# Mbunas or Peacocks?



## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

I need your guys help. I will setting up 125 gal tank soon and don't know what to go with, I love the peacocks colors and how they don't stay in the rocks all the time like the mbunas, but dealing with prices of peacocks it will be much easier to stock a mbuna tank. Don't get me wrong mbuna also have fantastic colors but I don't like the agression and amount of cover they need. Plz help


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If you are going all male I would do peacocks and probably some haps. If you are going mixed breeding groups, I would do mbuna. Although you want a lot of rocks with mbuna, they don't stay in the rocks much.

You could buy the peacocks as juveniles, then they would be no more expensive than mbuna I think.

Sounds like you really want the peacocks, go for it!


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Mbuna don't really hide in the rocks all the time, if you are thinking that. In a well set up tank Mbuna are about as active as any very active fish tank.


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## csnake (Feb 22, 2009)

I've kept them both, and while I find the aulonocara colors to be the more striking, I enjoy mbuna much much more. Mbuna seem to me to have much more personality and character... some even have little "Monk"-ish quirks. They're more fun. The peacocks/haps on the other hand were more... well, just color... almost lazy and rather boring I guess. This is just my opinion. I'm sure others would disagree... maybe?


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## scdeb424 (Apr 24, 2008)

Mbuna remind me of dogs--they beg for food, run around the yard, wag their tails, get mouthy with each other & fight for your attention when you come over to the tank.
Peacocks are like cats--aloof, beautiful but not exactly friendly. Every once in awhile you think they like you but then they swim off just like a cat that ignores you when you call its name.
I'm more of a dog person--and a Mbuna person.


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## GoofBoy (Jul 3, 2007)

I've kept Africans a long time - since the late 80's - I went to the all male Hap/Peacock tank last July for the first time - love it - still don't know what took me so long...

I love the look of mbuna tanks but I find them too stressful - I just don't like the level of aggression.

I'll disagree strongly with the lack of interaction/personality from Haps - but maybe I just got lucky with all of them I have kept over the years.

I believe it really comes down to how much aggression is acceptable to you and only you can answer that.

Get what you really want - because in 6-9 months you will go for it anyway. Based on personal experience - more than once.

I would think in SoCal you should be able to hook up with plenty of breeders if you look at clubs etc.

Good Luck.


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## GaFishMan1181 (Dec 17, 2008)

Mbuna for the win!

IF you went peacock/hap you would have to go all male. With mbuna you could easily have 5-6 breeding groups. There are so many choices that you could get some really nice shapes and colors going on. From my experience if you pick the right type of mbuna and keep correct ratios then aggression is only a minor problem. Most of my mbuna will only pick on their own type and its never that serious.


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## scdeb424 (Apr 24, 2008)

I agree with GaFishMan1181--Mumba are entertaining & best all around.
But if you have your heart set on Peacocks & Haps you should go for it 
because you will most likely keep thinking that you missed out. There are
some great fish in the profiles section--sometimes I find myself wondering
just how I'd stock a new 125 with peacocks & haps. Take your time, decide
on a selection with some second string choices & see what happens--Good
Luck & let us know what happens.


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Thanks you guys, sorry it took me this long to update you. I didn't think anybody had responded to my post because I thought I would get a email. Lol, after reading all the post I think I will go with the peacock/hap setup. I got hooked when seen a Thickskin hap! My only qestion is why does it have to be all male tank with the peacocks? Seems like a long process taking the fact I will be buying all Juvenile fish...


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Peacocks crossbreed. So if you don't go all male, you get a species tank with one colored fish and 25 brown ones, LOL.

Haps crossbreed as well but there are some fishkeepers experimenting with more than one breeding group in a tank of certain very different haps.


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Wow I never knew that, so how would I go about excluding the females? Take the fish out that lose color? Or just buy older fish? Head scrather.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Either strategy can work. Buying juveniles and keeping the best colored one is suggested in the article on all male tanks in the Library. For compatibility and keeping expenses down. Longer wait for results though.

