Compatibility question

Q&A About Lake Malawi Cichlids

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hbaronoff
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:17 pm

Compatibility question

Post by hbaronoff »

Hi Pam,

I would like to get your opinion on whether Demasoni would get along with Saulosi or if the color of the Saulosi males would spark aggression towards them?

Thanks in advance for your time and thoughts.

Regards,
Harley
Pam Chin
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Re: Compatibility question

Post by Pam Chin »

Hi Harley,

I can't really give you a yes or no, cut and dried answer, because there are so many variables. I don't even know how big your tank is or what your goals are.

I hope your goal is to breed Pseudotropheus saulosi, because it is critically endangered in the wild. Anytime you want to breed these fish from Malawi, you really need to house them in species only tanks. These mouthbrooders will cross so easily, it really isn't safe to house any other fish with them when breeding. They prefer to be in larger groups, so 18 - 24 would be perfect. You don't need to dwell on the sex/ratio when you have a group this large, extra males will help keep the aggression down on the females. This is an awesome mbuna to work with, and because they are sexually dimorphic (females and males are not colored the same), its like getting two fish in one! Seriously it is very important that if you do breed these fish that you keep them pure, house them by themselves to assure there is no gene pollution. This way we can keep them going in the hobby, because they are not importing them anymore, hoping the population will naturally come back.

If you are not planning to breed them It is always best to choose tank mates that are not going to compete for the same area of the tank, and that is why saulosi and demasoni are not a good mix.

Demasoni is another wonderful mbuna to work with, it has such wonderful colors and they don't get really huge like some mbuna do. They are always in demand and it is good fish to work with if you need to help support your hobby. But, they are mean, mean, mean! They call them devil mbuna. First they prefer to kill themselves, and then when one is left they will kill the rest of the fish in the tank. It can be a heart breaker to work with, and because of all the aggression they can get upset stomachs, and sometimes lead to the dreaded "Malawian Bloat'. Most are successful doing species only tank, and 35-50 fish, so not sure if your tank could handle that many fish.

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