Outstanding video. I like how you really get us thinking. Here’s my take. I only have experience with Mbuna, I had a beautiful, rather stunning 125 gallon aquarium. I had to sell it when we moved and I still go back and look at pictures of how beautiful it was. Once the tank was established with caves, and rock, and plenty of “apartment living” it was sweet However, anytime I tried to add new tank mates. That’s when it got bad. I would even do a 50% water change and take everything out and rearrange the whole place and somehow they knew that their were new kids in town. They’d get beaten up. And what I did like about, and this is 15 years ago, was that the price point was way more efficient. You could buy beautiful, red zebras, yellow labs, for like $12 I had 50 in there and it was gorgeous. I sold it as it all- in -one set for $600 tank, stand, sump pump, fish included. He backed a flatbed up into my driveway. I miss that tank. That’s why I’m getting back into it. This time with Lake Tanganiykans. 😎
I haven't added new mbuna since I started the tank, so I'm hoping I don't have a riot in there when I do. Tanganyikans -- very nice! I need a Tanganyikan tank.
We have a 4ft long 50 gallon with 40 mbuna in there, same colony now just been breeding non stop. Kept last batch of fry (22) now have 40 plus with 5 coloured up males and lots of Texas holy rock and white fine sand . Started with (6) of them brought back in 2005 and love them just as much as my predator haps .
Another awesome video and super glad you did this topic! I just completed a Mbuna Lake Malawi setup on my channel and have really been enjoying it! Awesome video and thanks for sharing some light!!!🙏🏻🎉🎉
@@AustinCarlisle I love seeing viewers' tanks like yours. You should post on Cichlid Charmer Fish Keepers on FB. They would love to see your aquariums there.
Dave, I got back into the hobby after about 20 years off. I was 100% Mbuna as back in the 90’s that was pretty much what was prevalent. I had my eyes set on a 240 custom tank to rejoin and after seeing what’s available currently today I wanted to build a peacock tank. Well, letting go of $6500 for tank and stand alone was proving challenging. But! I came across a 125 for $400, tank, hood and stand. FX5, heater, etc. new substrate Argo-Alive and I decided to go with a mix of bastards (both a few Peacocks and Mbuna) and so far have been enjoying it. Added a new FX6 for good filtering and getting settled into my third month. I enjoy your videos, and co time to subscribe so keep them coming. BTW: I was mesmerized with the electronic monitoring system from the setup you visited! Love the possibilities! I am now dealing with algae once I started cichlid salts, so reducing the amount of light hours and exploring other alternatives. What is your experience with Algae? Main causes, etc?
Peacocks are mean lol. You'll have to be on your A game! Yeah that Hydros system is incredible. I'd like to do an interview with Dan and have him go over all his high tech gear. I don't get a lot of algae, but if you have it, you're feeding it, either with light or waste. If you need an algae cleanup crew, you might try nerite snails. They don't reproduce and they are hard workers
@@CichlidCharmer water change Sunday, I’ll give it a good cleaning and limit light this coming week and check for results. If the snails are hardy to live in the penitentiary I will pick up some today. Just ordered my first test kit as way back when I never tested water and rarely lost fish other than from combat. Looking forward to seeing my water parameters here in Phoenix and be a better steward to my crew. Thanks for the response!
@@larryeans4072 My nerite snails never lasted too long in my African tank, but they might do better in a SA or CA cichlid tank. Actually mine that are in the 180 SA tank are doing fine.
Really great video! I have a 75 gallon mbuna tank and my mbuna's definitely have some personality. Sometimes I will catch one or two playing hide and seek with me
Great insights into the behavioral aspects of selecting these fish and relating it to tank size… hopefully resulting in longer term satisfaction for the fish and keeper👍
I will forever pursue a mixed tank, mbunas, peacocks, how’s and even tropheus. I have one lone tropheus from a colony I started with and he’s thriving.
My first set up for African Cichlids was back in 2002, before the interweb was as big as it is today so I didn't know anything about the species. I had a 29gal that I had for a long time and got tired of tropical fish, so I figured I'd try Mbuna from the local big box store, I purchased around 10-12 of them and two Convicts as well. The associate never said (you can put these with those, or you can't put these with those), they just wanted the big sale that day. The tank looked cool for about three days or so and then it started to happen (the massacre), once the Convicts established themselves in the tank, they started taking out the Mbuna one by one and within two to three weeks it was a Convict tank, then a couple months later I had about 40 Convict fry in the tank. It took forever to get rid of all those fish cause even the fish store I bought the parents from didn't want them. These days I have a 75gal of Mbuna (around 25-30) Kenyi, Maingano, Auratus and Red Zebra. I learned that if you keep the male to female ratio low, they are as psycho as they normally are. I also have a 125 all male Peacock/Hap tank that's my pride and joy tank.
A Mbuna tank with a great male to female ratio is the most entertaining tank to watch hands down. Lol they're all absolutely nuts and it's awesome. Don't be scared of aggressive Mbuna either just overstock a bit more. I think Mbuna might be the exception to your overstocking rule in your tanks.
I actually think it's a bit crazy that you think peacocks and haps have more personality lol I definitely feel the exact opposite on that. Peacocks and haps just..... Swim around.