Buying young adults is more expensive and they have to try to adjust to each other but you get quicker results.

Either way an all male tank is an experiment and compatability changes so have extra tanks and a resource (LFS?) that will take your reject fish.


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## jaybuc (Dec 15, 2005)

csnake said:


> I've kept them both, and while I find the aulonocara colors to be the more striking, I enjoy mbuna much much more. Mbuna seem to me to have much more personality and character... some even have little "Monk"-ish quirks. They're more fun. The peacocks/haps on the other hand were more... well, just color... almost lazy and rather boring I guess. This is just my opinion. I'm sure others would disagree... maybe?


Agree...I've kept both in my 125g, I prefer mbuna myself, mbuna tend to be more active IMO. Just get another tank and do both! :thumb:


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## bearded lab (Apr 28, 2010)

Love the reference to "Monk"-ish quirks! It's a good analogy.


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Haha, I wish could have another big tank but we all know this hobie is very expensive plus I think my wife will kill me! Lol. I think I'm sticking with peacocks I like how I can have the peacocks and throw in a couple fronts, calvus, haps, plus if I wanted I can throw in some mbuna yellow labs. Witch I probly will...And I think you can put rusties in there also right? Now I just need find were I can find some really cheap lace rock.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I think you will get some disagreement on throwing in fronts and calvus. And you might find rusties give you trouble, depending on the peacocks you choose.


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Why? Because there from lake tanginyka. That kinda stuff doesn't bother me, i seen a few videos on YouTube with some real nice tanks with fronts, and peacocks


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I think the fronts will eat the peacocks when they get large enough. The problem with YouTube is you don't know if the tank was set up yesterday or the fronts eat half a dozen of them daily. Just a point in time.


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Hmm. What about the calvus? Would they pick on the peacocks. Shattering my deems man... Lol


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Also what about venustus? Those are peacocks right?


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## jaybuc (Dec 15, 2005)

SanDiegoCichlid619 said:


> Why? Because there from lake tanginyka. That kinda stuff doesn't bother me, i seen a few videos on YouTube with some real nice tanks with fronts, and peacocks


I wouldn't put calvus in at all. They are a slower moving fish that like to hang around the rocks...just don't think they would be a good mix with peacocks..just my 2 cents. I'm more of a purist and like to keep fish from the same lake togther or even the same species.


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

See I get board fast, could never do a species tank. I got to have veriety lol.


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## GoofBoy (Jul 3, 2007)

SanDiegoCichlid619 said:


> Also what about venustus? Those are peacocks right?


Venustus are Nimbochromis - a predatory Haplochromine, they most definitely are not peacocks.

'Peacock' is the common name for all of the Aulonocara species - though all Aulonocara are technically Haplochromines. Kind of like all terriers are dogs - Peacock = terrier and Venustus = Rottweiler to carry the the dog analogy a little further.

If peacocks are what you want to be the centerpiece your best bets for tank mates are going to be from the following Haplochromines:

Copadichromis
Lethrinops
Otopharynx
Tramitichromis
Placidochromis
and some of the Protomelas.

Some of the larger predatory haps Nimbochromis, Dimidiochromis, etc. may get a bit dominant in the tank and take over the open space so the peacocks may not be out and about as much as you would like.

I have found Labidochromis caeruleus and Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" groups also work very well with peacocks.

Good Luck


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Wow these fish are getting stranger and stranger! Would fontosa, venustus work? With a couple peacocks? What's weired is that I heard fronts are too friendly for mbuna, now hear fronts are too agressive for peacocks. Crazy :-? I will check out these gaps you posted. See if I like any.


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## GoofBoy (Jul 3, 2007)

SanDiegoCichlid619 said:


> Wow these fish are getting stranger and stranger! Would fontosa, venustus work? With a couple peacocks? What's weired is that I heard fronts are too friendly for mbuna, now hear fronts are too agressive for peacocks. Crazy :-? I will check out these gaps you posted. See if I like any.


