# Yellow labs with "Maingano" ???



## Harbrook (Mar 29, 2008)

*Should i house my yellow labs with....*​
A group of C.Afra's ???624.00%A group of Melanochromis cyanophardos "Maingano" ???1976.00%


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## Harbrook (Mar 29, 2008)

HI,

What is your opinion on housing My small group (5) Yellow labs with a small Group of Melanochromis cyanophardos "Maingano" ??? I love the colouring of this fish!
Would it work, or should i stick to my original thought, of have the labs wioth a small goup of c. afra's.

My tank is 3.5 ft.

many thanks for your help and advice,.

Darren.


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

I voted for the maingano because of the color. Its the same reason lots of people put labs and demasoni together. Their colors pop off of each other. With the afras, unless you get one of the few species withcolored females, they are pretty much brown across the board. SO you would have one colored male and a several brown females.

What are the rest of the dimensions of the tank? 3.5ft (42 inches) is a very odd length, once they hit the 36" mark they usually only increase by whole feet.


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## Harbrook (Mar 29, 2008)

MalawiLover said:


> What are the rest of the dimensions of the tank? 3.5ft (42 inches) is a very odd length, once they hit the 36" mark they usually only increase by whole feet.


My tank is specially made.. 40" x 12" x 12 "

So i realise that i can only have 2 small groups of malawi in there, so i am taking my time to make sure i choose well...


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Harbrook said:


> My tank is specially made.. 40" x 12" x 12 "


That is an od size, but workable.



> So i realise that i can only have 2 small groups of malawi in there, so i am taking my time to make sure i choose well...


Excellent. I wish everbody started out the same way.

I think a small lab group (3-4) and maybe 5-6 mainganos could work. You will likely have to try to get mostly female maingano (or just weed out the extra males), but 40 inches does give some good run away room especially if you scape it with lots of places to hide and evade.


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## Gibbs (Apr 21, 2008)

Afra's rule! 8) 
Im on the look out for some Cyno's of some type :thumb:


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## Harbrook (Mar 29, 2008)

MalawiLover said:


> Harbrook said:
> 
> 
> > I think a small lab group (3-4) and maybe 5-6 mainganos could work. You will likely have to try to get mostly female maingano (or just weed out the extra males), but 40 inches does give some good run away room especially if you scape it with lots of places to hide and evade.


I have two piles of holey rock, and some plastic plants, so there is plenty of run room, and hiding space...

About the maingano.... any tips on sexing them?? the ones i will get are 4-5cm (1.5" - 2")
I read about the male having a black belly and the female a lighter blue?, does that fit???


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

As far as I know the only accurate way to sex them is venting (or seeing a females hold, though this only works to identify a fish as females because just because it hasn't held doesn't mean its a male)


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## eoconnor (Nov 24, 2006)

You will be fine with mainganos and labs. I love mainganos too! They have great personality.

Some people might be chuffed if I say this but if your tank is 3.5 foot long you may be able to have the afras too. In a four foot tank I have a demasoni and 7 mainganos, the mainganos do not care about him. Again, thats a demasoni in a four foot tank, not an afra in a 3.5, but they seem to base agression around color and pattern, so horizontal stripes are not seen as great a threat as vertical barring and vice versa.

Bash me everyone!


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Though you will still have the issue of dull brown females. In a small that I think their impact on the color overal would be much higher than say a group of afras in 125g with lots of other colorful fish.


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## Harbrook (Mar 29, 2008)

eoconnor said:


> Some people might be chuffed if I say this but if your tank is 3.5 foot long you may be able to have the afras too.
> Bash me everyone!


do u mean to say i could have in my tank
5 labs 
4 afras
4 maingano's

???

sound good, what do others think?


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## bmills (Apr 17, 2008)

Yeah yeah!

Labs and Maingano's - my favourite mix! My first foray into Malawis was a 30G tank with 6 of each and they have been doing great for ages, and breeding like mad!


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## fightingfish (Apr 10, 2008)

yeah go for it! i have three mainganos mixed with three yellow labs in my tank its an awsome mix!


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## Harbrook (Mar 29, 2008)

thanks for your advice, !!! i bought 5 maingano's today!!!!!.... WOW there great fish!
i will post pictures tomorrow!


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