# Mixing Victoria and Malawi



## GotCichlids?

I currently have a tank established with Lake Malawi Mbuna species and want more of the colorful looks such as Xystichromis phytophagus and Scrapers can they be mixed or should I just get another tank for the Victoria cichlids?


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## GotCichlids?

I would really appreciate some advice on this subject matter... I have found almost no information on this via internet. The only thing that I have found on mixing these two specific lakes is that they should be compatible as far as the water chem goes...Any other thoughts?


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## exasperatus2002

I've seen people mix mbuna with vics before but I have no experience doing so yet. Have you tried one of the Lake Victorian sites ( http://www.cichlidsofvictoria.com/ to ask?


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## GotCichlids?

No I was hoping someone on here had some advice for me but I might have to ask on another forum b/c Im not getting much feed back here


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## AlphaWild

I think the short answer is they can, but it will depend specifically on the species involved.


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## GotCichlids?

Christmas Fulu with my stock in signature?


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## samaki

Hi 
 Sorry for my late answer but I was not there for a while, yu can't mix mbunas with the x-mas fulu or any plants eaters from Victoria lake, yu can try with the mbipis(victoria's rocky zone fishes) but As far as I have heard, they mix well with the haps and not mbunas.
xris


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## AlphaWild

I knew samaki would have the answer for you 8) I'm still growing out fry right now, but I plan on attempting to mix Pundamilla nyererei with demasoni and labs in the future.


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## GotCichlids?

Thanks for the input!


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## Fogelhund

Without being dominant, Victorian Haps won't show their beautiful colours. In a tank with such aggressive mbuna, I wouldn't bother putting in the Haps, as they will probably be drab.


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## GotCichlids?

Thanks Fogel! I think I'm just going to keep my mbunas the way they are maybe throw in a few more then start some more tanks!


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## n.o.musicman

I agree with Fogel. I have an mbuna tank with 3 obliquedens only one has a little bit of color. They hold their own as far as agression but do look drab.


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## gmaschke

I have Kyoga Flamebacks mixed with Acei (ngara whitetail) and they bothe breed and look awesome. I have seen now aggression or intimidation between the groups.


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## kuhliLoachFan

Metriaclima estherae are ********, really, and I don't think any species smaller than them will survive in that tank.

So regardless of species, any lake victoria juvenile, or even the smaller adult species, stuck in with 6" zebras, it ain't pretty.

W


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## kuhliLoachFan

That was neat. It auto-censored me.

W


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## africancichlidcentral

I've had exceptional experiences keeping mbuna with victorians. In fact, I think in almost every tank I keep one species of each. Here are a couple recommended combos and I'm also keeping live plants in all my tanks now. Haplochromis sp. 44 or Nyererei with Pseudotropheus saulosi or demasoni is my favorite combo because they keep aggression in check for the most part. In species tanks these can be a challenge to keep due to extreme aggression but I don't see that nearly as much when kept together in a 4' or larger tank. Also, Yellow Labs will go well with just about any Victorian.


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## alanastar

:thumb: i keep vics with some of the mbuna above, mainly Pundamilia and Neochromis.

For fish like hippo point salmon,chilotes and Aullaudi i keep mailawi haps like Ahli and Protomelas

Surprisingly my Piceatus are breeding in a tank with Lethrinops ! i do not expect this to last.

But i do not over stock my tanks and like 6-8 of each species rather than pairs. 
Young fish are more forgiving but as they mature always expect the odd fight.

Given a large tank you may try a group of Nyererei, but you do have some of the more boisterous species.


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