55g Mbuna tank
+4
Micheal
Aura
Rift_Lakes_Rule
Aquarium1
8 posters
Page 3 of 4
Page 3 of 4 • 1, 2, 3, 4
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
They seem very friendly with each other btw.
Aquarium1- Posts : 49
Join date : 2009-09-09
Location : Ky
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
I don't keep zebra's anymore for this reason. I have lost a few hundred dollars worth of fish over one rogue zebra. Once I got rid of the zebra I haven't lost a fish. I tried him in a 55 gallon and then a 125 gallon before getting rid of him.
Micheal- Admin
- Posts : 587
Join date : 2009-06-27
Age : 46
Location : Picayune, MS
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
Aggression, all it takes is bullying to make some fish go into a state where they won't eat or swim.
Micheal- Admin
- Posts : 587
Join date : 2009-06-27
Age : 46
Location : Picayune, MS
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
Weird. I haven't seen any bullying so far. I'm sorry about the fish you lost.
Aquarium1- Posts : 49
Join date : 2009-09-09
Location : Ky
Clear
I added the carbon back yesterday and its clear again today. Wish me luck. I mite be gettin some more fish next weeekend, well see how it goes. Not much else to update.
Aquarium1- Posts : 49
Join date : 2009-09-09
Location : Ky
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
Ok, I set up my 5g qt, well sort of. It was already set up as a betta tank but I moved my betta and added rocks. Here it is:
Aquarium1- Posts : 49
Join date : 2009-09-09
Location : Ky
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
Good luck!
That quarantine tank should be okay as long as the fish are small. I bet the betta wasn't too thrilled to be evicted.
That quarantine tank should be okay as long as the fish are small. I bet the betta wasn't too thrilled to be evicted.
Aura- Admin
- Posts : 2580
Join date : 2009-08-14
Location : WA
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
Actually I think he minds. He still has his cave and there are live plants and pfs in his new tank. He also ate so he isn't too upset. It's cheaper to buy fish smaller anyway lol.
Aquarium1- Posts : 49
Join date : 2009-09-09
Location : Ky
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
looks good, that'll be a safe place to store your new fish to make sure they're healthy before adding them to the main tank. It beats nuthin. Enjoying the photo's and seeing things come together for you, keep it up
Rift_Lakes_Rule- Admin
- Posts : 1752
Join date : 2009-06-27
Age : 50
Location : West Virginia 25427
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
I got 3 more labs today, the Acei looked in terrible shape there. Although one of my labs seems to have a pinched stomach as well, maybe it was underfed too. I'll keep an eye on it.
Aquarium1- Posts : 49
Join date : 2009-09-09
Location : Ky
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
Got some bad news. My zebras are both fighting a lot. I bet their both males
Aquarium1- Posts : 49
Join date : 2009-09-09
Location : Ky
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
What is in your 55 gallon as of right now?
Aura- Admin
- Posts : 2580
Join date : 2009-08-14
Location : WA
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
2 zebras and a lab, my new labs are in the qt. I'm probly going to take the zebras back. What do you think I should get instead?
Aquarium1- Posts : 49
Join date : 2009-09-09
Location : Ky
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
Well, basically mbuna are going to fight. The way to deal with it is to have enough fish in the tank so that the aggression gets spread out, rather than a couple fish fighting each other all the time. Even the most docile of mbuna's don't do well if there are only a few in a tank together.
You could take your chances with the new labs and put them in the 55, remove one of the zebras to the 5 qt tank until you can up the numbers a bit.
There's just no easy way to start an mbuna tank a couple fish at a time due to thier aggressive nature.
You could take your chances with the new labs and put them in the 55, remove one of the zebras to the 5 qt tank until you can up the numbers a bit.
There's just no easy way to start an mbuna tank a couple fish at a time due to thier aggressive nature.
Rift_Lakes_Rule- Admin
- Posts : 1752
Join date : 2009-06-27
Age : 50
Location : West Virginia 25427
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
Ok, so your saying take out one zebra and put it in the 5g til I get more?
Aquarium1- Posts : 49
Join date : 2009-09-09
Location : Ky
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
Unless you are attached to them, I would go ahead and take the zebras back. That will leave you with four labs...I would probably add one or two more labs to that, bringing the number to five or six labs.