I never claimed to be sane lol. I would love to get some females and see their personalities shine. I would want a larger tank for that though, with several different harems. Like I said, maybe I don't get to see them enough since they aren't in my main living area like the others.
I have an mbuna tank and they’re super active they rarely ever hide unless it’s a little later in the evening or early morning. My favorite thing is to see them grow and develop their own personality. Of course they can fight a little bit here and there but it’s nothing major.
Mbuna are awesome. I have males and females together and its non-stop action. Everyone chases everyone with no real damage to fish. I also have mine with a couple of Synodontis and the mbuna will just move them if they get in the way. My advice is to get more and add females for some action 😎👍
Great video as always. I just have one question that’s a bit unrelated. At what size do you typically add cichlids from a grow out tank to Alcatraz? I have a 180g with peacocks and haps, the largest of which is probably only 8” currently and is relatively peaceful. I have some 3” haps (eye biter, fusco, venustus) that I’m looking to add to the main tank but am not sure if they would be ready. Hopefully your expertise can help! Thank you
Thank you! Good question. So I like to add them when they are about half the size of the current inmates and not bite size. They tend to get overlooked that way. They can take longer to color up though. Keep an eye on them just in case they don't get overlooked though!
I've never had any African cichlid but if I had to choose I would choose Pseudotropheus saulosi for the lake Malawi and Neolamprologus brichardi for the lake Tanganyika
To each their own both in fish and in tastes, my mbuna beg and greet the glass just like my peacocks and victorians. And I hear you about tank size and decor but I can show videos, wish I could in person, that a five foot tank is lots with plenty of circulation but only if you are willing to do the work to keep it clean. My tanks no matter what are cleaned weekly and monitored by the second. The only thing that stops me from getting the dream tank is the fact it is gonna be the fight of my life to keep it with who I live with. I just moved 75 fish to make things more comfortable for my peacocks because blood parrots claimed a corner and it just threw off the tank. I always say don’t be afraid to do enough, in this case my fish are treated like gods despite their company. My wife calls me a crazy person, my fish call me Poseidon and my house is full of life. This being said the wrong fish in a Mbuna tank is Gameover for that fish, just like how I see it’s a community, mostly, in raising their fry, they’re gonna gang up on that fish and you gotta have a plan. This being said I’m looking at my 90 gallon mbuna with close to 40 fish in it and it works, if I look at my almost antic 110 gallon there’s close to 60, from fry to adults and those dastardly jewels somehow got in there too, but wait No issues. My food budget is a bit high but again it’s not crazy expensive and they do all the work, I just keep them comfortable. It amazes me how many people will quit at the slightest sign of stress or refuse to rise to the occasion when it’s needed. But if there’s one thing keeping people in fish keeping it’s inclusion and care. So I’m with the Kave-man where what people say is not simply the only way and as long as the fish are healthy and happy. Gotta be willing to give some time and give up a little effort. Now if we’re talking about fish that simply won’t work like a dovi in a 55 gallon, I’m just as concerned as the next. The fish store will tell you anything is possible and I’ve seen the “best” of fish keepers refuse to acknowledge the simple things like stocking, but go for swim room despite it allows the tank boss or predator fish the ability to run straight for the target, other things like feeding where fish go to the point of eating one another out of starvation. I needed to step away from these guys and the ideas they share as dogma but share the most issues. Maybe my fish are just lucky but with over 400 in 15 tanks, my guess I got a big part to do with it but hey I couldn’t pay someone to sit down and listen to me talk about it 😂. Stay happy and healthy my friend!
I'd love to see your tanks, Poseidon. I don't know if I have told you about the cichlid Charmer fish keepers group on FB, but you could post them there. I love seeing what you have to say about your tanks and your experience. You would have to pay me to listen lol
@@CichlidCharmer😂 point being, just because something comes with effort doesn’t mean it needs gatekeeping though. At this point I’d love to even give someone a tank, heck even 10 people a tank full of fish but that’s just me saying so. I cannot tell you the amount of pet stores that refuse to even look at cichlids and instead look for community fish. It’s a style but the life span of most cichlids is a commitment that requires some notion of space, I just think it gets lost in the thought that it’s a game of bigger and the person new to fish keeping gets wiped out because of the burden of information that exacerbates the feeling of the unknown. Patience is not a gift and I often tell people until you see it, it’s science fiction, a fish story. Experience settles in and suddenly the science of how the picture works in that yes the tank size matters, and it always depends on the fish. I seem to almost stand alone in saying peacocks are easy to get a long with other fish but things happen and I hear it universally across the genus of cichlid. And I stand again that mbuna are great just don’t throw any fish in with them. I’m gonna to add another 25 yellow labs and socolofi, labidochromis Freibergi, saulosi, even a few demasoni. They will join pseudotropheus mpanga, and more of everything mentioned above. But one time I mixed the wrong ob and it was shredded. I have other obs in with them even a petrochromis that do great. As to sharing I’m over it. It’s too removed from how my brain works, it seems to be either all good or all bad and either way I feel bad because it’s not rocket science. I was having issues with those damn jewels I mentioned taking control of the bottom of the tank and just by adding my 12” tinfoil barbs back suddenly it is back to a shared space. I did however remove my Oscar and blood parrot, albino