away from the safety of the rocks it will be chased or eaten by the zebra.>
I also have a Tropheus red or moori whose only stress comes from a my Firemouth which is the same size 3 inch. I would like to add other Tropheus in there of different colors but will that work since I've read that they are highly aggressive towards each other?
<If the new Tropheus is a similar color to the existing Tropheus then the bigger fish will chase the smaller one around to the point it will be wounded or killed. The bigger the differences in the color the better the chance that they may get along.>
The Tropheus I have now has never chased or bothered another fish so I would say that its not mean. I'm interested in the duboisii, plus would it be better to get 2 of them at once of the same kind or it be fine to get 2 at once that are different types of Tropheus? I rather have a variety.
<Add the fish you want at the same time. This will prevent a single fish from getting chased too much.>
I also might turn my 75 tank into a tangy lake tank and just add a divider for the yellow zebra so I don't have to give it up since its gorgeous haven't seen another quite like it. If so do you think a frontosa and will be compatible with my Tropheus, brichardi, Firemouth (American I know..)? Cause I don't want the frontosa to eat my others while they sleep as I heard. Plus how rapidly do they grow? I like the fish but not the bump, is there a specific type of frontosa which doesn't have such an extreme bump but still have the nice blue and white markings?
< Go look at the N. tretacephalus. Gets about 5", has the markings but not the bump.>
Thank you for your time I know I had a lot....Chris
PS I can't fine nice white or light tan silica sand anywhere, can you help me out on a website or places I should look at locally. I checked my Home Depot and Lowes and pool shops but they had nothing nice looking.
< Try Caribsea for substrates.-Chuck>

African Cichlid... and Neotropicals (Firemouth) systems  12/7/07
Dear Crew,
I have a few question please. What temperature range is best for the African Cichlids? The thing is that I have a Teco Conditioner (Chiller, Heater & UV built all in one) and it does not keep a constant temperature. If I set it on 24 Degrees Celsius, the unit only starts chilling at 26 until it reaches 24 then stops, and it does this very slowly, not quick so it should not shock my livestock. So is it ok for the temperature to be between 24-26? If not then please specify the best range.
Cichlids I would like to house in one tank (200 Gallon with Wet/Dry Filtration) and hope I can also breed.
2-4 or more Pseudotropheus demasoni (Pombo Rocks)
2-4 or more Labidochromis caeruleus
2-4 or more Firemouth
Also what about using a RO/DI Unit?
Thank you.
Ghulam
<Hello Ghulam. The temperature variation you describe will not cause any problems. Firemouth cichlids (Thorichthys meeki) are not Malawi cichlids and I personally wouldn't mix them. Mbuna are quite violent animals; Thorichthys meeki are mild and have quite specialized jaws unsuitable for fighting. That's why they flare their red gill covers instead. Only rarely will Thorichthys meeki actually "lock jaws". If Mbuna and Thorichthys meeki get into a fight, things might turn nasty. Pseudotropheus demasoni is incredibly nasty towards other blue fish of similar shape and pattern, though yellow and orange Mbuna like Labidochromis caeruleus and Maylandia estherae are said to work well with it. So by all means replace the Thorichthys meeki with another Mbuna, but choose the species carefully so that it isn't blue and doesn't have vertical bars. Using RO water in a Malawi cichlid tank is a good idea. It keeps the nitrate levels low, so the fish are healthier. But you will need to add minerals to harden the water. You can buy "Malawi Salt" mixes, or you can make your own. A common Rift Valley salt mix is as follows. Per 5 gallons/20 litres
1 teaspoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
1 tablespoon Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate)
1 teaspoon marine salt mix (sodium chloride + trace elements)
Stir in the bucket, and then when dissolved, add to the aquarium. Make changes to water chemistry in small steps so as not to stress any fish.
Cheers, Neale.>

"Fixing" my Cichlid Tank
Malawi Cichlid Tank With Aggression Problems  10/26/07
I currently have two Zebras, three Yellow Labs , one Kenyi (small, and submissive), 1 Blue Hap, and an Upside Down Catfish. in a 29 gal tank.
Realizing that the tank is too small, I'm considering moving them into a 55 gal.
< Good idea.>
Right now, the tank is very tense, and one zebra terrorizes all fish.
There were actually more fish in there, but the problem zebra has reduced the numbers. I am considering moving everyone into a 55 gal. tank. I was also considering adding 5 more zebras, another Kenyi, and eventually 4 Yellow Lab fry, (now in a grow out tank),
but they won't be ready for quite some time.
The cichlid selection is not great at my LFS (only one in the area). So my choices are limited. I can get the zebras, Kenyis, Yellow Labs. (Also
Auratus, Venustus, Convicts, and Jack Dempseys., which I'm assuming are not suitable). I'd like help with what species and what numbers I should add. I don't want to have a 55 gal problem tank!!! Also considered just using the cichlids that I have, and adding Tiger Barbs or Rainbows??? Can you make a suggestion, please? J Ken and Sharon J
< Moving up to a 55 gallon tank is a very good idea. The zebra and Kenyi can get very big and are very aggressive. Considering what your local store is offering I would skip the convicts and Jack Dempseys. The Malawi cichlids have teeth, are heavily scaled and are too fast for the New World cichlids to defend themselves. I would recommend six of all the rest of the Malawi species. This will give you thirty fish in a 55 gallon tank. You need lots of rockwork and a couple inches of fine sand. Keep the water temp at 75-77 F. I recommend keeping these fish crowded to disperse the aggression from a single fish. This means a powerful filter that will turn the water over at least 5 tank volumes in an hour, and lots of water changes. As the fish get bigger you can remove some of the larger more aggressive males. In the end you will have about 20-24 fish that should get along fairly well. A very good book to consider would be "Enjoying Cichlids" by Ad Konings. There are 100's species of cichlids in Lake Malawi and this book may expose you to some of the other less aggressive species.-Chuck>

Tilapia snyderae  6/6/07
Dear crew,
I love your site! I refer back to it for almost everything. I currently breed blue and gold rams and Hemichromis lifalili. Due to the recent acquisition of several tanks I have decided to start a new breeding project, which is when I happened upon Tilapia snyderae. I have searched and searched but the only thing I could find on these guys is that they are on the IUCN Redlist.
(Sorry if I missed anything, I did try your cached search) I was wondering if you had any information on these guys such as adult size, tank requirements, etc. Also, I plan on using separate breeding tanks for pairs, but I also want to do a large show tank. Would they be compatible with the Hemichromis
lifalili? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you for all your time and help.
Stevie
<Mmm, Am going to place this query in Chuck Rambo's in-box, as he is our resident "all-cichlid" expert... On fishbase.org this species max. size is given as a mere 5 cm... I suspect it might do poorly with Hemichromis (Please check your spellings... particularly of scientific names)... Do see the ref.:
http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=10678&genusname=Tilapia&speciesname=snyderae
and use the other species of this genus names given to seek further info. of use. Bob Fenner>

Tilapia Snyderae Info – 06/07/07
Dear crew, I love your site! I refer back to it for almost everything. I currently breed blue and gold rams and Hemichromis lifalili. Due to the recent acquisition of several tanks I have decided to start a new breeding project, which is when I happened upon Tilapia Snyderae. I have searched and searched but the only thing I could find on these guys is that they are on the IUCN Redlist.
(Sorry if I missed anything, I did try your cached search) I was wondering if you had any information on these guys such as adult size, tank requirements, etc. Also, I plan on using separate breeding tanks for pairs, but I also want to do a large show tank. Would they be compatible with the Hemichromis lifalili? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you for all your time and help. Stevie
<This cichlid is only from Lake Bermin in Cameroon. It gets a little over 2" long in the wild ,but I have seen captive specimens almost 3"long. They come in three color morphs, green, red, and a light brownish grey. In the wild they get lots of vegetable matter like algae and live plants. I would recommend a diet with lots of Spirulina in it. They also will eat insects and other invertebrates. I would stay away from "wormy" foods. They can handle a wide range of temperatures and pH values. They are substrate spawners that can spawn as small as 1".They form very strong pair bonds. If you wanted to set up an West African dwarf cichlid tank, I would recommend adding Anomalochromis thomasi, a Pelvicachromis species, a Nannochromis species and Hemihaplochromis multicolor. All of the Hemichromis species are pretty much bullies. I would try H. cristatus instead of the H. liffalilli. They are smaller and may be somewhat less aggressive.-Chuck>