A lot of people keep Pseudotropheus demasoni with their labs for color contrast. Do you have those available? Demasoni need to be kept in large groups because of their conspecific aggression (at least 12 minimum is often recommended) so don't purchase any if you can't get them all at once.
If not demasoni, the rusty cichlid, (Iodotropheus sprengerae) would be another choice. In my experience, they are at the lower end of the aggression scale and would also make a nice color combination with your labs. I would say to get at least five of those as well. The males can be nasty to each other, especially around spawning time, so two or three won't be enough.
Acei are also fairly mild in aggression. I keep mine in a 75 gallon and they can get large, so I'm not sure how well they would be suited to a 55. I would think that they would be okay because of their temperament.
There are other possibilities as well. You need to see what is available at your fish store, write the names down, and then do some research and/or ask here. It's hard in the beginning to get it right, but once you figure it out, you'll be wanting more tanks and more interesting and challenging species. I started out with some of the most aggressive species there are and had to learn the hard way.
A lot of people keep Pseudotropheus demasoni with their labs for color contrast. Do you have those available? Demasoni need to be kept in large groups because of their conspecific aggression (at least 12 minimum is often recommended) so don't purchase any if you can't get them all at once.
If not demasoni, the rusty cichlid, (Iodotropheus sprengerae) would be another choice. In my experience, they are at the lower end of the aggression scale and would also make a nice color combination with your labs. I would say to get at least five of those as well. The males can be nasty to each other, especially around spawning time, so two or three won't be enough.
Acei are also fairly mild in aggression. I keep mine in a 75 gallon and they can get large, so I'm not sure how well they would be suited to a 55. I would think that they would be okay because of their temperament.
There are other possibilities as well. You need to see what is available at your fish store, write the names down, and then do some research and/or ask here. It's hard in the beginning to get it right, but once you figure it out, you'll be wanting more tanks and more interesting and challenging species. I started out with some of the most aggressive species there are and had to learn the hard way.
Aura- Admin
- Posts : 2580
Join date : 2009-08-14
Location : WA
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
I'll ask my lfs if they could special order some rusties. I asked them about acei, and they said for some reason they couldn't order them. What about mooriis or hongis? Idk much about them but just trying to figure out my options with their compatibility.
Aquarium1- Posts : 49
Join date : 2009-09-09
Location : Ky
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
I've never kept either of those, so I'm not sure. The moorii will probably grow far too large to keep in a 55 gallon.
Hopefully someone with more knowledge will come along shortly.
Hopefully someone with more knowledge will come along shortly.
Aura- Admin
- Posts : 2580
Join date : 2009-08-14
Location : WA
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
Ok, well thank all of you for your help. I'll ask about the rusties probly on tuesday if I go to the lfs, and I'll talk about givin bac the zebras for credit.
Aquarium1- Posts : 49
Join date : 2009-09-09
Location : Ky
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
Make sure you look up some photos of the Rusties to see if you like them before you order any!
Aura- Admin
- Posts : 2580
Join date : 2009-08-14
Location : WA
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
I read tht when cichlids chase each other head to tail their courting. Do you think thts wats happening because I don't know the actual gender of the fish.
Aquarium1- Posts : 49
Join date : 2009-09-09
Location : Ky
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
It could be, but not always. I've had males circle around when they were fighting. This is usually done at a high rate of speed and in tight circles with mine.
Even if they were a male and female, you still would need to up their numbers. The male will likely harass the female to death.
Even if they were a male and female, you still would need to up their numbers. The male will likely harass the female to death.
Aura- Admin
- Posts : 2580
Join date : 2009-08-14
Location : WA
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
Yeah I'm going to get more, it's just tht school limits the days I can go.
Aquarium1- Posts : 49
Join date : 2009-09-09
Location : Ky
Re: 55g Mbuna tank
Honestly, I would just return the two zebras if you can and go with something less aggressive.
Does your store carry afras?
Does your store carry afras?
Aura- Admin
- Posts : 2580
Join date : 2009-08-14
Location : WA
Page 3 of 4 • 1, 2, 3, 4
Similar topics
» mbuna tank.
» 55 Gallon Mbuna Community Tank
» Mixing Aulonocara with mbuna
» some of my mbuna
» Last of the Mbuna. :(
» 55 Gallon Mbuna Community Tank
» Mixing Aulonocara with mbuna
» some of my mbuna
» Last of the Mbuna. :(
Page 3 of 4
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|