Long ago (early 90's), I tried a Frontosa much like you are thinking - everything was fine for about 1.5 years, then fish in my tank started dying off slowly, one after another. What I learned -> nocturnal predation.

Frontosas hunt at night and they get very large. When they are small - the mbuna will be to much for them and stress them - leading to sick fish. When then Frontosa gets large - it will hunt and eat the mbuna while they are trying to sleep - leading to expensive fish food or sick fish. Doesn't work either way. Same thing *will* happen with peacocks.

Frontosa are really best kept in a species tank and quite honestly - it sounds like you will get bored with them rather quickly - they kind of hang around and are not very active. Much lower engery than any of the other fish you are considering.

Check the Peacock and Hap profiles - there are plenty of compatible choices.

I would not recommend Nimbochromis venustus for your first attempt with Malawi cichlids. I would strongly suggest you look at Placidochromis milomo, Placidochromis sp. "Phenochilus Tanzania", Protomelas sp. "Spilonotus Tanzania" (Liuli) as much mellower species with every bit the size and color. I have kept them all and highly recommend them as working quite well with peacocks.

Here is a thread couple of pictures is my fish to give you an idea.

Good Luck.


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Wow man those are nice looking fish you have! If that's not motavation then I don't know what is. My wife wants me to ask if there is any possiblity that the venustus will work? And if a moorii will work? She likes how they look like a dolphin. And I will be picking up one of those liuli... Beautiful fish you have agin.


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## jaybuc (Dec 15, 2005)

SanDiegoCichlid619 said:


> See I get board fast, could never do a species tank. I got to have veriety lol.


What about an all male peacock/hap tank? Awesome color and trust me you will never be bored with all the action opcorn:


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Ya I think that's what I will do. I think that's what will make me the most happy. Now I just gotta gear myself up for this long and expensive ride! I still have alot of fish to learn and how to pronounce their names- geeze! The names are crazy . People at the fish look at me like I'm stupid. Lol


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## mattsmommaashley (Apr 8, 2010)

That's because a lot of time they don't know anything about what they are selling :lol: . In my area most of the people running the fish sections in the stores are barely old enough to work and have never had anything other than a dog. You should hear some of the answers I get to some of my questions about their particular stock. True entertainment opcorn:


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## bearded lab (Apr 28, 2010)

I second that :lol: opcorn:


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Thats funny :lol: There is 1 store that I trust though the owners real cool he actully works there and helped me with my ram cichld tank. Just a little bit more $$$ if you want to shop there. But worth it


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## promoe (Apr 28, 2009)

lol pm me i live in san diego ill get you all set up my friend!


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## mattsmommaashley (Apr 8, 2010)

Yea that's how it is here. There are like 5 stores here but only one that knows what is going on. It's a little mom and son ran operation that specializes in cichlids, way more expensive though. There is also a store like an hour away that is better than her's but the drive is terrible  . I'm glad that you have a store you can go to that you trust. Makes fish keeping so much more enjoyable.


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Thats cool, and it's always a good thing to help out the little shops. Just don't buy from chain stores. Geezh I hate chain stores. Well there fish section.


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## mattsmommaashley (Apr 8, 2010)

HAHAHA The chain store fish section here is a joke. Always has ich and no one seems to notice or care. Maybe they just don't have time for it. It's funny though, we have 3 chain stores here and only one of them has live fish.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Edited to remove vendor names.


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## mattsmommaashley (Apr 8, 2010)

Oops sorry, it's early here.


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Hahaha. I was like wait a minute, that's not what I typed.


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Just reading up on peacock cross breeding- Now I'm leaning towards mbuna lol....


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## mattsmommaashley (Apr 8, 2010)

Yea that's the situation I was in. I just decided on a species tank with a breeding group of peacocks and a mbuna tank lol. Mbuna can cross breed too though. You'll still have to pick your species carefully.