Adding Cichlids To An Established Lake Malawi Tank – 05/05/07
Hi Chuck-I am hoping you can help me round out my 75 gallon Mbuna tank.  
I currently have 3 Acei (pretty sure one male and two females), 1 experatus ( male only the two females didn't make it through the tank upgrade for unknown reasons), 2 Kenyi( only females), 3 trewavase(1 M, 2F), 3 red zebra(1 M, 2F), 2 jewel (pair) and 3 auratus( 1M, 2F).  My tank conditions are good- Amm.-0, Nitrite- 0, Nitrate-5.  My pH is 7.8 and the temp is currently 79 F.  I am wondering how many more fish I can add to the tank? Right now everything is fine but they are all 3" and under. I was thinking of adding 2 or 3 more Kenyi, a male and two females, my females are the only two fish that get into real fights in the tank- so far no permanent damage.  And maybe one more set of mbuna but want to know if I will pushing the overstocking thing?  Also I don't know if I should re-home the experatus or get him some females? Last question-Do you think my Jewels will be OK?  It was the one fish I
purchased on the word of a store person and now researching I don't know if it will work. Your advice is great and helps me to have a quality home for my fishies:-)
thank you soooo much!! Thanks again!! Christie
< Some aquarists stock Malawi tanks on the light side. I prefer to keep them over stocked. Your basic question of "How Many Fish?" depends on water chemistry, filtration and maintenance. If you can keep the nitrates under 25 ppm between water changes then you can add more fish until it starts to exceed this number. With these cichlids you need to take into account aggression and territory. Now that your fish are three inches long it may be difficult and expensive to find and buy larger fish. first try and buy fish slightly larger than the ones you currently have. When you bring them home you need to rearrange all the rocks and decorations in the tank. Add the new fish and turn out the lights. The next day, all the fish will be fighting with each other over new territories. Reducing the water temp to 77 F will help calm things down a little. Eventually as you get more fish, the jewels will run out of places to hide and probably can't compete with the Lake Malawi cichlids. If the like the M. exasperatus then get more, unless you like another fish better.-Chuck>

Other critters with African Cichlids   4/22/07
Hi, I have a 65gal with African cichlids and one crazy crab. She is bright purple and tentatively identified as a Thai Devil Crab (or maybe Mangrove, or Soapdish).
<Well, the Thai and soapdish crabs are the same thing, Clariosoma camifax. Anything sold as a "mangrove crab" could be literally any one of hundreds of estuarine crabs.>
An Aulonocara tried to take a shrimp away from her and she ate him too.
<Repeat after me: fish and crabs do not mix.>
The other fish keep their distance.  I am curious about other critters I could add. I have not been able to find much info on spiny eels. Are there any small ones?  Would there be a bloody showdown? I have lots of hiding places but that might not make a difference. Do you know of any good resources on this subject?
<The Tanganyikan spiny eels do turn up very occasionally in the trade, and some can be kept in aquaria with cichlids. Do bear in mind two things though: firstly, they are rather territorial, and secondly, they are very predatory. Most of the African spiny eel species in the trade are also rather large. Mastacembelus moorii (formerly Afromastacembelus moorii) is very typical: over 40 cm long and has a large mouth capable of eating quite large prey. In the wild young cichlids are an important part of its diet. In terms of additional info, there are a couple of species in Baensch's Aquarium Atlas vol. 2, and you can find information on size and diet easily enough on Fishbase. Large spiny eels are all much of a muchness in terms of care, and your main problems are [a] stopping them from escaping and [b] making sure they have enough food to eat. They *do not* scavenge whatever the guy in the shop might suggest. Worms, particularly earthworms, are a favourite, as are things like river shrimps. If you breed your own feeder fish, then those are an option too, but spiny eels are *exceptionally* sensitive to external bacterial infections and under no circumstances should be fed cheap feeder fish from the aquarium shop. Once settled in, they usually eat frozen foods such as whole cooked prawns.>
Thanks- Jay
<Cheers, Neale>

Oysters in aquarium   4/22/07
Hello!
I have a 75 gallon tank with African Cichlids( Malawian).  I am wondering if it is OK to put some oyster clusters in the tank with them.
<Should be fine. What looks great is siliconing the oysters together to make a great big reef. You can pick up silicone sealant cheaply from any DIY store. Follow the instructions, as it's pretty noxious stuff while curing. The fish will appreciate this complex habitat, and in fact many fishes (though not cichlids) exploit oyster reefs as homes and nesting sites.>
I have read about crushed oyster shells, but not about the whole oyster cluster.  My concerns are that they have such sharp edges.
<A valid concern, but cichlids are usually fine about this. They use their lateral line system to "feel" their way around, and being very maneuverable swimmers, don't normally bump into things.>
My second concern is the best way to clean them.  I have a lot of other rock work and caves for hiding but really like to look of these clusters.  Any advise is great!  Thank you!
<Rinse, rinse, and rinse again is the best way to clean things. If these are collected from the beach, then you need to "cure" them, perhaps in the sunshine for a few weeks, to allow anything organic to die off and decay. (In museums they use insects to speed this up, so why not put the shells near an ant colony and let the ants do the work!) Afterwards, it's just a case of washing away any dirt left behind. It's actually pretty unlikely anything in the shells could cause harm to your fish, particularly if the oysters were sold as food or collected from a clean, unpolluted beach.>
Christie
<Cheers, Neale>

Compatible Ornate Bichir and African bumblebee cichlid   4/21/07
We have a Ornate Bichir (dinosaur eel) in one tank and we are thinking of getting rid of that tank.  I have a African bumblebee cichlid in a really large tank all by himself.
<Not sure what an "African bumblebee cichlid" is. Do you mean Pseudotropheus crabro, http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=2359 ? Always a good idea to use Latin names, saves confusion.>
I was wondering if they can be in the same tank??? I think we are just tired of having two tanks.
<If the cichlid is Pseudotropheus crabro (maximum length ~9 cm), and given that the bichir is Polypterus ornatipinnis (maximum length 60 cm) then absolutely not. The bichir is a piscivore, and sooner or later will view the much smaller cichlid as a snack. Bichirs hunt at night, when cichlids are (generally) at their most vulnerable. If the cichlid is something else entirely, then provided it is ~30 cm or so on length, i.e., big enough not to be viewed as prey, then non-territorial cichlids and bichirs can be kept together without problems.>
Thank you
Lisa Brooks
<Cheers, Neale>

Mixing Dempsey with Frontosa   3/22/07
Hello, I am picking up an electric blue jack Dempsey today (abt 1 inch). He is going to be in a 10 gallon tank by himself until he gets big enough. I have a number of tanks and will move him into bigger tanks as he grows. I was curious if I could put him with a blue Zaire frontosa that is the same size. I understand that both fishes have aggressive behaviors but this is only a temporary thing until the Dempsey grows since I believe that the frontosa grows at a significantly slower rate. They are both pretty mellow when they are this size. Would you advice against this mix?
< Water wise they have about the same requirements. The Dempsey will be much more aggressive than the frontosa. The frontosa is an ambush predator that waits for its prey. the Dempsey will be more active and probably push the frontosa around.-Chuck>

Mixing Lake Malawi Cichlids  - 03/20/07  
Hey, I recently bought four P. lombardoi and one M. chipokae. I was just wondering if these fish are compatible? They seem to be doing fine and are growing surprisingly fast.
< All of these cichlids come from the same lake and have the same water and food requirements. As long as these stay about the same size they should get along just fine.-Chuck>

Figure eight puffer... comp. with Af. Cichlids   - 03/20/07  
Hi,
I have two cichlids, one electric yellow and one zebra (both about 1.5"), I was wondering if these two fish could live in a 55 gallon tank with two figure eight puffers? The puffers I'm interested in buying are very small and one of my cichlids is kind of a jerk so I'm a little nervous about adding him to a tank with the little puffs, although I've read they can hold they're own.
Thanks for you help,
Meg
<No, for multiple reasons. Firstly, this species of pufferfish needs slightly brackish water, and brackish water causes harm to most freshwater fish, including Mbuna cichlids (specifically, it is linked to something called Malawi Bloat). Secondly, puffer fish rarely mix well with other fish. It's simply easier for everyone to keep puffers in their own tanks, in most cases on their own. A 20 gallon brackish water tank with a figure-8 puffer would be a fun project in its own right. Finally, while puffers can defend themselves (not least of all by puffing up!) it doesn't follow through that they can 'tame' aggressive tankmates or reach an armed truce with them. Mixing aggressive cichlids with potentially easily damaged pufferfish is just asking for trouble. Cheers, Neale>

Discus With Lake Malawi Cichlids...NOT!  – 2/26/07
Hi. Thank you for your earlier help. Have another query....
I have 2 female Metriaclima lombardoi maylandia (Blue Morph I think they are called). Are they compatible with Discus? Thanks, Vishal
< Discus come from the warm soft acidic waters of the Amazon River in South America. The M. lombardoi come from the hard alkaline waters of Lake Malawi. They are also very aggressive and have sharp teeth. Your discus would not last too long mixed with these fish.-Chuck>

