# Quarantine Mbuna



## bozz71 (Dec 15, 2019)

What size quarantine tank for mbuna? They will be roughly 2inches or less. Tank will be cycled and daily water changes will be made. (50%) I was thinking of getting eight at a time. Any thoughts or suggestions?


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## Ralph493 (Dec 1, 2018)

I usually use ten gallon tanks. I like smaller tanks in case I need to treat. Eight small fish should be okay I would think in a ten for the 4-6 weeks I normally quarantine new fish for.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I use 20G Long tanks because they will be useful for other things later....like raising fry.

Consider stocking your entire tank at once...then at least this one time you will not need a quarantine tank.


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## bozz71 (Dec 15, 2019)

I have two ten gallon tanks already and some sponge filters. I am worried about aggression in a tank this small and stress being introduced and then disease. Should I separate fish between the two tanks or get a 20l?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What species? You are introducing them to an established tank?


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## bozz71 (Dec 15, 2019)

The tank has been cycled using fishless cycle method. It has taken me two months.
The species that will be added will all be small no more than 2 inches.
Metriaclima sp. ''Zebra Gold'' Kawanga
White top Hara (8 currently in one ten gallon for the past two weeks.)
Metriaclima sp. ''Msobo'' Magunga
Metriaclima sp. ''Dolphin'' Manda
Pseudotropheus sp. Daktari
Pseudotropheus sp. ''Acei'' Luwala Reef ''Yellow Tail Acei''

So far so good for the White Top Hara. All appear to be healthy and are eating well. I do 50% water changes on them a day. I also use polyfilter in the tank to absorb trace bits of ammonia. When I test the tank twice a day all the parameters are fine 0 ammonia 0 nitrite 10 less nitrate. My main concern is aggression and I am wondering should I have gotten them a 20 long or bigger. They do chase each other but they lose each other quickly. I was concerned about white poop earlier but it just randomly went away.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

So it is a 72" tank or longer. I would be concerned about the multiple Metriaclima species. I would keep the hara in the 10G and stock all the other fish at once in the main tank.

Then after 3 weeks if all is well, add the hara. When I had both hara and acei, I found the contrast was too little as they both have a mid-blue coloration.


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## bozz71 (Dec 15, 2019)

What I would be concerned with is if I had to medicate the 120. That would be costly. I might consider not doing acei at all and just up the numbers of the others or swap it out with Fulleborni.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I have never had to medicate a quarantine tank...have you?

Your 120G is 72" long?

The acei and hara will get along, that is just an asthetic thing. Aggression risks are the multiple Metriaclima species.


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## bozz71 (Dec 15, 2019)

This would be my first time using my quarantine set up so no medication for me hopefully. The reason why I want to do this as opposed to adding in the fish all at once is because of a bad experience with a disease or some sort that got introduced. Everything was fine for a week and fish were steadily dying off one after the other. That was about six years ago so I have been researching. The Metriaclima species issue you mentioned is noted and I might need to adjust my stock. These fish are differently colored I thought that would be enough.

120 gallon is 60'' sorry. I wish it was 72''


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## bozz71 (Dec 15, 2019)

Size differences as well between the Manda and Mosobo and the Kawanga.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

It may not be sufficient. If you had one solid metriaclima and one barred metriaclima...some have had success with that.

I like 5 species in a 72" tank...would you consider reducing the number of species for this tank?

If you wait 3 weeks between each species, the crop of bacteria you had initially that would support the full tank will start to diminish to support the smaller number of fish.

Daktari was changed to Metriaclima as well. Will you be able to ID females between the daktari and the kwanga? I understand they are both drab.


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## bozz71 (Dec 15, 2019)

Possibly I have heard that the Daktari can vary. They look similar to males but not as colorful. Do you have other species that you have done? I like the msobo kawanga and the afra's. That part I really do not want to change. So far do you think the ten gallon is fine for quarantine. I can supplement bacteria and do water changes as need be while I quarantine.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I looked at the photos of females on Cichlidae.

Since you have chosen species that mature larger than 2" I think having a species in each 10G would work.

I would do 4 species:
1m:4f Cynotilapia sp. hara
1m:4f Metriaclima Zebra Gold Kawnga or Metriaclima msobo
1m:7f Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos Maingano
1m:4f Iodotropheus sprengerae


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## bozz71 (Dec 15, 2019)

Ok I will look into some of those species and see what I can get my hands on. As far as adding in the cichlids all at once I know that is what many people do and I understand why the thought of it makes me nervous. With my procedures that I posted as far as supplementing the tank with bacteria and water changes do you think that would be okay?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I would not supplement with bacteria (no faith that bottled bacteria is helpful). If you do one species at a time things will work, 8 fish every 3 weeks, you just have to test before adding anyone new to make sure the bacteria have been able to grow to support the last additions.


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## Ralph493 (Dec 1, 2018)

DJRansome said:


> I have never had to medicate a quarantine tank...have you?.


Only once but I still use smaller tanks. Of course I have several unused ten gallon tanks and seasoned sponges always available.


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

Personally I don't see a reason to use one tank for QT and a different tank for hospital, so for me, yes I have medicated a QT tank many times because I use a 20gL for both QT and hospital.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

For what it's worth, I found the Zebra Kwanga to be quite elongated, and not the typical Zebra profile whatsoever. The males are strongly barred, and were kind of low on the aggression scale.

If you're choosing between Kawanga and Msobo, with Hara, I'd chose Msobo. Probably one of the nicest looking mbuna in the lake, and not barred so no conflict with the Hara. At least no conflict looking similar.


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