Where do I start with mbuna?
Please could you recommend some good starter mbuna for a 120x50x50cm tank? I've been keeping fish for six years but I've never kept these before, mainly because I find it all a bit confusing regarding how many to keep, territorial fighting between males, and so forth. But I'm retiring early next year and I've decided to give it a shot. What would work well together please and how many of each?
JON HARVEY, VIA EMAIL
JEREMY REPLIES:
The best starter-mbuna are Labidochromis caeruleus, Labidochromis sp. ‘Perlmutt’, Pseudotropheus acei, Metriaclima estherae, Labidochromis joanjohnsonae, Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos, and Pseudotropheus demasoni. They don’t grow too large, are a nice mix of colours, and aren’t too aggressive when adult. I would fishless-cycle the tank first and then add them in sexed trios: one male and two females of each. You’ll need 20 fish minimum in a tank of that size, with plenty of rockwork, and if the filter and your budget can handle it, I would add at least twelve 5cm fish to get started. Juveniles are also less aggressive too.
Feed your mbuna on vegetable-based flake, conduct regular water changes and ensure the tank is well -oxygenated and has an alkaline pH. Lime-rich rocks like Ocean rock can be used both as decor and to buffer the water. Build the stock up to 30 fish in the first six months, adding them all as juveniles, and they should be straightforward to keep. If enough rockwork is present they will even breed, with several fry surviving to adulthood.