Tank Compatibility With Mbuna  - 1/18/07
Hi all just have some questions with compatibility
I have A 55 GAL Mbuna tank. I currently have
3 blue zebra 2,M  1,F will be trading in the 2nd male for a  female soon
3 red zebras  1,M  2,F
3 yellow labs 2,M  1,F  also trading in the second male for a  female soon 1 African butterfly fish ( are they a type of cichlid? One guy told me they were but I don't think so.)
I know butterflies usually have the less hard water but mine is doing just fine is happy and  growing fast.
<The butterfly fish is not a cichlid and actually comes from slow moving swamps in Africa. They like to eat floating insects. Over time he would be  best in another tank.>
I got all of these fish as juveniles so I wasn't sure of sex until a few months ago. I am not planning on keeping any of the fry my fish have started producing.  There has only been one aggression problem towards the second blue zebra male  that started a week ago. The subdominant male will be going to someone  else for a female. When I finish the tank I'm planning to have 10-12 cichlids. The tank is planted with Java fern and a few other plants I can't  identify. It has coarse sand substrate and lots of rock caves. I was wondering if there any  species of Mbuna/ Lake Malawi  cichlids with a dark/black color/pattern that will get along with my fish  in a single /pair or trio?
< Dump the BB zebras and get a trio of Ps. saulosi. Smaller, less aggressive and females are prettier. Ps. Demasoni is a very pretty fish but very aggressive.>
Also a friend of mine is starting a tank. It's a 38 gallon. She is taking 3 of my yellow lab fry and wants a female blue zebra and maybe 1 or 2   colorful cichlids from other species. She likes the yellow ones with  the black stripes and the blue ones that look similar. Any others that may work?  perhaps ace i (sp)?
< The female BB zebra is vey plain looking and will still be aggressive towards the other fish. The Ps. acei is a fairly peaceful Mbuna that eats algae off of driftwood.>
Also she wants tiger barbs and glass fish I've herd of tiger barbs being kept with some cichlids but glass fish?
< Glass fish will be bothered by the tiger barbs and I don't think will thrive.>
Perhaps they won't be seen? My  cichlids don't bother anything that looks like it's not alive/food/other  fish, like my African butterfly.
< Your cichlids are more interested in other cichlids. Your butterfly fish looks like a floating leaf and at the top of the tank where cichlids usually don't hang out. Glass fish will wander into the cichlids territories and be chased away.-Chuck>

Cichlid Compatibility    1/21/07
I think I just said blue zebras in my last message but they are actually cobalt zebras. Male and female both have striking colors. They don't  bother any other fish. I have had no aggression problems except for a scuff  between the two blue zebra males. The subdominant male is being traded for a  female.
The king of the tank is actually a red zebra male not the cobalt. Ps. saulosi is very hard to come by in my area as well being extremely over priced so don't plan to switch my cobalts out with the Ps. saulosi, but thank you for the suggestion. My butterfly has been in with the Mbuna for almost a year with no ill  effects. It takes food out of my hand a wonderful little fish! Why do you suggest  that he be moved to another tank?
<If the cichlids ever discover that this little fish is actually a fish and not a floating leaf it will soon become a meal for them. Right now they are fooled into thinking that it is not alive. Cichlids are pretty smart and may figure it out one day.>
I'm not sure if I read your reply right but I wanted to know about a  darkly colored Lake Malawi  cichlids with a dark/black color/pattern that  will get along with my fish. If you meant the Ps. saulosi as a possible  solution to this then it's a no go for me unless you can suggest some one that  sells them in singles or pairs at a good price and ships them to slight rural  areas in the U.S (I live so far out I can't even get cable) It's hard getting  good fish when you live so far out. Not many people here even sell cichlids.  Except at Wall-Mart, and I've given all the Wall Mart fish the nick name of  Typhoid Marys.
You never know what's riding in with those fish. I think the johanni is a rather dark blue/black species. I have seen it in  my area. Could it be compatible with my fish? I think it's a Malawi isn't  it?
< Melanochromis johanni is a mildly aggressive cichlid from Lake Malawi that may get along with your other fish if they are all the same size. I would like to recommend a book called "Enjoying Cichlids" by Ad Konings. It can be purchased at Cichlid Press.com. You can get almost any fish you want online. If you can get FedEx, UPS or USPS that you can get fish shipped overnight to your front door. Look on Aquabid.com for Malawi cichlids that are available. I think you will be surprised.>
Thank you for the Ps acei suggestion for my friends tank. She likes the coloration and should be happy to know that it's compatible with the yellows.
Now  I just have to break it to her that she can't put the glass fish in with the  other ones. Thank you so much for your prompt reply and sorry to bother you again.
< Between the book and the website I think you will have no problem getting new fish. Write anytime you have a question. That is what we are here for.-Chuck>

Keeping Assorted Cichlid Species in a Small Tank  1/8/07
Hi, My name is Dylan
<Hi Dylan, Pufferpunk here>
I have 2 questions
1: Can I keep 2 Malawi blue dolphins, 4 electric yellow cichlids and 2 yellow regal cichlids in a 120 litre aquarium with 3 clown loaches and 1 bristle nose catfish?
<Whoa!  120L equals a little under 32 gallons.  Have you done any research on the adult sizes of these fish?  The Malawi blue dolphin, can grow to impressive size in aquaria with males reaching over 11 inches and females smaller at 8 inches or so.  Large tanks of 75 gallons or more would be a good idea if you plan to house several adults.  Minimum recommended tank size for the electric yellow 5 inch adult is 50g.  The 6 inch Yellow Peacock Cichlid does well in an aquarium that is at least 50 gallons with plenty of rocks for territories and a sandy bottom.   Clown loaches can attain 1 foot (sorry, I'm from the US, you'll have to do the conversions yourself).  Fish like cichlids, are extremely aggressive & need room to escape each other.>
2: Can I keep a black ghost knife in a aquarium with the above fish?
<Absolutely not.  You'd need a tank 3x the size you have now to keep this 18 inch fish.  They are difficult to feed, as they only accept live worms as food.  I think you need to do much more research on the species you are interested in & find smaller fish for your tank.  Be sure to also research the importance of cycling a tank, before adding fish (just in case you are new at this hobby).  Fishless cycling is recommended.  Please, the next time you write us, be sure to use the proper capitalizations in your letter.  I corrected this one, so we can send it to our FAQs.  ~PP>

New 125 set up    1/5/07
Hello Gentleman,
<And some gentle women...>
Thank you all for the service you provide. I've learned a great deal about freshwater and specifically African Cichlids but still have a long way to go. A copy of Barron's Malawi cichlids by Barron's was ordered today.
I have successfully kept a marine aquaria for over 20 years however new family has placed demands on time that do not permit constant monitoring and maintenance of salt tank. Sooo....
Setting up 150 gallon African (Malawi predominately) tank.
I bought two new Aquaclear 110 filters and an Professionel 2 Eheim 2028.
Filled it with around 1" of "live Cichlid sand?"
<Do monitor your flow rate every time you glance at the tank... to assure this isn't getting too clogged here>
and piles of rock.
Lighting will be 4 foot fluorescent tubes that I saved once they aged beyond the recommended spectrum output however still power up.
<Ahh, a good save, use>
What is the minimum number, yea different huh? Fewest I can keep in a 150 with this filtration and proper maintenance without "encouraging" aggression. I was thinking this combination:
16 fish 1-3 inches at introduction. 8 different species one male and female of each. Hope that at least one pair will hook up.
Labidochromis caerulens  1.5-2.5"  $6
Labidochromis Mbama  2-2.5" $8
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi  Undu Reef 1.5-2"  $8F $12M
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi Carolinae swallowtail 2-2.5"  $5F $8M
Aulonocara stuartgranti Codue McClear or Nagara 1-1.5"  $8F $12M
Aulonocara? German Red Male 3.5" $30M $12F
Metriacima estherae Red Zebra 2-2.5" $6F $12M
Cynotilapia Afra Jako Reef 3-3.5" wild $20M 18F
<Good choices... "pairs" or trios of these would/could all go here>
Here are some questions that I have:
If these species will coexist could you recommend an introduction schedule based on temperament/
Will I be having trouble with aggression because I am not crowding them?
<I would place them in the order presented... the Labidochromis first, the Kaiserfishche/Aulonocaras next...>
Just trying to keep maintenance time down.
Will the Spirulina flake and dry seaweed foods I fed the marine tangs provide adequate nutrition for cichlids?
<Mmm... I would add at least another staple dry food that would provide a bit more bulk/nutrition... I use (and plug unashamedly) Pablo Tepoot's "Spectrum" fish foods... of appropriate pellet size... almost exclusively for my African Cichlid tanks>
Can you recommend a skimmer box that I can place the Eheim drain pipe in so I skim the surface?
<Mmm... I'd take a look at Eheim's product itself for doing this. Please see their site, or search the Net re... a few etailers carry this>
I tried using a leftover from my WD however too many bubbles. Yes I know I should have kept WD but I really needed to simplify the system with little ones around.
Okay here's a silly one. For years I vacuumed around coral rock but always could pick out waste. Also had many crabs and scavengers to clean. The new set up has so much rock I'm not sure how I will clean in all the crevices and caves?
<I encourage you to do as I do... with (weekly in my case) water changes, I pick up, re-build the various rock formations to one side to the other... bigger rock on the bottom, with an eye to preventing falling down problems... and vacuuming about, under... Helps to disrupt a good deal of territoriality as well...>
I know there is an obvious answer thanks.
Hope you and yours had a great holiday season. I really appreciate any assistance you can offer.
Sincerely,
Mike ph
<Thank you for writing, sharing Mike. Bob Fenner>