geo because i had opportunity to put them with my full grown angels in my 125. For them I agree, it is way better to see them in full without competing for space/food/affection?, I mentioned months ago I take care of fish tanks for people and breed some fish on the side. The biggest comment I get is but they said, too often I have to say that’s what they could do. Comparing the journey is nice to see but too much focus brings down the persons interest in their own tank. Sorry for the story but to continue good sir Dave, I have had to take in more fish than I can remember because of people just giving up, guppies even. My best fish are sadly not the ones I have bred and raised but the ones I brought colour and life back to. Alas my belief is that people are more capable than they now and I even give equipment to people just because they don’t have or know. This being said I have a gorgeous stock of fish I want to give away with tanks and filters but it’s seen as a luxury item. The straw that broke the camels back was a client tell me they basically have started and torn apart tanks based on Influencer interest and it left a bad taste in my mouth that left me thinking people are bullied and bully themselves over basic needs. I don’t want to share the whole story but essentially a persons connection should be based on care as too marketing or appealing to masses. There’s simply too many ways to do it and technically no rules aside from understanding, gained or learned the person should grow with the animals they care for. No journey is the same or out of reach, in that no one should be afraid to do enough but that almost comes with counseling like how over eaters don’t understand what food is vs what’s sold at McDonald’s. Nasty stuff 😂, stay happy and healthy
@@HapiPETSWM Sooooo well-stated. Really. You obviously have such a heart and passion for the hobby. It's great that you could be there to breathe life back into so many fish that weren't thriving where they were. I eat very well almost every day, but I do eat McDonald's about once per week lol. And I am not oblivious to the garbage it is.
@@CichlidCharmerthey saved me as much as I saved them, I could tell stories of each but hey, this your channel so enough of me. Your fish and tanks look fantastic and can see the quality of life is the main thing you focus on. Exceptional good sir,
I keep 3 Malawi tanks. A 90 gallon Mbuna tank, 125 gallon Peacock/Hap tank and a 210 predator hap tank. My mbuna tank has by far been my most successful tank with very low fish casualties/deaths. I keep about 20-22 mbuna in my 90 with plenty of rocks and find it to be the perfect stocking list. My 125 has been my least successful tank.
I started with 24 Mbunas with 12 Yellow Labs, 8 Demasoni and 6 Red Zebra... Last count was around 34 because my Red Zebra's don't stop procreating, already in the 3rd and 4th round, already lost cound after the 2nd round of offsprings 😂😅
Wow 8 đemasoni! I have one demasoni(10 cichlids in 50 gal and he’s always chasing the others. Do you have aggression issue with that many demasoni? How big is tank?
It’s been mbunas for me since November 2020, but I do have mixed peas/haps in there. (Due to PetsMart not knowing their product) manly mbunas 20+, 4 peas, and one have hap ( same as Ezekiel).
Little chases here and there. Big ones rarely, but they can be devastating and quick. Some mbuna have worse reps than others. I tried to go with the safer ones.
I would love to have a 6 foot tank for my peacocks but i live in a mobile home and I don’t dare put that much weight on the floors. My fish are doing well in my 75 gallon 4 ft tank.
I've personally had success mixing them. My Mbuna are typically only aggressive towards other Mbuna, and any aggression towards the Peacocks or Haps is usually fleeting. A short chase and it's over, but that's just my experience.
I have small mbunas and I like them very much however I see them only from time to time sinxe they tend to hide out when they see me or anyone getting into the room
If you are willing to compromise a bit on the colourfulness of the fish. In my opinion Tanganyikan has the most interesting behaviour and many are not as aggressive as lake Malawi fishes. It would be interesting to know how many chiclid keepers have Tanganyikan chiclids at present or in the past.
Great video. I have an all male mbuna tank. My biggest problem is finding a website where they have a large selection of mbunas in stock. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
I have a rusty cichlid mbuna along with a male nyererei cichlid some females, electric blue acara, a brichardi and frontosa. The rusty cichlid was a good tank citizen for years but now he is chasing the nyererei male and he killed one of the females. I think I will have to take the rusty cichlid to the pet store. In my experience mbuna get more and more aggressive after years in the same tank. The whittle down the other tank mates until there is only one large mbuna. And once that happens it is almost impossible to add new mbuna to the tank to replace others it has killed. So definitely there needs to be a ton of hiding places for the non dominant mbunas to hide in. To me the nyererei cichlid has more personality than the rusty cichlid and is always at the top of the tank begging for food with the electric blue acara.
My update is I brought my rusty cichlid to the fish store so now I only have a Frontosa, Brichardi and Electric Blue Acara along with my Nyererei cichlid. I have never had a Nyererei cichlid before and I am in awe at his coloration. I have had him since he was a baby along with my other fish. I have gotten rid of many fish that were fighting with him and he always had other fish fighting with him. I have gotten rid of a Zebra Obliquedens, a large Peacock cichlid and latest rusty cichlid mbuna. Now I am noticing a pattern with the Nyererei cichlid, he is always picking fights with other fish. He is now fighting with my Frontosa and Brichardi. He has evicted my 9” Frontosa from his little cave house and has been chasing the Brichardi cichlid around. And he started a fight with my electric blue acara and had a lip lock duel with him and this morning I noticed the Nyererei has ripped fins. He is still trying to pick fights though. The rusty cichlid never fought with any fish but the Nyererei cichlid and same is true of the Zebra Obliquedens cichlid. Maybe they weren’t guilty.
