# Frontosa in malawi mbuna tank



## Kimmah (Dec 26, 2011)

Has anybody ever kept a Cyphotilapia Frontosa with lake malawi mbuna? My husband is dead set keen on getting one for our tank but I'm not so sure that this is a very good idea.


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## [email protected] [email protected] (Sep 20, 2006)

It isn't a good idea for a number of reasons. Cy. frontosa will often get picked on when small in with mbuna, have the finnage torn, and don't compete well for food. As adults, big males can eat the mbuna. At 12-14", a big male needs a big tank... at least 5-6 ft long.


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## Kimmah (Dec 26, 2011)

yeah I didn't think it would be a very good idea. He wanted a cyrtocara moori to start of with and I can't convince him that we shouldn't have those fish with the mbuna


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## BigFish77 (Feb 1, 2009)

I have done fronts with mbuna and haps both. It is possible, but the frotn grow at such a slower rate and are slow feeders sometimes so they didn't thrive very well. The moori might be a better choice then the front, they do swim more in open water and have a mildly aggressive attitude which is needed with mbuna. How large are the mbuna and the intended additions?? I would start with somewhat larger moori, but what is your tank size??


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## Kimmah (Dec 26, 2011)

The mbuna sizes range from 3" to 7" fully grown but I want to buy them as juveniles. The tank is a 120G measuring roughly 6ftx2ftx2ft.


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## Kimmah (Dec 26, 2011)

sorry, 5ft not 6


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## theboothsociety (Jan 3, 2012)

I too have kept fronts with mbuna, peacocks & haps. They seem to do better with peacock & haps than the mbuna. If you have 7" mbuna in your tank currently. I would suggest starting with a decent size frontosa, as opposed to a juvie. If anything, for frontosas to thrive well with mbuna they need to be of a much bigger size. As "BigFish" said above, I think the Moori would also be a better choice.


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## mgreen44 (Dec 27, 2011)

Frontosa better off with peacocks and haps my wife wants one too so I am getting another tank and will move the peacocks and hap in with it. Great excuse to get another tank we have 5 but 3 are small would like to get rid of small ones.


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## Kimmah (Dec 26, 2011)

Do you think that the tank size will be comfortable for a Moori?


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## mgreen44 (Dec 27, 2011)

Tank size great just dont want aggressive mbuna will pick on him


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

You don't have the mbuna yet? Why not just stock it with a colony of fronts?


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## Kimmah (Dec 26, 2011)

:lol: , because it's my tank and I want mbuna, he wants the frontosa


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## mgreen44 (Dec 27, 2011)

Guess if you like a little excitment mbuna are great there is allways somthing going on never gets boring and a great challenge to get just the right mix and when you think you nailed it one starts to act up. You can't go wrong with any Africans they are the best!


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

He needs his own tank then!

Most fish you might put with mbuna will just waste away. They'll at least never look their potential.


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