Holes in a Paroon shark. African Cichlid, Pangasiid incomp.  12/30/06
Hello! I have a Paroon shark
<Pangasius sanitwongsei Smith, 1931... a REALLY big catfish>
that has been in a tank with cichlids for about 5 months now. I had a Moray Eel
<...>
for about 3 days and after researching it (should have done that before I bought it)
<Yes>
I decided to give to my cousin's saltwater fish store. In the morning the day I gave him up, he was belly up in the tank, then when I came home, his head was by my sharks spot in the tank and it was obvious that they were bitten.
I put medicine in the tank and tried to nurse them to health. It was apparent one shark would loose
<lose>
his eye because it was bloody then just turned black like his skin. It was almost like his skin grew over the eye.  Well my cichlids picked on the sharks and would bite his eye and his side fin (in front)
<Incompatible...>
so I put the shark into my 10 gal feeder fish
<... dismal>
tank with some medicine so he could heal in peace. He has been in the tank for 3 weeks and where his eye was started to turn pink. Silly me I thought it might be regenerating. Well, now there are holes where his eye and fin used to be. It appears like its rotting or something. I have no clue what is going on. Can you help and let me know what it is and how I can treat him? Thanks!
Jennifer Mercer
<What re water quality, testing... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwdis3setsfactors.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Tankmates for Shell Dwellers?   12/28/06
Hello Crew, and thanks for your help in the past!  I have a 20g tank that was populated by four Lamprologus ocellatus, two Meleagris and a Pleco.  I'm sorry to say  that one of the Ocellatus basically bullied the others to death one at a time, and my two Meleagris died quite suddenly after a water change (pH fluctuation?) so I'm left with the Pleco and one really feisty little shellie.
I plan to introduce some new shell dwellers (haven't decide which kind), but I'm wondering if there's any type of fish I can keep with them to occupy the middle to upper regions of the tank.  It's a small tank, so I know that my choices are limited, but with them all living on the bottom the whole thing looks rather sparse.
<Mmm... yes>
Is there anything I can keep in such a small space that won't eat them and that they won't also pick on?  Thanks a bunch!
-Tara
<I would look into whatever species of mid-sized African Tetras you can... likely Alestes species... Bob Fenner>

Af. Cichlid Beh., Sel.   12/28/06
Hello Bob, me again..........Jason.  Hope the holidays were good for  you!
<Thus far...>
I have a question regarding the sex of a blue dolphin African cichlid.  I've read through the forums and all over the internet and the  literature says it's very hard to distinguish between male and female.
<Mmm, Cyrtocara moorii is best sexed... by allowing a mix of individuals to "sort themselves out" in a large setting>
I  have a blue dolphin that is rather aggressive against my other peacocks and  Mbuna, he/she chases constantly.
<Not atypical beh.>
  The anal fins are more rounded (but not  incredibly short) and the color is a nice sky blue.
<Could/can describe either sex when small, perhaps in poor condition...>
He/she is only  under 3.5" therefore there is no apparent hump on the head.  Between the  aggression and the light, yet vivid sky blue color, do you think this is a  male?
<Possibly... but not able to tell decidedly here>
  I am trying to create an "all male" African tank to avoid breeding  and dull coloring.
<Mmm... where's that Chuck Rambo?! This can be an unrealistic goal... that is, your fishes will not show their "best" color, behavior w/o the presence of females... and may still be overly agonistic>
  I think I might run into some trouble if this is the  ONLY female in the tank.
Thanks again
Happy New Year!!!
<Again... I would keep a close eye on all your stock... for signs of too-overt aggression here... and remove the most damaging individual/s as these problems evidence themselves. Bob Fenner>

Freshwater tanks - African Knifefish question, cichlid in/comp.    12/28/06
Hi there.
<<Hi, Stacy. Tom here.>>
Can I put a Black African Knife Fish in with a couple of African Cichlids? Just starting a new tank and am not sure of this.
<<It depends a great deal on the size of the tank that you’re starting, Stacy. Less than a 50-60 gallon tank would be too small. These fish can grow to a foot in length.
Factor in the size of the fish you want as tank mates as well. Compatibility-wise, they need to be with large fish since smaller fish might look like “lunch”. (Tank size again.) You’ll need to provide cover, i.e. hiding places, for them since they’re not particularly active during the day. Beyond this, your question is a bit difficult to answer without more information regarding what I’ve already mentioned and the species of Cichlids you’d like to house your Knifefish with.>>
Please help.  Thank you.
Stacy
<<You’re welcome even though it’s only a start. If this isn’t enough to go on, you know where to find us. :) Happy Holidays to you. Tom>>

Pairing Up Cichlids   12/21/06
Greetings! An aggressive catfish made stealth attacks, including a lethal one against one-half of a pair of jewel cichlids we had introduced into our 12 gallon tank.  We got rid of the catfish and the surviving jewel finished off the rest of the garden-variety tropical fish.  So we have one jewel now about 4 inches long and it appears quite healthy.  Perhaps a Garbo-esque existence is what this fish desires, but we think the aquarium would be more interesting with a pair of fish.  If we were to introduce a new cichlid, should it be a young one or a fish closer in size to the original fish assuming a larger fish can be located?  Any other suggestions regarding the introduction of another fish? Thank you, Neil
<This jewelfish now "owns" this tank. Any new cichlid would be considered a threat and would not survive 24 hrs. I can understand you wanting to get a pair of cichlids since they are very amusing to watch, but a 12 gallon tank would be asking for eventual problems. Trade the jewelfish back to the store and ask about getting a half dozen dwarf cichlids. Let a pair develop naturally and the others can be traded back to the store. They will breed and take over the tank guarding there fry.-Chuck>

Adding Ps. Saulosi To A Malawi Tank  12/5/06
Hi, I have a 30 gallon with 3 Eureka Peacocks and 2 Electric Yellows. All 5 are males as I do not want any breeding in this tank. One of the peacocks is dominant in the tank and does chase the others a little. I would like to add 2 Ps. salousi's to this tank because I like the blue color and I figure stocking more would reduce the aggression a bit. Do you think this would be okay? Thanks for your input.
< This is a great fish. I saw them in the wild while diving in Tawani Reef a few years ago. They do not get too big (3"max) and are relatively peaceful compared to other Mbuna.-Chuck>
 

Wrong Cichlid for Mild Mannered Cichlid Tank  11/21/06
Thanks again Chuck.  I must be doing something wrong because I  followed your advice regarding mild-mannered Mbuna (or ones that aren't as  aggressive).  I purchased the mainagano or something like that, and he's  destroying my cichlids..............even my large ones over 5".
< The genus Melanochromis in general is very aggressive except for the M. parrallelus. All others are very dangerous to other fish. Don't substitute! I don't think I recommended the mainagano. The M. chipokee or M. vermivorous would be a total disaster.>
I  currently have 8 cichlids, 3 tiger barbs, 3 clown loaches, 1 Synodontis cat  and 1 Pleco.  Am I overstocked enough to relieve some of this aggression or  do I need more cichlids in my 75gal?  When you say overstocked, are we  talking 20 or 10 or what? lol
Thanks again
<The tank should contain only the Lake Malawi cichlids. The clown loaches, barbs and Pleco can go. The Synodontis cat can stay if it is a multipunctatus, petricola or nyassae. In a 75 gallon with lots of rock work you could put 20 to 30 cichlids in there with good filtration and lots of water changes.-Chuck>

Dominant Cichlid Colorations  11/21/06
Hi Chuck.  I was reading the forums on your website and read that the Labidochromis Sp. Mbama was a good choice to go with other peacocks and  haps.  I just purchased him today and since I put him in, he is a totally  different color than he was in the store.  He was dark black with light  blue stripes.  Now he is completely light blue with no black at all.   I have him under a 50/50 actinic/daylight bulb.  Are these his true colors  now, or will he get the dark black bars and vivid colors back?  I also  purchased a Haplochromis zebra and I can barely see his black striping.  Is  this a stress issue or is this there permanent colors in the new tank with my  other fish? Best regards
< Many cichlids are sexually dimorphic. This means the females look different then the males. In an aquarium one male will become dominant and pick on any other male that shows any other dominant colors. This is usually the best colored one and the one that is purchased at the store. If you go back to the store and look in the same tank you will now see another male has colored up and taken the place of the fish you just bought. Your fish is now in a new situation and has not yet established his place in the pecking order so takes on a submissive coloration. When your fish become dominant or get into a fight their dominant colors will return if they are healthy. This is a real problem for aquarists that buy Featherfins from Lake Tanganyika. Sometimes they only color up when breeding. The rest of the time they are a silvery fish with no color.-Chuck>

Clown Loaches With African Cichlids  11/21/06
Are you serious, I read a few FAQ's on WWM that said clown loaches are a  good bottom feeder and dither fish for African tanks.
<<Mmm, where is this stated? RMF>>
  Also, I need  something to eat algae and the forums also said Plecos are good.  I can't  leave them in there?  Please give me your advice. Thanks
< Clown loaches come from Asia and usually require soft acidic water. They get a foot long over time. There are African Riverine tanks and then there are Rift Lake tanks. I do not mix the terms although some of the crew members may not differentiate and call everything African. I am aware that many people mix African cichlids with all other kinds of fish. These are the ones that usually write in with problems. When I make recommendations I try to do what is best for the fish and in the long term Eventually this is best for the aquarists too. Synodontis cats like S. multipunctatus and S. petricola work best as bottom feeders. Florida Plecos work good on algae if they are big enough. Smaller ones get picked on.-Chuck>

Peaceful Lake Malawi Cichlid Recommendations   11/8/06
OK great thanks for replying.  I'm going to have to do some research on the Utaka open water species.  Which species are they?  Haplochromis, Labidochromis etc?
< Labidochromis sp., Melanochromis parrallelus, Ps. saulosi, Ps. lanistacola, Gephrochromis sp. are rock/sand dwelling species that are not too aggressive as long as most of the fish are the same size. The open water fish are less territorial but it is difficult to keep more than one male per tank and most of the females are not very colorful. Look at the genera Copidachromis and Protomelas. A great book to get would be "Enjoying Cichlids" by Ad Konings from Cichlid Press. Lots of species to pick from.-Chuck>