@@benjaminmorley1007 Interesting. It's kind of hit or miss with the Victorians. I've heard stories about aggressive zebra obliquidens, but mine is wonderful. I had two different strains of nyererei, and the more colorful of the two was very aggressive. The other one was kind of dull in appearance, but I liked him. Good to hear from you, Benjamin!
Ok stop shaking your head at me, I have broken every one of your rules, but I don't over stock my tanks well somewhat, I guess. Something I never have seen is any of my fish eating my plants they just root them up and drag them all over the tanks and it's me killing them not the fish. I also never see my Haps or Peas zooming around thou I have a lot of hidey holes on the bottoms of all of my tanks that, knock on wood, aggressions at this time in the continuum is at peace now that my mean jerk Mbuna is gone, I do have some other ones all mixed in with the haps and peas and bottom feeders so who knows what tomorrow will bring. As for my water conditions and foods just depends on what fish I'm dealing with, the Rams and Apistos are the only ones that I really make sure with R/O water that is warmer, foods well you already know they all get a mix of all sorts from live, frozen, flakes, pellets of veggie and proteins so they all can choose to eat what they want. Yes, I know you're shaking your head as you read this, but I have strong shoulders and a big _utt that can handle a chewing out lol! One day I may just put all same kinds into their own species tanks, ha did you believe that came out of my mouth, haha! Thanks for a look into your wonderful tanks, also Dan's and Ben's they all are so gorgeous to see and watch! I do know you have put a lot into making them so beautiful, give Zeke a howdy Hi from me!
Never shaking my head at you, Polly. Love hearing about your fishy friends. and you can keep rams alive -- I can't even keep apistos alive! Might have been my high pH that got them. Anyway, I told Zeke but he acted like he couldn't hear a word I said. I guess he's a snob.
Mbuna for me. Mine are in a 450 litre (around 120 US gallons) 5 foot long tank. With a lot of rockwork. Re personality I find it varies. Some love to interact and come follow me as I look into the tank. Others ignore me unless it's feeding time. I find they get along fine most of the time beyond the standard squabbling. I have had no deaths from fighting. But I have a lot of fish. My only problem is some of the fry are starting to survive. Intially none did. And when I kept them as a kid the fry never made it. So I will have to thin out the stock at some stage. A pain in the ass with all the rockwork. 😂 I have very strong filtration. An Aquael Hypermax 4500. Blows the FX6 out of the aquarium. 😊 And an internal/weir type filter that was installed in the tank. But if I don't thin out the stock soon there will be more fish than water!
@@awilderireland Mine looks like crap, too lol. I'll be updating it soon to hopefully make it look better without being too dangerous -- don't want any big rocks falling on my fish or on the glass panels -- yikes. Thank you!
I'm going to disagree with you. I've had crushed coral as my substrate for 40 years, it is not an issue. Never had a mouth injury with my African Chiclids.
Are mbuna Cichlids a good choice for you? How about compared to peas and haps?
Thanks for including me Dave. Your tanks are looking EPIC😀👍🏻
I'm just grateful to have you! Love your videos. I don't know if I told you, but you are one of the ones who got me so interested in these crazy fish
wow, this is produced majestically. i love the edits and the presentation!
Thank you so much for saying so 🥰🤘
Outstanding video. I like how you really get us thinking. Here’s my take. I only have experience with Mbuna, I had a beautiful, rather stunning 125 gallon aquarium. I had to sell it when we moved and I still go back and look at pictures of how beautiful it was. Once the tank was established with caves, and rock, and plenty of “apartment living” it was sweet
However, anytime I tried to add new tank mates. That’s when it got bad. I would even do a 50% water change and take everything out and rearrange the whole place and somehow they knew that their were new kids in town. They’d get beaten up. And what I did like about, and this is 15 years ago, was that the price point was way more efficient. You could buy beautiful, red zebras, yellow labs, for like $12 I had 50 in there and it was gorgeous.
I sold it as it all- in -one set for $600 tank, stand, sump pump, fish included. He backed a flatbed up into my driveway. I miss that tank. That’s why I’m getting back into it. This time with Lake Tanganiykans. 😎
I haven't added new mbuna since I started the tank, so I'm hoping I don't have a riot in there when I do. Tanganyikans -- very nice! I need a Tanganyikan tank.
We have a 4ft long 50 gallon with 40 mbuna in there, same colony now just been breeding non stop. Kept last batch of fry (22) now have 40 plus with 5 coloured up males and lots of Texas holy rock and white fine sand . Started with (6) of them brought back in 2005 and love them just as much as my predator haps .
Sounds lovely. They must love it if they are making babies.
