appropriate size for a mbuna breeder tank

Q&A About Lake Malawi Cichlids

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ofrell
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 3:16 pm

appropriate size for a mbuna breeder tank

Post by ofrell »

Hi Pam

I has some mbuna (metriaclima sp. "msobo") that I really like and want to breed. What is a recommended size for a species only breeder tank with say 1 M and 3 F. I was under the impression that most breeders use 30g (36" long) tanks, however, the recommendations for housing mbuna (on a major cichlid site) indicates that they should be housed in a min of a 55g. I'm assuming this recom. is for a mbuna community tank and am also assuming a 55g wouldn't be necessary for 4 dwarf mbuna. How are my assumption? Thanks for any advice!

jeff
Pam Chin
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Post by Pam Chin »

Hi Jeff,

It is not impossible to breed mbuna in small groups or smaller tanks, it is just harder! A few things that seem to help, are barebottom tanks, and PVC for cover. There is no bonding between the male and female, he only wants to spawn, and spawn again, and in a small tank if the females don't have anywhere to go, he will trash them. Flower pots and rocks do not provide good cover, since the male can corner the female, and still beat her up. PVC around 1" in diameter, in 8" lengths, bundled together and tied with a piece of airline, gives you 6 - 8 places a fish can go for protection, in the same area as 6" flower pot. So, depending on the species and their size and the size of the group, you can do mbuna in 20 - 30 gallon tanks, using these methods and maximizing your gallonage.

When breeding cichlids harem style, your females are precious, you must take extra good care of them, if you want them to continue to crank out the fry. The larger the group the better off you are, since it is harder for one fish to get singled out. Most of the groups I have, may be 18 - 24 cichlids in a 60 gallon tank, with a 7 - 8 females per male. It is important that you do frequent and large water changes, and keep them on a green foods diet. Watch their weight, you don't want to overfeed them, it is better to keep them on the lean side. Overweight fish can have many problems with reproduction.

The recommendation for a 55 gallon tank as the minimum size is a guideline, but I also think that this means with rocks, decoratioins and gravel, which substantially cuts back on your actual gallons of water.

Metriaclima sp. msobo is an awesome cichlid! I really like the way they look.
Cichlid Power!
Pam

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