Not Mixing All African Cichlids   5/8/06
Hey guys.  Previously I was dealing with Chuck and he has answered all of my questions greatly.
<Mmmm, Chuck is "out" currently>
I'm having a bit of an issue with my African Cichlids regarding activity.  I have mostly peacocks, a mainland, and a yellow lab.
My fish really don't move much at all and they're not too active for being cichlids.  Which species are most active that aren't terrors and are pretty colorful?
<Mmm, not Aulonocaras for sure... Many of the "stock" Mbuna species are quite active... however, they may beat up your Peacocks>
I love the peacock's colors but they're sort of like statues without much spunk at all.  I like the zebra species' personality but they're far too aggressive for what I'm desiring.
<Yes>
I want my African cichlid tank to be on the move constantly (or at least most of the time).  I like fish that dig for food at the bottom and look around the tank with curiosity.  My angel fish and Severums and pretty much every other south American cichlid I have ever owned, are MUCH more active than the Africans.
Is this the way it is with African cichlids opposed to American, or am I just getting the wrong species?  Any suggestions?
<The mix of species... You really need to decide which you want... the Peacocks OR a more active Mbuna mix>
Thanks so much everyone  
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Re: African Cichlid Sel.   11/8/06
Thanks for the quick reply Bob.  What about the "Haps" are they more active
or at least almost as active as the Mbuna your recommending?
<There are many species... but a good deal of the Utaka/open water species are a good deal more active than Aulonocaras... and not near as "mean" as the rock-dwelling Mbuna>
I was thinking
maybe, a few Electra's and some other's which I'm not aware of their names.
Thanks
<Many to re/search, sort from... Enjoy the journey. Bob Fenner>

Adding Cichlids To An Established Tank  10/8/06
Hey guys, quick question.  I have an African Cichlid tank and I want  to add two female Labs with my one male Yellow Lab, can I do this without harassment and breeding?
<Lower the water temp to 75 F. Rearrange all the rockwork then place the females in the tank and turn off the lights. The next day the male may be looking for a territory but may not feel like breeding at this lower temp. But even then they may still try to breed.>
I've read through all of the forums and info and  couldn't find specifically the answer I was looking for.  What do you  recommend I do to avoid breeding and how many females to avoid fatality?
< You could try keeping all males.-Chuck>
Thanks, Jeff

Af. Cichlid Comp. Issues   10/4/06
Hi there!
This site has been so helpful.  I hope you can help me too!  For the past 10 months my 29 gal tank has been stocked with 1 very dominant 5 inch bumblebee, a 3 inch peacock, a 2inch electric yellow, a 2 inch red zebra, and one unknown (2 inch purple roundish and sometimes striped) cichlids along with a 3 inch Synodontis Catfish.
<Yikes... a small space for such a diversity of sizes...>
It was a happy but aggressive tank until last week when the Zebra passed, probably due to stress and not getting enough food.  My local fish store suggested over crowding the tank.  
<Is one approach... have done this and understocked on many occasions to prevent over-aggression>
  Although I was hesitant, I purchased a 4 inch Cherry Zebra to try and balance the bumble bee and a smaller 2 inch Blue Moori.
<Yikes...>
(I fed the old fish, turned the light off and re-arranged the rocks before introducing the new fish)
<Good techniques>
  However, the aggressiveness of the tank has gone way up.  All the fish are picking on each other.  The Moori is scratched up and hiding in the corner and the Zebra is hiding out in the plants.  The rest of the fish are taking every opportunity to chase them and each other around.
<Time to separate at least the most alpha fish>
There are plenty of hiding spaces and a mix of live and plastic plants.  The water is about 78 degrees.  pH is at 8.0 I do water changes twice a month and use Kent Cichlid Chemistry and Aquarium Salt as suggested on the labels.
  So you have any other suggestions?  Is this tank too crowded?
<Mmm, yes>
Are there any other ways to chill these guys out?  
Thanks for your help.
Mara M
<You can/could try "floating" the meanest one in a plastic colander or breeding net for a few to several days, but likely the only real solution is to place all (even allowing for putting in more fishes...) in a much larger setting... "The bigger the better."
Bob Fenner>

Re: Cichlid Issues  10/4/06
Dear Bob,
    Thank you for your reply.  My sister has an empty 10 gallon tank.  Would that be big enough for my 5 inch Bumble bee?  Or could I give her of the 2 smaller ones?
     Thank you so much,
  Mara
<I would move this largest fish. B>

African Cichlid Tank ( Lake Malawi )   10/1/06
I am currently in the early stages of an African Cichlid tank and still find myself doing plenty of research as to compatibility.
<Good>
I currently have 1 Yellow Lab and 1 Melanochromis auratus.  In my readings I have learned that because of their aggressive nature I should populate my tank so that it is somewhat crowded, thus keeping the aggression in check.
<Yes, either this or purposely sparsely populated... in either case with plenty of "habitat"... broken rock openings/stacking, tunnels...>
My confusion is in the fish I keep.  I have read several places not to keep fish that look alike as they will become aggressive and territorial towards each other... this makes sense to me.  However I have also read of aquarists that have several Yellow Labs in their tanks and when I visit my LFS I see tanks with fish of the same species all the time, no visible aggression.
<Is done for the purpose of display, easy retrieval... can be done in captivity, but with age, size... reproductive behavior ensuing... Troubles>
I know that of the Lake Malawi cichlids the Yellow Labs are more docile than most but I was hoping for a little direction so that I can populate my tank with a successful outcome.
Thank you
Bill
<Mmm, I suggest you borrow or buy Paul Loiselle's excellent Tetra Press books on African Cichlids here... too much to state on the Net/here re this issue... But please read here also: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/afcichselfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Mixing Malawi Cichlids With South American Cichlids   9/19/06
I am about acquire a Jack Dempsey from a friend, and I would to tankmate him with a African Lake Malawi.  Both of these fish are aggressive I know this , and was just wondering about compatibility,? Also  My Malawi is currently in a 55 gallon tank with 2 Black Red tail Sharks, an Albino Red Tail( somewhat smaller than the other 2), a "Camouflage" Loach, and a catfish of sorts I am unsure.  I also had a Severum (spelling?) in the tank and had moved him to a separate quarantine tank for treatment of Ick, after he got well I moved him back, and the Malawi has been ruthless with his attacks, I have since placed the Severum into a spawn cage for his protection, what is going on!!?? PS  the same Malawi is in question for the JD arrival
< Most Lake Malawi cichlids available in stores are referred to as Mbuna. These are rock dwelling cichlids that make a living defending territories so they can scrape algae off of the rocks. In the aquarium they pretty much claim the entire tank sometimes. They are very fast and have very sharp teeth. New World cichlids often can't keep up and are soon chewed up.-Chuck>

Cichlid Community Tank   9/16/06
Hi Bob, Thanks for your reply, I have been busy trying to establish the correct species and this is what I have come up with so far. Some of these I am absolutely sure about and others
not so sure.
1.Pseudotropheus Demasoni M dark blue 1-1/2" aggressive
1 Pseudotropheus Demasoni F lighter blue 1"slightly aggressive
1 Labidochromis Caeruleus M deep yellow 2-1/2" passive
1 Labidochromis Caeruleus F deep yellow 1-1/2" passive
1 Labidochromis Caeruleus F beige 1-1/2" passive
1 Pseudotropheus polit M  blue but changes to light on mood 3" low aggression
1 OB Peacock F orange blotch beautifully colored with blues etc. 3" low aggression
1 Aulonocara Nyassae F orange blotch 1-1/2" low aggression
2 Melanochromis Johannii M Blue with stripes 2" low aggression
2 Melanochromis Auratus F yellow with black stripes 1-1/2" low aggression
1 Hemichromis bimaculatus M light brown with turquoise dots and black diamonds 2" low aggression
1 Hemichromis Bimaculatus F? light brown with turquoise dots and black diamonds 1-3/4" low aggression
1 Pseudotropheus Zebra Albino M white red eyes 2-1/2" highly aggressive
1 Pseudotropheus Zebra Albino M white red eyes 1-1/2" highly aggressive
1 Protomelas steveni ? yellow black 1" medium aggression
1 Protomelas Steveni ? yellow black 1" low aggression
1 ??? olive brown / black 1-1/2" getting very aggressive
You are right about maintenance, I clean the filters twice a week and have increased the weekly water change to 30%. So far the group of cichlids seem
fairly peaceful except for the odd confrontation. If you could comment on the community mix, I would appreciate that. I am thinking of a second tank as
well as you suggested. Thanks Miles
< All the Pseudotropheus are highly aggressive. The Melanochromis and Hemichromis will be medium to high aggression. Eventually the Hemichromis will be worn down by the faster more aggressive Lake Malawi fish.-Chuck.>