Another awesome video and super glad you did this topic! I just completed a Mbuna Lake Malawi setup on my channel and have really been enjoying it! Awesome video and thanks for sharing some light!!!🙏🏻🎉🎉
Just looked at your tanks -- very nice 👍
@ seriously thank you so much for checking them out! Much appreciated!🙏🏻⭐️
@@AustinCarlisle I love seeing viewers' tanks like yours. You should post on Cichlid Charmer Fish Keepers on FB. They would love to see your aquariums there.
@@CichlidCharmer sounds fantastic! I’ll check it out!!!
Dave, I got back into the hobby after about 20 years off. I was 100% Mbuna as back in the 90’s that was pretty much what was prevalent. I had my eyes set on a 240 custom tank to rejoin and after seeing what’s available currently today I wanted to build a peacock tank. Well, letting go of $6500 for tank and stand alone was proving challenging. But! I came across a 125 for $400, tank, hood and stand. FX5, heater, etc.
new substrate Argo-Alive and I decided to go with a mix of bastards (both a few Peacocks and Mbuna) and so far have been enjoying it. Added a new FX6 for good filtering and getting settled into my third month.
I enjoy your videos, and co time to subscribe so keep them coming. BTW: I was mesmerized with the electronic monitoring system from the setup you visited! Love the possibilities!
I am now dealing with algae once I started cichlid salts, so reducing the amount of light hours and exploring other alternatives.
What is your experience with Algae? Main causes, etc?
Peacocks are mean lol. You'll have to be on your A game!
Yeah that Hydros system is incredible. I'd like to do an interview with Dan and have him go over all his high tech gear.
I don't get a lot of algae, but if you have it, you're feeding it, either with light or waste. If you need an algae cleanup crew, you might try nerite snails. They don't reproduce and they are hard workers
@@CichlidCharmer water change Sunday, I’ll give it a good cleaning and limit light this coming week and check for results. If the snails are hardy to live in the penitentiary I will pick up some today. Just ordered my first test kit as way back when I never tested water and rarely lost fish other than from combat. Looking forward to seeing my water parameters here in Phoenix and be a better steward to my crew.
Thanks for the response!
@@CichlidCharmer please set up a Hydro demo when you can. I’d really be interested in that. Peace!
@@larryeans4072 My nerite snails never lasted too long in my African tank, but they might do better in a SA or CA cichlid tank. Actually mine that are in the 180 SA tank are doing fine.
Really great video! I have a 75 gallon mbuna tank and my mbuna's definitely have some personality. Sometimes I will catch one or two playing hide and seek with me
Thank you! Love that about these guys
Never kept peacocks or haps but have had mbuna was a fun tank multiple spawns in it lots of color and activity
Great insights into the behavioral aspects of selecting these fish and relating it to tank size… hopefully resulting in longer term satisfaction for the fish and keeper👍
Thank you
I will forever pursue a mixed tank, mbunas, peacocks, how’s and even tropheus. I have one lone tropheus from a colony I started with and he’s thriving.
Great video David. Great info on the mbuna.
Thank you, Danny!
Super informative video - loved it!
Shaunna! Hello! Good to see you in my neck of the woods!!
My first set up for African Cichlids was back in 2002, before the interweb was as big as it is today so I didn't know anything about the species. I had a 29gal that I had for a long time and got tired of tropical fish, so I figured I'd try Mbuna from the local big box store, I purchased around 10-12 of them and two Convicts as well. The associate never said (you can put these with those, or you can't put these with those), they just wanted the big sale that day.
The tank looked cool for about three days or so and then it started to happen (the massacre), once the Convicts established themselves in the tank, they started taking out the Mbuna one by one and within two to three weeks it was a Convict tank, then a couple months later I had about 40 Convict fry in the tank. It took forever to get rid of all those fish cause even the fish store I bought the parents from didn't want them.
These days I have a 75gal of Mbuna (around 25-30) Kenyi, Maingano, Auratus and Red Zebra. I learned that if you keep the male to female ratio low, they are as psycho as they normally are. I also have a 125 all male Peacock/Hap tank that's my pride and joy tank.
Oooo bad situation with those convicts. What a bummer! Sounds like a great mbuna tank you have now though 😁
I have 3 tanks all mixed with mbuna,peacocks, and haps with predominantly mbuna because theyre my favorite. But mbuna are ny favorite of the 3
A Mbuna tank with a great male to female ratio is the most entertaining tank to watch hands down. Lol they're all absolutely nuts and it's awesome. Don't be scared of aggressive Mbuna either just overstock a bit more. I think Mbuna might be the exception to your overstocking rule in your tanks.
I actually think it's a bit crazy that you think peacocks and haps have more personality lol I definitely feel the exact opposite on that. Peacocks and haps just..... Swim around.
I never claimed to be sane lol. I would love to get some females and see their personalities shine. I would want a larger tank for that though, with several different harems. Like I said, maybe I don't get to see them enough since they aren't in my main living area like the others.
I have an mbuna tank and they’re super active they rarely ever hide unless it’s a little later in the evening or early morning. My favorite thing is to see them grow and develop their own personality. Of course they can fight a little bit here and there but it’s nothing major.
