# Mbuna tank setup



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

Hello everyone. New member here, seeking inspiration, advices and knowledge from all of you.

I'm planning to build a tank with mbuna cichlids, and i have made a list of things to buy.

So far:

Fusion sunriser - 325L (86 gallons) /130x50x50
Eheim professionel 3, 2075
heater
Powerhead - Tunze 6045 nanostream
cichlid sand
Plants: something like java, brazilian sword, anubis 
Cichlid salt
easy life
Testlab - To test nitrit, ammonium, ph and so
tropical mbuna flakes
Stones: not sure yet, limestone, lacerock or something similar.
I will also make a 3d rock look-a-like environment/background out of polystyrene

For stocking i have made a list of mbuna that will probably go well together.
This is just what i like and have read about, and i will of course *not* get all of them

Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos/Maingano
Pseudotropheus acei/acei
Melanochromis joanjohnsonae/ Pearl of Likoma
Labidochromis caeruleus/electric golden
Tropheops chilumba/Chilumba
Cynotilapia Afra/cobue
Pseudotropheus Demasoni/demasoni
Iodotropheus Sprengerae/rusty
Socolofi/powder blue
Metriaclima estherae/red zebra

And
Synodontis multipunctatus...

I have read alot about mbunas and i feel like i got everything set, and yet im afraid im missing something. 
I have also read about nitrogen cycle.

so. Is there anything im missing or forgot that is necessary or just good to have?

About my stocking list i would like to know how it would work out? some of them that doesnt fit well together?
I know about the same color problem. And i have read about all of the fish, but i feel like those who have experience with them gives mixed feedback.

Feel free to come with suggestions or tips too. 
If you got other mbunas that have very strong color im all ears.

thanks in advance!


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Avoid look alikes, like joanjohnsonae and socolofi. Also demasoni and afra and chilumba.

With that long species list I assume you are going all-male?

All male mbuna is one of the most difficult tanks IMO.


----------



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

Yes i al aware of look a likes..
Im not going all måle, and the specie list is just suggestions.. just gonna take few off then. Just not sure yet.. 
Is there anything i dont have on the equipment list thats a "must have"?


----------



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

Is it possible to keep 5 species - 2,4 ?


----------



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

Something like this:

Acei yellowtail 2/4
yellow lab 2/6
Chilumba 2/6
Rusty 2/4
Socolofi 1/5


----------



## thornsja19 (Feb 4, 2017)

That's gonna most likely be a problem. Unless my math is totally off, your tank translates to a footprint that is roughly 4'x 1.5'. in that size tank I believe it's recommended to keep 3, possibly 4 species. But for each of those species it's assumed you're keeping a 1:4 ratio, maybe 1:7 if it is a smaller, more aggressive species. If you go, say, a 2:8 ratio of one species, it technically takes up 2 species slots because you will ideally create 2 harems of that one species. So, when looking at your stock list...

1) Yellow Tail Acei are bordering on too big for that tank. They are usually not recommended for 4' tanks because they get rather large and prefer large open swimming areas. Perhaps you could pull it off because your 4' tank is 1.5' wide instead of the usual 1', but if you do them you either need to drop the numbers to 1:4 or bump up to 2:8 and consider it 2 species. But I'd lean towards the 1:4.
2) The Yellow Labs are fine but again, drop the ratio to 1:4 to consider it as taking up 1 species slot or raise it to 2:8 and consider it as 2 slots. Ditto for the Rusties and Socolofi.
3) I wouldn't keep the Chilumba with the other groups you have listed. They get much larger and are much more aggressive than the other species, so you're setting yourself up to have the Chilumba kill everything else and turn your tank into a Chilumba species tank.

So taking all that into account, my advice would be to drop the Chilumba and keep the Yellow Labs, Rusty, and Socolofi with 1:4 ratios. If you wanna risk adding the Acei for a 4th species you can, but they're very similar in coloration to the Socolofi. So I'd suggest either switching to White Tail Acei or go Albino Socolofi with the Yellow Tail Acei


----------



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

Thanks for reply..

Im no expert and im not Saying you are Wrong.. but from what i can find on other sites, many other says it Should be fine with acei and socolofi.. I Hope more people here will comment on that.

I Guess you are right in the tropheus. I cant find much info About then and other people experience with them.

What if i pull tropheus out and add hongi instead with the rest on the list?


----------



## thornsja19 (Feb 4, 2017)

Well I didn't say that Yellow Tail Acei wouldn't work with the standard Socolofi. Just that they look really similar and it's generally advised to get fish that contrast each other as look alikes can possibly increase aggression or at the very least cause hybridization. Hence I would go with either standard Socolofi and White Tail Acei (the White Tails are a way darker blue, bordering on purple/black) or Yellow Tail Acei and Albino Socolofi to create contrast. As for hongi, again, you should really only be putting 3, maybe 4 species in a tank that size. Plus Hongi males look awesome but females are a kinda bland brown color so if I only had 3 or 4 species slot to work with, not sure that I'd waste a slot on a fish that in an entire breeding group only 1 fish is worth looking at


----------



## thornsja19 (Feb 4, 2017)

Also I'm not going on personal experience with the Chilumba, but look at the Species Profiles for the fish you are considering. Every other fish you are looking at have an overall and con-specific aggression rating of Peaceful-Mildly Aggressive and have a max size of 5-6". The Chilumba has an overall rating of Highly Aggressive and con-specific of Extremely Aggressive with a max size of 7". Just generally not a good idea to have an extremely aggressive species in with a bunch of more passive, smaller fish.