African Cichlid Tank crowded time bomb - 09/14/06
Dear Marina and volunteer crew,
<Hi there... Marina's long since absent>
First off, I would like to compliment you on all the valuable information available on your website. Last night was my first visit and I learned a lot from a hour reading and a little searching. I have a few questions and if you can help, that's great, if not, I learned even more putting this together. Some background:
I, my wife and daughter are first time aquarists.
We have 58 us gal. Hagen aquarium
Commenced set up July 25, 2006
Cycled the tank with limited seed stock (no fatalities but lots of learning)
Tank settled down after about three weeks and we started buying Malawi cichlids We have 19 fish
<Mmm, going to be trouble/crowded in time...>
to date and are struggling a bit with species and male or female We have attached some photos and kept each one under 70kb
<Not here unfortunately>
We run two canister filters (Fluval 305 and EHEIM 2215) One power head with filter for cleanup after feeding Water change 40% per week now that tank is settling in (gravel is vacuumed during the water change) Lights are Aqua Glow / 12 to 14 hours per day Ammonia is zero Nitrite is zero Nitrate is less than 5 PH is 7.8 to 8.0 Temperature is 78 to 80F Buffer is good Small amount of green algae starting to form
Our questions are as follows:
Can we reasonably sustain this amount of fish in the aquarium?
<Not indefinitely... even w/o a description of species... "African Cichlids" can be crowded when small (not sexually mature), and with very regular maintenance, feeding and possible removal of "alpha types" kept for a while... but... eventually mayhem, reduction in population here>
Our  goal is
a community tank, did we choose a good mix for the community?
<Once again... you don't state species... and there is a huge range of easy-going-ness to not...>
Any advice on potential problems based on our fish stock? Do we have any natural mating pairs? Our OB zebra seems very energetic when lights go off and she swims back and forth  
and up and down through the bubble stream of the air stone for almost an hour each night then settles down. All other fish take their places and settle down as soon as lights go off. I know we have two jewels and these are River origin but so far are handling the chemistry, any comments?
<... need more data>
We feed two times a day, morning and evening. The food type is Nutrafin Max, spectrum grow and spectrum Thera + A, is this adequate?
<Yes>
We are just trying to do the best we can for our fish and appreciate any advice.
I am constantly amazed at how the time passes, our family has a new 48' wide live color screen. We get so much enjoyment out of watching our community grow and every cichlid seems to have a distinct personality. One thing we
are finding out is that aggressiveness is part of who these fish are, we are learning to accept that.
<Need to keep a sharp eye... and remove real troublemakers... Likely the Zebra first here...>
Thanks in advance for your advice and comments.
Finding Nemo.......
Sorry, one correction. Water change is 20% per week not 40%. Its late
Miles
<Do consider another tank... at least for "time outs" and the odd fish that will need to be removed enroute to being shipped out permanently. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Malawian Cichlid Killing Off All Other Fish   7/25/06
I bought the cichlid (pictured) as a kinesis about 2 years ago.  Slowly but surely she's killed off 4 Malawi's, 4 Firemouths, 4 blue rams and the krib I bought her with. This happened over the 2 years, which made it difficult to spot the culprit, as the Malawi's were pretty aggressive too (as was the parrot, who hasn't spawned for 2 years and become a lot more placid of late).  Now she's turning her attention to my Pleco and she doesn't lay off....!  She's never bothered with the 2 clown loach or the Cory and just seems confused by my red parrot cichlid.  She's just over 3 inches in length and is housed in a 100 litre planted and rocks tank with my 5 year old parrot, the clowns, Cory, a couple of unidentified medium size and mostly nocturnal cats (also pictured) and my 4 year old Pleco.
All advice I've had is to remove the krib but I'm thinking this may not be a krib at all, so I'd be happy if you could let me know what you think it is?  Also if you know the cats pictured here that would help loads.  Then I'd know what to remove to where as the parrot and Pleco have grown so much it's getting a little crowded in there, especially as the 'krib' spends half the day chasing my Pleco around. Cheers Vern
< Your male Melanochromis chipokee or vermivorous is well known in cichlid circles as a very aggressive cichlid that usually kills its tankmates. It comes from Lake Malawi and usually takes over an entire tank as its territory. the other fish you mentioned had no chance against this fish. It has teeth and is very fast. Go to planetcatfish.com and try to find pictures of your catfish. Once you find them you will get a lot of good info about their care.-Chuck>

Re: Malawian Cichlid Killing Off All Other Fish. Rare Cichlid Not So Rare   7/25/06
Chuck Thanks so much for your response.  It's immediately answered my concerns.  I fear there's nothing else left but to wave good bye to my new 'purple' cichlid.  My local store has offered to take this back and exchange for other fish, which I think I will now have to do.  I'll probably opt for some smaller and less aggressive cichlids, such as rams as I don't want to overcrowd the tank and risk my Parrott taking a hammering.  The only thing I've noticed after doing a spot of research is the 'rare breed' status attached to the purple cichlid on most websites.  So I'm really looking for a good home for him now....All the best Vern
< You cichlid is actually very common in Lake Malawi and could easily be exported all day long. It is rare in the hobby because nobody wants such an aggressive fish. It was probably a trade in from another aquarist with similar experiences.-Chuck>

Blind Pleco   7/25/06
Hi WWM Crew, I have kind of an odd problem. I have a tank with a couple African Cichlids and a "common Pleco" for cleaning purposes. I noticed today he looked a little different, and coaxed him out in the open to discover that where his eye used to be was a hole. I found the same on the other side. The holes are perfectly round and don't show any other signs of damage or infection. What could have caused this? All my other fish are fine. Will the Pleco have any quality of life, or should I "put him out of his misery"? Thanks so much for the help. Chris
< The African cichlids have fed on the eyes of your Pleco. He will be fine as long as he can find some food on the bottom of the tank. Not much to look at though.-Chuck>

What kind of fish can you put in the same tank as African Cichlids? Not reading   8/22/06
I just bought a 55gl tank a few weeks ago and the first 2 fish I got was African Cichlids.  Then I bought a clown knife and a black ghost knife.
<Mmm... not compatible>
The cichlids started eating the clown's tail and left the ghost alone.
<Not for long>
Well I just found out that they killed and ate the ghost.  Can you tell me what kind of fish I can put in the tank with these to mean fish?  I don't want to waste anymore money.
Thanks,
Kerry Coburn
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/afcichcompfaqs.htm
and the linked file above... Bob Fenner>

Red Zebra Cichlid Questions  6/20/06
I recently bought a Red Zebra Cichlid to add to my community (cichlid) tank. I'm fairly new to cichlids, but am really enjoying learning more about them and how to best take care of them. My local fish store had a tank of six or seven of them- all bright-ish orange, about three inches in length, several distinct egg spots on the anal fin. No idea if it's a male or female. Any ways, I put him/her in the tank, and for whatever reason, they just did not seem to all get along. As a last resort, I moved her to my emergency tank- which currently houses four Rasbora's, three neon tetra's, and a fancy male guppy, all sick when I bought them a month and a half ago, but much better now. (I've just kept them there to keep an eye on them.)  
The tank is only 10 gallons...it's been a day and a half and s/he has shown no signs of aggression to the smaller fish. I keep her well fed, I don't think she even really understands the whole live food concept. The pH in the tank is same as in my cichlid tank- 7.8ish (normal ph for my tap water here in the city) and so is the temp. (wavers between 78-80)  
My question is this- Honestly if she doesn't attack the other fish, is there any harm in housing them together?
< Given enough time the African cichlid will eat the smaller fish. It is not a matter of if but when.> I
I know a 10 gallon isn't a large tank, but will s/he be fine for a few more months there?
<Probably not. This fish will get up to 4 inches long. It may be stunted in a 10 gallon without lots of water changes.>
Also, I have scoured the 'net looking at other pictures of red zebra's and have come across no red zebra's with the same dark liver shaped markings on her sides. They start right past her gills and move down her side, (on both sides) and all the fish in her tank had this same, odd "marking". Looks almost like something inside of her is showing through! The lady at the pet store said it was normal, but I'm still suspicious.  
Ever seen anything like it? If she's acting normally (when not being bullied!) do you think I should worry about it?
< Some red zebras have been commercially bred to exhibit a mottled pattern. It is not a disease.-Chuck>
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.  Nicole

African Cichlids   6/17/06
Is it tough to keep African Cichlids for a beginner?
<Mmm, not in my opinion (this is about all I currently have... and am abidingly lazy...). There are some species that take much more care, aren't as hardy as others, but by and large, as a group, African Cichlids are tough, simple to care for>
I'm not a beginner on keeping fish but to this I am and i want to start one in a 60 gallon fish tank. Luckily I live in an area which the water in the
faucet is hard and 7.5 pH. How many     fishes can i  Add?? Which ones ? Do all Malawi cichlids get along?? with themselves or other specific non cichlids.
What do should i do?? What do i need to know??
<Try reading... Start here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/afrcichlids.htm
and the linked files above. Consider buying, library-borrowing a book or two on the subject. There are some penned by Paul Loiselle which are excellent... to the point, useful>
I went to a lot of fish websites for 3 months and the information i need to know isn't a lot of help like which kinds should i keep together. a lot of websites and fish stores confuse me about what fishes go with what, others say no and others say that yes, so its difficult. I know that the aquarium world is big and sometimes rough out there.
<Time to read... not just the Net... Please write us back when you have more specific questions, issues. Bob Fenner>

