# venustus with mbuna?



## master chi (Jan 3, 2010)

I went to lfs today they had a nice venustus in a tank with a full grown lab and a full grown johanni as well as an auratus about 4 inches that they still had after I traded him in. I saw what looked like some large peacock or somethin! Maybe a compressiceps? in there too. not sure what it was but it looked like a more open water body type to me. My question is can an assortment of large mbuna and haps be ok in a 55 .it was 5 fish in a 55 at store but Long term what's the most likely outcome ? Or Is it a matter of all male malawi mix? I wish I could add a carnivorous cichlid to my mbuna tank, thinking it could be beneficial for fry control but I have small mbuna . Is there a hap or peacock for me? would the carnivores even help with mbuna fry control?


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## GaFishMan1181 (Dec 17, 2008)

I wouldnt ever recommend that stocklist in a 55g.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

one venustus will get larger than the width of the tank, and a quarter of the tank itself, not a good plan at all


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## master chi (Jan 3, 2010)

cjacob316 said:


> one venustus will get larger than the width of the tank, and a quarter of the tank itself, not a good plan at all


 ok so venustus is too big for 55 but he's not the only haplochromine or carnivore cichlid in lake malawi so what's the smallest hap in the lake?


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

you mean what hap will get bullied by your mbuna in an already fully stocked tank?


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## master chi (Jan 3, 2010)

cjacob316 said:


> you mean what hap will get bullied by your mbuna in an already fully stocked tank?


 are you saying that even haps arent hearty enough to deal mbuna ? 1 small hap? regardless of my current stocking which can be easily remedied. I was in the profile section and was looking at haplochromines and noticed that the ones swimming in the intermediate zone were typically the ones that were smaller 5-7 inches.lots of placidochromis, copadichromis and lethinrops, . what size tank would I need to a mixed malawi? by the way I have like ten tanks 4 that are up and running right now.3 55g's and 1 20g long hospital tank. only two have fish in them. the other 55 is wating for new malawi's soon hence the inquiry. Like most in my position my wife reminds me that I'm addicted to fish.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i thought you were looing for a hap to add to the mbuna tank, stay 6 inches or smaller with the haps and you'll be fine


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## master chi (Jan 3, 2010)

cjacob316 said:


> i thought you were looing for a hap to add to the mbuna tank, stay 6 inches or smaller with the haps and you'll be fine


 well yeah The idea would be for me to have 1 carnivore for each mbuna tank I say hap because they seem the hardiest between them and peacocks . however I'm really just trying to see if anyone has tried it at all in any tank to see if mbuna fry population was effected. I would rather just do that then have syno catfish. So maybe I'm Just thinking too far outside the LAKE to make it happen. But for fins and wiggles If a haplochromine met a demasoni in the lake is it not feeding time for otopharynx blue otter? that's where my initial concern was .I thought the first problem would be a hap eating all my mbuna not the other way around.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

if you want fry control get a cat, a syno


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## master chi (Jan 3, 2010)

cjacob316 said:


> if you want fry control get a cat, a syno


 I got syno cats I need fry control with no cats hence my inquiry


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Some of the very carnivorous haps are the ones that are too large for a 55G. And might even see a full-grown mbuna as a meal.

The smaller haps that might do well with labs in a 55G (6" at maturity) may not be any more carnivorous than the mbuna themselves.

Did you have a particular hap in mind? I can't think of any that are small but likely to eat more fry than a mbuna.

And yes, if you look at average hap versus average mbuna, in general the mbuna may be too rambunctious for the haps for it to be a completely comfortable and ideal mix.


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## Digilistan (Mar 26, 2010)

Sc. Fryeri is a hap and a piscivore, so I'm guessing one or two of these might be able to help control your fry population. They don't get anywhere near the size of a Venusutus either. :thumb:


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## master chi (Jan 3, 2010)

DJRansome said:


> Some of the very carnivorous haps are the ones that are too large for a 55G. And might even see a full-grown mbuna as a meal.
> 
> The smaller haps that might do well with labs in a 55G (6" at maturity) may not be any more carnivorous than the mbuna themselves.
> 
> ...


a few that I wrote down in case someone asked were otopharynx blue otter which was one of a few placidochromis i liked and a couple capidochromis, like mbenji or mloto undu as well some lethinrops . I noticed that the I liked the ones who live in the intermediate zone but it seems like most african hobbyists still keep the mbuna seperate from these other species of cichlids. I wonder why it can work for some and not for others.


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