Sounds like a great tank with a good mastermind putting it all together
@@CichlidCharmer probably just got lucky haha 😂
Mbuna are awesome. I have males and females together and its non-stop action. Everyone chases everyone with no real damage to fish. I also have mine with a couple of Synodontis and the mbuna will just move them if they get in the way. My advice is to get more and add females for some action 😎👍
I think that would be cool. I will probably wait to upsize the tank first though.
Great video as always. I just have one question that’s a bit unrelated. At what size do you typically add cichlids from a grow out tank to Alcatraz?
I have a 180g with peacocks and haps, the largest of which is probably only 8” currently and is relatively peaceful. I have some 3” haps (eye biter, fusco, venustus) that I’m looking to add to the main tank but am not sure if they would be ready. Hopefully your expertise can help!
Thank you
Thank you! Good question. So I like to add them when they are about half the size of the current inmates and not bite size. They tend to get overlooked that way. They can take longer to color up though. Keep an eye on them just in case they don't get overlooked though!
@@CichlidCharmer awesome, that makes a ton of sense. Thanks for the response!
@@mackjames4999 You're welcome!
I've never had any African cichlid but if I had to choose I would choose Pseudotropheus saulosi for the lake Malawi and Neolamprologus brichardi for the lake Tanganyika
To each their own both in fish and in tastes, my mbuna beg and greet the glass just like my peacocks and victorians. And I hear you about tank size and decor but I can show videos, wish I could in person, that a five foot tank is lots with plenty of circulation but only if you are willing to do the work to keep it clean. My tanks no matter what are cleaned weekly and monitored by the second. The only thing that stops me from getting the dream tank is the fact it is gonna be the fight of my life to keep it with who I live with. I just moved 75 fish to make things more comfortable for my peacocks because blood parrots claimed a corner and it just threw off the tank. I always say don’t be afraid to do enough, in this case my fish are treated like gods despite their company. My wife calls me a crazy person, my fish call me Poseidon and my house is full of life. This being said the wrong fish in a Mbuna tank is Gameover for that fish, just like how I see it’s a community, mostly, in raising their fry, they’re gonna gang up on that fish and you gotta have a plan. This being said I’m looking at my 90 gallon mbuna with close to 40 fish in it and it works, if I look at my almost antic 110 gallon there’s close to 60, from fry to adults and those dastardly jewels somehow got in there too, but wait No issues. My food budget is a bit high but again it’s not crazy expensive and they do all the work, I just keep them comfortable. It amazes me how many people will quit at the slightest sign of stress or refuse to rise to the occasion when it’s needed. But if there’s one thing keeping people in fish keeping it’s inclusion and care. So I’m with the Kave-man where what people say is not simply the only way and as long as the fish are healthy and happy. Gotta be willing to give some time and give up a little effort. Now if we’re talking about fish that simply won’t work like a dovi in a 55 gallon, I’m just as concerned as the next. The fish store will tell you anything is possible and I’ve seen the “best” of fish keepers refuse to acknowledge the simple things like stocking, but go for swim room despite it allows the tank boss or predator fish the ability to run straight for the target, other things like feeding where fish go to the point of eating one another out of starvation. I needed to step away from these guys and the ideas they share as dogma but share the most issues. Maybe my fish are just lucky but with over 400 in 15 tanks, my guess I got a big part to do with it but hey I couldn’t pay someone to sit down and listen to me talk about it 😂. Stay happy and healthy my friend!
I'd love to see your tanks, Poseidon. I don't know if I have told you about the cichlid Charmer fish keepers group on FB, but you could post them there. I love seeing what you have to say about your tanks and your experience. You would have to pay me to listen lol
@@CichlidCharmer😂 point being, just because something comes with effort doesn’t mean it needs gatekeeping though. At this point I’d love to even give someone a tank, heck even 10 people a tank full of fish but that’s just me saying so. I cannot tell you the amount of pet stores that refuse to even look at cichlids and instead look for community fish. It’s a style but the life span of most cichlids is a commitment that requires some notion of space, I just think it gets lost in the thought that it’s a game of bigger and the person new to fish keeping gets wiped out because of the burden of information that exacerbates the feeling of the unknown. Patience is not a gift and I often tell people until you see it, it’s science fiction, a fish story. Experience settles in and suddenly the science of how the picture works in that yes the tank size matters, and it always depends on the fish. I seem to almost stand alone in saying peacocks are easy to get a long with other fish but things happen and I hear it universally across the genus of cichlid. And I stand again that mbuna are great just don’t throw any fish in with them. I’m gonna to add another 25 yellow labs and socolofi, labidochromis Freibergi, saulosi, even a few demasoni. They will join pseudotropheus mpanga, and more of everything mentioned above. But one time I mixed the wrong ob and it was shredded. I have other obs in with them even a petrochromis that do great. As to sharing I’m over it. It’s too removed from how my brain works, it seems to be either all good or all bad and either way I feel bad because it’s not rocket science. I was having issues with those damn jewels I mentioned taking control of the bottom of the tank and just by adding my 12” tinfoil barbs back suddenly it is back to a shared space. I did however remove my Oscar and blood parrot, albino geo because i had opportunity to put them with my full grown angels in my 125. For them I agree, it is way better to see them in full without competing for space/food/affection?, I mentioned months ago I take care of fish tanks for people and breed some fish on the side. The biggest comment I get is but they said, too often I have to say that’s what they could do. Comparing the journey is nice to see but too much focus brings down the persons interest in their own tank. Sorry for the story but to continue good sir Dave, I have had to take in more fish than I can remember because of people just giving up, guppies even. My best fish are sadly not the ones I have bred and raised but the ones I brought colour and life back to. Alas my belief is that people are more capable than they now and I even give equipment to people just because they don’t have or know. This being said I have a gorgeous stock of fish I want to give away with tanks and filters but it’s seen as a luxury item. The straw that broke the camels back was a client tell me they basically have started and torn apart tanks based on Influencer interest and it left a bad taste in my mouth that left me thinking people are bullied and bully themselves over basic needs. I don’t want to share the whole story but essentially a persons connection should be based on care as too marketing or appealing to masses. There’s simply too many ways to do it and technically no rules aside from understanding, gained or learned the person should grow with the animals they care for. No journey is the same or out of reach, in that no one should be afraid to do enough but that almost comes with counseling like how over eaters don’t understand what food is vs what’s sold at McDonald’s. Nasty stuff 😂, stay happy and healthy
@@HapiPETSWM Sooooo well-stated. Really. You obviously have such a heart and passion for the hobby. It's great that you could be there to breathe life back into so many fish that weren't thriving where they were.