African Cichlids and plants   6/17/06
Hey I am going to start the Malawi Tank. I added A lot of rock ornaments on the black sand. I was wondering if the Malawi cichlids will have a taste of
bamboo plants i added in there (i hope not}.
<Bamboo? Not an aquatic group of plants...>
It looks nice in there, I placed the bamboo in the sand and in the holes in the rock work. I probably don't think so because its so tough and the leaves wouldn't taste really good for them. Thanks, wish me luck.
<Not into wishing... Try reading re plants that are native to these fishes habitat... there are a few sold... Crinums, Anubias... I would go even with artificial, polyethylene rather than terrestrial which will soon rot, decompose... Bob Fenner>

Re: Malawi cichlids... the excited aquarist   6/17/06
Would it be fine if i add a group of these fish in a new 60 gallon tank: Some bumble bee cichlids, some powder blue cichlids, some auratus, and some
electric yellow labs. If i can how many of each should i add in there??
<... these could all be mixed... start with small/ish specimens (two inches or so)... three or four of each... Bob Fenner>

Re: Tankmates For African Cichlids   6/17/06
Can A group of adult Silver dollars be in a juvenile Malawi tank?? A lot of websites and stores told me that they are pretty good dither fish.    
<Can be, but I advise against this... get rather large, like different water quality... I'd like to steer you to more appropriate choices... biotopic even... Bob Fenner>

Tankmates For African Cichlids  6/15/06
Are all of these fish compatible in Malawi cichlid tank?
Senegal Bichirs, Red Tail Shark, clown loaches, Green Puffers, Plecostomus, Clown Loaches, Tinfoil barbs, a large butterfly fish, large Blood parrot cichlids, and maybe a large crayfish.
What about the Banded Leporinus?
And no, I'm not cramming all of these fish in a tank, I just want to get an idea of this.
thanks YOUR SITE IS GREAT!
< Thanks for your kind words. As far as these fish going in an African cichlid tank:
1) Senegal Bichirs-Can tolerate the same water. Probably won't be able to catch or eat any of the cichlids until it gets large. May be a problem to feed since the cichlids will gobble up most of the food once it hits the water, leaving none for the Bichir. The African cichlids need a vegetable based diet. The Bichir won't touch veggies. If the cichlids get hold of the meaty type foods for the Bichir then they might come down with bloat
2) Red Tailed Shark- Might make it. The shark is fast and can handle a wide range of water parameters. If it tries to fight a cichlid the teeth marks and torn fins left by the cichlid would not look too good. eats the same food.
3) Clown Loaches-They are prone to get protozoan infections. Once they settle in they can be pretty tough. Problem once again is getting food down to them, like the Bichir. They get big too up to a foot.
4) Green Puffers-Can handle the same water for awhile. Over time these puffers need to converted to salt water. Too slow, will get picked on by the cichlids.
5) Plecostomus-Lots of different species. Check out planetcatfish.com for specific pleco species that may go with the cichlids.
6) Tinfoil Barbs-Big silver dither fish. Probably would go well in an Malawi tank.
7) Butterfly fish-NO!
8) Parrot cichlid-Big dumb cross that will go with just about anything.
9) Crayfish-The crayfish will always be going after the fish. When the crayfish molts the tables are turned and the fish go after the crayfish.
10) Banded Leporinus-Gets big (12") and loves to jump. Should be OK until it gets too big.-Chuck>

Malawi Cichlid Tankmates   6/16/06
Can Oscars be in the African Cichlid tank?
<Oscars get to be about a foot long. None of the African lake Malawi cichlids get that big. Oscars usually are meat eaters while most of the Africans eat algae. When you feed the Oscar the meaty foods the other fish will eat it and probably cause digestive problems. This applies for the red devil, jack Dempsey and jaguar cichlid too.>
What if the Oscars were in there first??
<You can try it. But I don't think that this will work in the long term. Someone will get hurt and sick and I don't think you will be happy with the results.>
What if I added peaceful fish first and then slowly moving it up to aggressive?
< The aggressive fish will be that way from the start. Letting the less aggressive fish establish a territory is only going to be a temporary solution.>
The African Butterfly fish cant be in there because its too slow Right??
< This fish comes from slow moving water. The fast moving cichlids will stress it out and it will jump out of the tank the first chance it gets. If it sticks around it eventually will get picked on because it can't swim away.>
What else? Oh! and what would happen if i added a jaguar cichlid, jack Dempsey, or red devil in there????
< I have seen tanks in stores where all of the fish are mixed together and they seem to get along just fine. These are temporary situations and are set up for the convenience of the store and not necessarily for the optimum health of the fish. When I answer these type of questions I am mainly concerned with the long term well being of the organisms involved.-Chuck>

Tankmates For Melanochromis Chipokee  6/3/06
Hey guys! I sent you the pics of the Melanochromis chipokee, and I was just wondering if there are suitable tankmates for her.  I currently have a 40 gallon tank, and she is the only resident.  How many/what other fish could go in with her?  Or are my fears that it is too aggressive justified? Just looking for some info/advice.  What would you do in this situation? Thanks
< You have a Lake Malawi cichlid that gets fairly aggressive. In this situation you could trade/give this fish up and get fish that you really want. I you wanted to keep her then you need at least a filter that will pump at least 150 to 250 gph. Lots or rocks, and at least a dozen Lake Malawi cichlids of at least the same size or larger. Search on the WWM website for Lake Malawi cichlids to get some idea of what you are getting into.-Chuck>

Eel Won't Go With Cichlids   5/27/06
The pet store recently advised me that I could put a snowflake eel into my 55 gal tank with cichlids.  He is about 8 in long-when I introduced him to the tank the cichlids started to nip at him almost immediately.  He had moved into a rock formation and has stayed put-but the cichlids continue to go in and nip at him  Was I misinformed-should I remove him from the tank (do you think the cichlids will kill him)  Please advise.
< Yes the cichlids will kill him. Take him back for a full refund.>
The cichlids are African cichlids about 2 in long-I think they may be spawning -they are nest building. Thanks, David
< The breeding cichlids makes no difference on the eel. They were trying to eat him.-Chuck>

Lake Malawi Cichlid Mayhem   5/25/06
I'll lay out my question and then give some background details.    I have read your site extensively and am following the advice "it's  hard to give too much information".  
Here's my question:  Why would a pair of Pseudotropheus yellowfins  suddenly both turn up with nasty wounds on their backs and mouths and  die in the same night when they had (seemingly) gotten along well with  all tankmates for months?
I am a 6-month aquarist novice.  I have a 65 gallon cichlid tank  with a male and female (carrying fry) Pseudotropheus Kenyi, male and  female pseudo. albino red zebras, male Melanochromis johanni, male  melano. auratus, female yellow Labidochromis (just got done carrying  fry), a Pleco and a Synodontis multipunctatus.  The male yellow  lab got beat up and is in our 12 gallon hospital tank now.  There  are four pseudo. yellowfin fry growing up (they're about 1/2" long now)  in the adult tank.  Their parents are the source of my  question.  
  We used to have one male and two female pseudo. yellowfins (they're a  dark purple-gray color with bright yellow top and tail fins).
< Sounds like Ps. aurora.>
Six  weeks ago one female yellowfin disappeared and we never any sign of her  again.  Weeks of peace and harmony went by.  The remaining  pair of yellowfins did well, and their fry are scattered in safe  crevices of the main tank.  We resigned yourself to the notion that  when I had the tank lid open for several hours to catch the male yellow  lab on the sly and put him in the hospital tank, the female yellowfin  must have jumped out and gotten eaten by our dog or something (we were  at a loss for any other explanation of the instant and total  disappearance of a 2.5" long fish).
< Could have easily died and been eaten by the Pleco.>
Thinking all was now well, we  decided to buy the last fish we wanted:  a female johanni and  another female Kenyi.  My husband did the shopping ten days ago  and came home with a female Kenyi and a "female johanni".  The  moment I saw the "female johanni" my
husband bought, I knew it was  actually a male Melanochromis of some other sort -- turns out it's an  auratus (good grief, if the cichlid expert is out for the day, don't  take the word of just anybody at the pet store!!).
<Big difference between a yellow female johanni and a black and yellow auratus.>
He's doing  great as the smallest non-fry fish in the tank, but the female Kenyi  died the night she got home from the pet store.  She had no  visible wounds upon her death.  Seven days went by without  incident, but two days ago I came home to find both our adult  yellowfins, one female and one male, with nasty wounds around their  mouths and what looked like one huge, circular wound right on top of  their back.  Both fish had the same kind of wound on the back  which spanned approximately 1/3 the length of their bodies and was  semicircular upon side view.  They both died that night.   When I (heartbroken) took their bodies to the "cichlid expert" at our  pet store, his opinion was that the male auratus, only a resident for  one week, was the primary suspect for such aggression.  The other  fish experts at the store offered two contradictory opinions:  one  said that since the male yellowfin normally shares a large synthetic  log with the Synodontis, perhaps the female yellowfin tried to move in  to spawn and the Synodontis aggressively kicked them both out.   The third theory was that we have some sort of bacterial infection  (this was espoused in part by the fact that the other fish hadn't been  as aggressive to feed that morning and the night before).  Ammonia  and nitrites are 0 and pH is 7.8.  (We'll be adding crushed coral  to the gravel during our next cleaning to help keep the pH a little  higher). Temp is 78 degrees F.  We bought the medication the store  recommended (PimaFix) but did not administer it yet because that  evening the fish ate voraciously again and we saw no other afflicted  fish.  The only other thing out of the ordinary now is one very  cloudy eye on the female albino zebra.  The male albino has been  excavating gravel, so perhaps she received a mating injury, but that's  just a guess.  Can you help me understand what might have so  suddenly killed my pair of parent yellowfins?  I'll admit I get  very emotional about our fish and this incident has made me question  whether I will be able to remain a cichlid keeper for long.  If  there's an eminent danger lurking in our tank, I want to know and  remedy it!! Sincerely, Kristy, Raleigh, NC
< There are basically only a couple of things that really are a problem with Lake Malawi cichlids. One is aggression. Usually you see weaker fish being chased by more dominant fish and the tails of the loser are being slowly bitten off. These fish do have teeth and can do some damage but it is usually not overnight. It happens most often after a few days. Now a fish that is being aggressively chased can attempt to jump out of the tank and kill itself by striking the glass top and knocking itself out. This may explain the mouth damage that you observed. The second reason is internal infections. Your fish really need an all vegetarian diet. Fish that are fed too much protein have problems with internal blockages. These blockages feed the bacteria and protozoa in the gut and they start to fed on the food and not the fish. the microorganism grow and distend the belly area. The fish stops eating and usually hangs out in the corner until it dies. Other fish can eat the carcass of the dead fish and this can cause others to bloat up and die. The distressed fish is usually pretty well colored and is the prettiest , and easiest fish to catch at the store. This may explain the female Kenyi's death. The marks on the back are done by the Pleco eating the bodies of the dead fish.-Chuck>

