Hi Pam, wanted to know if Mbuna will go with Haps or Peacocks. Read an earlier message. Are haps and peacocks under the "utaka" classification? Size of the tank will be 180 gallons and filtered well. You guessed it, I want to crowd them!
Fish that I am looking at are the cyrtocara moori, placidochromis phenocholis, nimbochromis venustus, taiwan reef, aulonocara baenschi, and syndotis.
mbuna I would like to add: fuelleborni(marble cat) , some rusty's, pseudotropheus demanosi, and maybe some zebra's.
What do you think? and is it all right to feed them new life spectrum as their staple diet.?
mbuna that will coexist with haps and peacocks
Moderator: Pam Chin
smckee,
Sounds like a hot tank in the making! Sure you can put some haps with your mbuna, and hopefully getting them as young juveniles is the best so they can grow up together. And as long as you understand that it is possible for them to eat any mbuna or hap for that matter that will fit in their mouth. Another reason to buy juveniles! Utaka is the name the locals call the plankton feeding open water fish. There are quiet a few speices in this category; Placidiochromis, Protomelas, Copadidchromis, Sciaenochromis, are a few examples. There also haps that are not Utaka, that hang in the open water but are predators, like; Nimbochromis, Dimidiochromis. Then there are also sorts of other haps types, sand sifters, some that follow the sandsifters picking up the leftovers. I think your pick for haps is fine.
Peacocks are another story, in this type of a big tank with big haps, and lots of mbuna, peacocks can freak on you. A. baenschi is probably the most timid of all, and found in extremely deep water. I think a better choice would be Aulonocara Jacobfriebergi, they are able to hold there own in a crowd much better. If you are stuck on the yellow, then consider A. stuaratgranti maleri, it is more timid then the Jakes, but not as bad as the baenschi.
For other mbuna, I would highly recommend the genus Cynotilapia, these fish are fantastic, with great color and they don't get as large as the zebra types. Also the hang on the outer edges of the rocks, and will fill another space in the tank, and give you that complete look. An d don't forget that Labidochromis caeruleus "lions cove" or the yellow lab, you can't beat that fish for great color and when you get a group of them they contrast quite well with blue fish. They make great tank mates, it is really a nice cichlid.
I don't recommend feed NLS every day, it is a very rich food, your fish don't need that much protein. Compounded with the situation of all the mbuna who need to have their veggies. And the mbuna are going to be twice as fast to the dinner plate then the haps who have to think before they eat. Occasionaly, twice a week maybe and then the rest of the week, you can feed a veggie based food, your haps will actually do fine on that. Also consider some home made foods made with primarily shrimp and peas, and both haps and mbuna can do well on this type of diet.
You tank should be quite the show piece!
Sounds like a hot tank in the making! Sure you can put some haps with your mbuna, and hopefully getting them as young juveniles is the best so they can grow up together. And as long as you understand that it is possible for them to eat any mbuna or hap for that matter that will fit in their mouth. Another reason to buy juveniles! Utaka is the name the locals call the plankton feeding open water fish. There are quiet a few speices in this category; Placidiochromis, Protomelas, Copadidchromis, Sciaenochromis, are a few examples. There also haps that are not Utaka, that hang in the open water but are predators, like; Nimbochromis, Dimidiochromis. Then there are also sorts of other haps types, sand sifters, some that follow the sandsifters picking up the leftovers. I think your pick for haps is fine.
Peacocks are another story, in this type of a big tank with big haps, and lots of mbuna, peacocks can freak on you. A. baenschi is probably the most timid of all, and found in extremely deep water. I think a better choice would be Aulonocara Jacobfriebergi, they are able to hold there own in a crowd much better. If you are stuck on the yellow, then consider A. stuaratgranti maleri, it is more timid then the Jakes, but not as bad as the baenschi.
For other mbuna, I would highly recommend the genus Cynotilapia, these fish are fantastic, with great color and they don't get as large as the zebra types. Also the hang on the outer edges of the rocks, and will fill another space in the tank, and give you that complete look. An d don't forget that Labidochromis caeruleus "lions cove" or the yellow lab, you can't beat that fish for great color and when you get a group of them they contrast quite well with blue fish. They make great tank mates, it is really a nice cichlid.
I don't recommend feed NLS every day, it is a very rich food, your fish don't need that much protein. Compounded with the situation of all the mbuna who need to have their veggies. And the mbuna are going to be twice as fast to the dinner plate then the haps who have to think before they eat. Occasionaly, twice a week maybe and then the rest of the week, you can feed a veggie based food, your haps will actually do fine on that. Also consider some home made foods made with primarily shrimp and peas, and both haps and mbuna can do well on this type of diet.
You tank should be quite the show piece!