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

When I got rid of the 55 gallon to get the 125g the wife said no more tanks! Lol.

Can I put a venustus with mbuna? I think that will look good a bunch of mbuna with a couple venustus on fry patroll


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## nauTik (Mar 18, 2009)

SanDiegoCichlid619 said:


> Haha, I wish could have another big tank but we all know this hobie is very expensive plus I think my wife will kill me! Lol. I think I'm sticking with peacocks I like how I can have the peacocks and throw in a couple fronts, calvus, haps, plus if I wanted I can throw in some mbuna yellow labs. Witch I probly will...And I think you can put rusties in there also right? Now I just need find were I can find some really cheap lace rock.


wish you were in michigan, I have a whole bunch of it I'm trying to get rid of for pretty cheap lol


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

ok everyone i decided on a peacock/hap setup and i got a couple fish today. can somebody tell exactly what this one is? sry for the bad pics i had to use my phone.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r109 ... G_0192.jpg

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r109 ... G_0190.jpg


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## LKO316 (Aug 31, 2009)

Strawberry peacock. I got one last week. It is a hybrid


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

Grrrr I wanted to stay away from hybrids. Thanks man, wonder why it's not in the profile section.


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

^yea i had a strawberry, it held its own against the mbunas.

*** mixed venustus with Mbunas and they did fine.

On my next time i want less Mbunas, maybe one male cobalt for kicks maybe.

What do you guys think about this mix?

Venustus breeding group
1 electric blue
1 compressicepps 
1 Cyto Moori
and some yellow labs to round them out.


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## SanDiegoCichlid619 (Jan 24, 2010)

2 years later I'm done with the peacocks!!!!! Couldn't get them to color up if my life depended on it. If it had nice color at the store it would be completely gone by the time I got to the car, and it would never come back in the tank. Smh, even bought the expensive NLS fish food. Nothing worked. So now I'm stocking up on MBUNA, and I like it better.


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## Seamus Wick (Dec 11, 2011)

i love mbuna
so fun to watch opcorn:


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## Sub-Mariner (Dec 7, 2011)

SanDiegoCichlid619 said:


> 2 years later I'm done with the peacocks!!!!! Couldn't get them to color up if my life depended on it. If it had nice color at the store it would be completely gone by the time I got to the car, and it would never come back in the tank. Smh, even bought the expensive NLS fish food. Nothing worked. So now I'm stocking up on MBUNA, and I like it better.


That sucks. My males are always colored up. Even if yours were homoned I doubt the would loose color by the time you brought them home from the store, they obviously didnt feel safe in your tank. I hope you have better success with your Mbunas. :thumb:


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## Jaycal (Sep 30, 2011)

Yea mbuna are better. If you get the right mix of mbuna its like a circus going on in your tank


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## ranchialex (Dec 4, 2011)

So just thinking, what's the average lifespan of these Malawis? It seems an advantage of a mbuna tank is that they spawn pretty easily, and should be perpetually replenishing your stock over the course of several years, quite unlike an all-male tank. I'm not years into the hobby (only 3 months in, rather) but I like the idea of having multiple generations in the tank.

Do you guys find that you lose interest and change out your whole tank before the lifespan's up? Perhaps another way to frame the question - anyone keeping largely the same species of mbuna for many years, with multiple generations?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Mbuna average is 8 years. But you only need one year for multiple generations. So yes. My red zebra was among the first fish I purchased and so she is 7 years old.

There are also species I have sold within a year or two to replace with something else (acei, socolofi).

However, multiple generations is not always ideal. Because you need a certain gender ratio, raising juvies in your show tank means you have to continuously remove extra males...that never ends.

If you let the moms spit in tank and/or have Synodontis multipunctatus for fry control, you reach a level of stability and can just enjoy the tank.

Then if you need some extras of something, you net a holding female and raise them in a separate tank until you can sex them.


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