----------



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

Point well taken 
Im considering pumping the aquarium up abit.. 360L (95g) 130x59x50.
or maybe ill just go all in with 576L (152g)


----------



## thornsja19 (Feb 4, 2017)

If you're wanting more species options then I'd go with the 152g instead of the 95g. The 95g only gives you a couple inches more of depth compared to the 86g you started this thread with, so it really doesn't change your options much. Might make some guys lean more towards the idea that you could keep 4 species safely instead of just 3, but that's about it. The 156g, depending on the dimensions, would most likely allow you to hold 5 or even 6 species and open you up to more aggressive species options as well


----------



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

The 152g dimention is 160x60x60.. 
Ya i would like it that big, but afraid its too big/much to start with, since i have no experience with mbuna cichlid other than what i have read about it. 
But i my dream is to have those 5-6 species.

other question. Do i need to overstock an aquarium right away or within a short amont of time after the first fish?


----------



## thornsja19 (Feb 4, 2017)

The best way to do it, if you're going for the 1:4 ratios, is to add 10 juvies of each species all at once. Then when the extra males start showing up you remove them


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I did have acei and socolofi together for a while, but ended up rehoming the socolofi exactly because the color contrast between the two was not there.

It's better to stock the fish all at once but if you don't mind losing some of your beneficial bacteria and having to wait for it to grow between additions, that can work.

I like 5 species in a 72" tank.


----------



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

Okay.. i have just read that you put in 1 specie. Then you wait maybe 1 or 2 week then you put in the next specie.. wait 1 or 2 week then the next and so on. 
I can see the point with stocking all at once because of the territory and hierarchy. 
But what is something goes wrong or sickness.
I guess both can work out and its just what you perfer..

If i decide to go with the 152gallon (160x60x60) could this be a good stocking list, if i provide good hiding spots and areas?

Yellow tale
Yellow lab
Hongi
Rusty
Mbamba
.....

DJRansome do you have 5 species in a 72" ?


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Sickness is actually more of a problem if you stock a few at a time because you have to quarantine new additions in a separate tank for 3 weeks each time.

Waiting 1-2 weeks won't help much...if you need beneficial bacteria to grow with each addition, I would wait a month in between. If you did not cycle with ammonia, then I think slow and steady will probably be better. Follow the manufacturers instructions if using a bottled product. I'm not confident they work to give you zero ammonia and nitrites for your fish at all times.

I have 3 species in my 72" tank but did have five when there were mbuna in the tank.

Still two blue barred species on your list.


----------



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

That makes sense. Guess it gonna be all at once then.. thanks for the explanation.
I will do a full cycle Before any fish will get in the tank..

How did it go with your 5 species in a 72"?

Which two? Sorry for my ignorence


----------



## thornsja19 (Feb 4, 2017)

The Mbamba and Hongi


----------



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

So that wont work at all? 
Does that apply to all wih bars.. like if i take jalo reef for instance?

Do you guys have any suggestion instead of mbamba then? something with bright strong color?


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

You want your species to look nothing alike...so one blue barred species/tank.

Mbamba is brighter than hongi, but both have dull females.

The five species worked great...which is why I tend to recommend it.

You are talking about a 62" tank...so why not just do 4 species. Can you get metriaclima dolphin?


----------



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

I have no idea what i can get yet.. ill ask on tuesday 
metriaclima dolphin looks good actually. if it works with the rest on the list i can swap that with mbamba.
or maybe Albino socolofi.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Swap it with mbamba so you end up with only one blue barred mbuna in the tank. Go with 1m:4f of each species.


----------



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

swap the dolphin with mbamba?

and wouldnt 1/4 ratio each specie be too little in a 150g ?


----------



## thornsja19 (Feb 4, 2017)

It's not necessarily the amount of water in the tank that determines the stocking options. Yes your tank is a 150g, but it's barely over 5' wide and the width of the tank is the main factor when cichlids are setting up their territories. To be honest, if maximum amount of species is your main objective you'd be better off with a 6' 125g tank than the 5' 150g you're working around


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Plus one.


----------



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

I was just worried about not being overstocked.
My main objective isnt to have max so im fine with 4.

the 576l/150g is 160x60x60 cm
one step down is 450 litre/118G is 151X61X64 cm
next is 95G/360L and 130x50x59 cm
The next is the 86g 130x50x50 cm


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

20 fish in a 62 inch tank is overstocked to the appropriate level.


----------



## mfn91 (Oct 3, 2017)

Okay super. good to know. 
I really appreciate your help, so thanks to both of you. 
Hard to swap between cm and litres to inches and gallons


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

No need for gallons, as mentioned. Just worry about length.


----------