I eat very well almost every day, but I do eat McDonald's about once per week lol. And I am not oblivious to the garbage it is.
@@CichlidCharmerthey saved me as much as I saved them, I could tell stories of each but hey, this your channel so enough of me. Your fish and tanks look fantastic and can see the quality of life is the main thing you focus on. Exceptional good sir,
@@HapiPETSWM They truly can be life savers. I look forward to hearing from you every week!
I keep 3 Malawi tanks. A 90 gallon Mbuna tank, 125 gallon Peacock/Hap tank and a 210 predator hap tank. My mbuna tank has by far been my most successful tank with very low fish casualties/deaths. I keep about 20-22 mbuna in my 90 with plenty of rocks and find it to be the perfect stocking list. My 125 has been my least successful tank.
You might try the 125 with just haps. The peacocks were a nightmare for me.
I started with 24 Mbunas with 12 Yellow Labs, 8 Demasoni and 6 Red Zebra... Last count was around 34 because my Red Zebra's don't stop procreating, already in the 3rd and 4th round, already lost cound after the 2nd round of offsprings 😂😅
Wow 8 đemasoni! I have one demasoni(10 cichlids in 50 gal and he’s always chasing the others. Do you have aggression issue with that many demasoni? How big is tank?
That might be a harem. That could be why the aggression is down if there are a lot of females to one male.
It’s been mbunas for me since November 2020, but I do have mixed peas/haps in there. (Due to PetsMart not knowing their product) manly mbunas 20+, 4 peas, and one have hap ( same as Ezekiel).
The peas and haps must be doing well. What is the Ezekiel reference from?
@@CichlidCharmer the Zebra Obliquidens you have, saying I got one from petsmart.
@@SlimTim_dirty_aquatics Ohhhhh, his name is Zeke. I guess that could be short for Ezekiel?
I have both Mbuna and Peacocks and I would say my Mbuna have a bit more personality than the peas. Although, I still love both
I want to try out mbuna, but worried about the aggression component. Is it all the time or just every now and then from your experience?
Little chases here and there. Big ones rarely, but they can be devastating and quick. Some mbuna have worse reps than others. I tried to go with the safer ones.
Could you tell me where i can check out Dan Wolfs fish tanks please?
I'm actually not sure except for his personal FB page.
I have a 125 with Malawi haps , peacocks, Mbuna along with a 2 Tanganikans & a Victorian hap..
That's quite a blend 🤘
I would love to have a 6 foot tank for my peacocks but i live in a mobile home and I don’t dare put that much weight on the floors. My fish are doing well in my 75 gallon 4 ft tank.
Very wise. There are people out there that would totally do bigger tanks anyway and destroy their homes.
I've personally had success mixing them. My Mbuna are typically only aggressive towards other Mbuna, and any aggression towards the Peacocks or Haps is usually fleeting. A short chase and it's over, but that's just my experience.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us all
I have small mbunas and I like them very much however I see them only from time to time sinxe they tend to hide out when they see me or anyone getting into the room
Sounds like mbuna for sure lol
Peacocks cichlids for me
Very pretty fish!
If you are willing to compromise a bit on the colourfulness of the fish. In my opinion Tanganyikan has the most interesting behaviour and many are not as aggressive as lake Malawi fishes.
It would be interesting to know how many chiclid keepers have Tanganyikan chiclids at present or in the past.
I would love to give them a try someday. Running out of room for more tanks lol
Great video. I have an all male mbuna tank. My biggest problem is finding a website where they have a large selection of mbunas in stock. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
I think it's that way across the board with all cichlids. I've found some good ones at Live Fish Direct and Ron's Cichlids has some, too.
Yes, I have purchased some from both of them as well. I’m hoping to find a store with a larger selection of mbunas.
Can I keep mbunas with peacocks in same tank?
It can be done,but it isn't recommended. Big reason is the difference in diet.