Yellow Labidochromis Tankmates  - 5/17/2006
Hello, I have a 38-gallon aquarium, which I am planning on stocking with yellow labs, and I was wondering if they would get along with socolofi.  If not, can you suggest appropriate tankmates for this size aquarium, or would it be better to go with a single species only?  Thanks.
< If you are interested in breeding the yellow labs , then it is always best to go with a single species per tank. Pseudotropheus socolofi ( Named after world famous Florida fish farmer, Ross Socolof ), would probably dominate the tank and not allow the yellow labs to breed, but if they were all the same size or a little smaller than the labs they would get along well enough to keep them together. Other fish to consider would be Ps. acei, Ps. saulosi, Mel. parrallelus, or any of the blue colored peacocks, (Aulonocara sp.).-Chuck>

Yellow Labido Tankmates - 05/16/2006
Hi, I am currently cycling a 38-gallon aquarium in preparation for some Mbuna.  I am planning on keeping yellow labs, but I was wondering if Ps. demasoni would make good tankmates?
< No, way too aggressive.>
I know that demasoni are  quite small, but I'm concerned about aggression, and have heard many  conflicting opinions thus far.  Also, what would be an ideal number of fish for this tank size?
< About 12 considering water changes and filtration.-Chuck> Thanks! Kate

Plecos For A Lake Malawi Cichlid Tank   5/9/06
Hi Crew, I have 5 Malawi cichlid tanks and cleaning algae has almost become a full time job. My LFS suggested adding Plecos and I narrowed my choice down to Queen
Arabesques. I chose these because I didn't want plant eaters nor did I want Plecos that would outgrow my tanks like the common Plecos that reach 24".
When I went to pick up my Queen Arabesques I noticed some beautiful King Tigers and decided to go with 2 King Tigers and one Queen Arabesque, one for
each of my 3 largest tanks. Right now they are in my quarantine tank and my question to you is regarding pH.  Here is my dilemma: Malawi cichlids are usually kept in a PH of 7.8 - 8.2. I've read Queen Arabesques do best in a of 7.6 or less. After purchasing the King Tigers I read online that their max PH should be 7.2. I wonder if this is true as Queen Arabesques are closely related and come from the same region. My LFS told me the Plecos would adjust to the higher cichlid ppm. This even suggested I take them from the LFS water (6.8 - 7.0 PH) and place them right in my 8.2 PH tanks that very same day after slowly adding tank
water to their bag water over a period of several hours. I didn't think such a drastic shift in PH was a good idea, and I had planned to quarantine them anyway, so I placed them in QT (where they have been 3 days) with a pH of 7.2. My plan has been to slowly raise the pH over the course of 2 weeks. Now I'm questioning whether I made the right decision choosing these Plecos, and whether the higher pH will have long term negative side effects for them. Could a happy medium be found by lowering the pH slightly in the cichlid
tanks to 7.6 or 7.8? Or would this cause problems for the cichlids, as well? Please advise. If I've made a poor choice in buying these Plecos, I can always return them
to the LFS. Cindy
< Many Lake Malawi cichlids eat algae. To reduce algae growth I would check the nitrates and try to keep them under 25 ppm with water changes and by vacuuming the gravel. As far as placing Plecos with Lake Malawi cichlids you have four problems.  First is aggression. These cichlids are very territorial and will defend their areas using their sharp teeth. The fins and eyes will be attacked and the Plecos will be forced to hide most of the time. Second is temperature. Lake Malawi cichlids prefer to be kept in the mid to upper 70's F. Your Plecos come from the Rio Toucatins where the water is up to 82 to 84 F. Third is the pH. The cichlids can handle a pH in the 7's but they will not show much color. Any higher than that will stress the kidneys of your Plecos and they may become weak and sick over time. Last is the diet. I am not overly convinced that these Plecos even eat algae. Many of these Plecos eat invertebrates, wood, and plants too. Check out their diet at Planetcatfish.com.-Chuck>

Snails in A Lake Malawi Tank - 05/06/2006
Hello Bob, I am in the process of setting up a African Cichlid (Malawi) aquarium.
It has been in cycle for 5 weeks. I have 5 Black Mollies in the tank to aide in the cycle period. Water parameters are all in a range conducive
for a proper Malawi habitat (I have read volumes of information and tried to come up with a "middle of the road" approach as to these water
parameters). With the pH at 8.2 and specific gravity at 1.003 is there a species  of snail (omnivorous) that I could introduce that would aide
in keeping the tank clean as well as being compatible with the other inhabitants. Thank You, Jack
< Livebearing burrowing snails keep the substrate very clean, are relatively small and pretty much nocturnal. The only problem with them is they seem to get into everything and may impede the moving parts of a power filter.-Chuck>

Lake Malawi Cichlid Questions   - 04/27/06
Hi, my mom bought 5 Cichlids from Lake Mbuna.
<These fish are actually from Lake Malawi. Mbuna is the native term used to describe the rock dwelling cichlids.>
She keeps them in a 10 gallon.
< Waaaaaaaay too Small.  Should be in a 30 at least.>
I know that that is NOT a good setup, and she now knows that too.
< So when are you going to change it?.>
She has/had one 3" (male?) Blue Cobalt, one 2" female Kenyi, one 1 1/2" (Male?) Yellow Lab, one 2 1/2" (male) Gold Mbuna, and one 2" (male? female?) Red Zebra. Bad mix, right?
<The mix is OK in the proper set up. A 30 to 55 gallon tank with lots of rock work would work out just fine.>
Apparently so. The Blue Cobalt and the Kenyi get along great, but the G. Mbuna has decided that even though the B. Cobalt is bigger than him, he's the boss. So, the Red Zebra and the Yellow Lab were miserable. I removed them, before they were seriously mauled, and, about 4 days ago, put them in my 30 gallon with my Peacock Eel, 7 Zebra Danios, and 2 Gold Dojo Loaches. Well, I wondered why my Loaches were hanging out on high plants so much. I got to looking 2 days ago, and found that Cody's (smaller loach) front fins were nearly gone. So I wasted no time putting the Red Zebra back in the old tank. (I know it was him because the Yellow Lab is petrified of everything moving.) Anyway, the Red Zebra was nearly dead 2 hours later when I checked on him. So I hurriedly set up a 10 gallon hospital tank with an extra heater, filter and airstone. I put him in there, and added some MelaFix and a teaspoon of salt per 2 gallons. He wasn't getting any better, and in fact, was getting a thick slime on his lower body. This morning I remembered I had some Maracyn and added that. Now he's doing WAY better. No more slime, and he's much more lively and he's eating. If he recovers, can he stay in the 10 gallon by himself?
< Eventually he will get up to 4 inches long. Pretty small set up for a 4 inch fish.>
He was very lively in the 30 gallon, and we became very attached to each other. I really like this little guy. (guy, girl, I don't know which...) Can he have any other tankmates, or does he need to be alone?
< Lake Malawi cichlids actually do better when they are very crowded but proper filtration and water changes are required to make this work.>
Oh, and about Mom's tank, it now has the Gold Mbuna, the Blue Cobalt, the Kenyi, and a Rhino Pleco, who is more aggressive than any Pleco I've ever met. (Not very aggressive, but if they nip at him, he becomes the killer mutant Pleco) Is that too much?
< All these fish get to be at least 4 inches. Swap them out for fish that are smaller and less aggressive.>
They seem to be okay, except for the G. Mbuna. He won't let anyone else come anywhere out of their half of the tank. Thank you so much for your help, Zhara Zorgon
PS: The Red Zebra's name is Nemo. Mom named him. :)
< Do a Google search on the WWM website for Lake Malawi or Mbuna for more FAQ's about these fish.-Chuck>