I have a rusty cichlid mbuna along with a male nyererei cichlid some females, electric blue acara, a brichardi and frontosa. The rusty cichlid was a good tank citizen for years but now he is chasing the nyererei male and he killed one of the females. I think I will have to take the rusty cichlid to the pet store. In my experience mbuna get more and more aggressive after years in the same tank. The whittle down the other tank mates until there is only one large mbuna. And once that happens it is almost impossible to add new mbuna to the tank to replace others it has killed. So definitely there needs to be a ton of hiding places for the non dominant mbunas to hide in. To me the nyererei cichlid has more personality than the rusty cichlid and is always at the top of the tank begging for food with the electric blue acara.
Nyererei are funny -- some are great and others are nightmare fish. Sounds like you have a good one 🤔😁
My update is I brought my rusty cichlid to the fish store so now I only have a Frontosa, Brichardi and Electric Blue Acara along with my Nyererei cichlid. I have never had a Nyererei cichlid before and I am in awe at his coloration. I have had him since he was a baby along with my other fish. I have gotten rid of many fish that were fighting with him and he always had other fish fighting with him. I have gotten rid of a Zebra Obliquedens, a large Peacock cichlid and latest rusty cichlid mbuna. Now I am noticing a pattern with the Nyererei cichlid, he is always picking fights with other fish. He is now fighting with my Frontosa and Brichardi. He has evicted my 9” Frontosa from his little cave house and has been chasing the Brichardi cichlid around. And he started a fight with my electric blue acara and had a lip lock duel with him and this morning I noticed the Nyererei has ripped fins. He is still trying to pick fights though. The rusty cichlid never fought with any fish but the Nyererei cichlid and same is true of the Zebra Obliquedens cichlid. Maybe they weren’t guilty.
@@benjaminmorley1007 Interesting. It's kind of hit or miss with the Victorians. I've heard stories about aggressive zebra obliquidens, but mine is wonderful. I had two different strains of nyererei, and the more colorful of the two was very aggressive. The other one was kind of dull in appearance, but I liked him. Good to hear from you, Benjamin!
Ok stop shaking your head at me, I have broken every one of your rules, but I don't over stock my tanks well somewhat, I guess. Something I never have seen is any of my fish eating my plants they just root them up and drag them all over the tanks and it's me killing them not the fish. I also never see my Haps or Peas zooming around thou I have a lot of hidey holes on the bottoms of all of my tanks that, knock on wood, aggressions at this time in the continuum is at peace now that my mean jerk Mbuna is gone, I do have some other ones all mixed in with the haps and peas and bottom feeders so who knows what tomorrow will bring. As for my water conditions and foods just depends on what fish I'm dealing with, the Rams and Apistos are the only ones that I really make sure with R/O water that is warmer, foods well you already know they all get a mix of all sorts from live, frozen, flakes, pellets of veggie and proteins so they all can choose to eat what they want. Yes, I know you're shaking your head as you read this, but I have strong shoulders and a big _utt that can handle a chewing out lol! One day I may just put all same kinds into their own species tanks, ha did you believe that came out of my mouth, haha! Thanks for a look into your wonderful tanks, also Dan's and Ben's they all are so gorgeous to see and watch! I do know you have put a lot into making them so beautiful, give Zeke a howdy Hi from me!
Never shaking my head at you, Polly. Love hearing about your fishy friends. and you can keep rams alive -- I can't even keep apistos alive! Might have been my high pH that got them. Anyway, I told Zeke but he acted like he couldn't hear a word I said. I guess he's a snob.
there's a lot of headaches in mbuna's.....
Mbuna for me. Mine are in a 450 litre (around 120 US gallons) 5 foot long tank. With a lot of rockwork.
Re personality I find it varies. Some love to interact and come follow me as I look into the tank. Others ignore me unless it's feeding time. I find they get along fine most of the time beyond the standard squabbling. I have had no deaths from fighting. But I have a lot of fish.
My only problem is some of the fry are starting to survive. Intially none did. And when I kept them as a kid the fry never made it. So I will have to thin out the stock at some stage. A pain in the ass with all the rockwork. 😂
I have very strong filtration. An Aquael Hypermax 4500. Blows the FX6 out of the aquarium. 😊 And an internal/weir type filter that was installed in the tank.
But if I don't thin out the stock soon there will be more fish than water!
Your fish must love it in there. I have the filter creating some current and a wavemaker.
@CichlidCharmer Thanks. It looks like crap as I'm no aquascaper! Just a tank full of rocks. But the horny Mbuna seem to approve. 😂
Keep on charming...
@@awilderireland Mine looks like crap, too lol. I'll be updating it soon to hopefully make it look better without being too dangerous -- don't want any big rocks falling on my fish or on the glass panels -- yikes. Thank you!
6 foot minimum for haps ✅i keep
Convicts & jewls with my Africans 👍
Yes!
I'm going to disagree with you. I've had crushed coral as my substrate for 40 years, it is not an issue. Never had a mouth injury with my African Chiclids.
Good to know! I have always heard the opposite, but never tried it. I'll present the new info in future videos and just advise caution. Thank you 🥰🤘
I've never seen such a fat mbunas 😱