um, did u se some of them attacking eachother? mine tried to ripping each other! so i have 6 of them. 2 females, 3 males. females ripping male's eggs fin.
These were the first imports from Malawi, sellers thought they would be more popular of the Labidochromis caeruleus color morphs. However, once folks got a look at the yellow, the whites got forgotten. They aren't white, but more of a hint of blue/mother of pearl color. They shine :) As far as temperment, they are VERY SHY and will get beaten up in an aggressive tank. I'd keep them with cynotilapia species, or other "calm" mbuna. If they come in that LOL
@Luvbeags Thanks for the info. I just got two of these guys they seem a little harder to find and are not as common as the yellows but that might be a different story in the wild. They are actually the most energetic fishes I have in my tank I guess is becasue I have more peaceful fishes. 2 Utaka Haps, 2 Milomo, 1 Electric Blue. 3 Yellow, Hongi, Johanni
I have a wet dry filter, and that supplies all the Oxygen needed for the tank.
I also have an external filter with biowheels which helps break surface tension. Bad gasses have to escape as well, I think surface sludge is overlooked by many (also my built in overflow skims for me)
No, luckily my whites and yellows didn't breed. I didn't keep the white labs long. They do not have the boisterous attitudes needed in my tank. They were much too submissive. The yellows hold thier own much better against the more aggressive species.
I love the look of white labs. I wonder what they would have made? lol. My fishroom has changes. the MsuliPoints are in the 55G as species, the trewavasae are in 29G as species and the new 24G has 6 Juvie Cyno. Afra Chimate Dwarfs.
I use cycle fish, and depending on how many I dump in there (I've used 20-30 giant danios for a larger tank)
It can take anywhere from 3-6 weeks for it to be well cycled. Sometimes I will add another filter from an established tank to help things along, but mostly a month or so with cycle fish will do it. When you get an ammonia spike, then get some nitrite readings, it has started. Over time, your ammonia will go to zero, then nitrites to zero, and nitrates will show. Then you are cycled :)
really sweet set up you have here. what kinda rocks did you use. do belive ill be going with something similar. check out the videos of the 3 tanks i have.
I already have 3 malawi cichlids in the tank to establish a nitrogen cycle. Do you know how long I have to wait before I add more fish? Also, I heard you can put plecos(gold nugget) and loaches(skunk, burmese border, and clown) in addition...is this true because I don't want any fish battling it out? Thanks a lot. :)
I thought I replied, oops, guess it didn't show up! Plecos have a tendency to get their eyes eaten out by Malawi's, I'm not sure why...and most loaches should be kept at a lower pH than the malawi fish. Clown loaches will get too big for your tank. If you are worrying about a cleanup crew for uneaten food in your tank, don't worry about it with Malawi fish. They eat everything.
The only thing that MIGHT survive with malawi are bristlenose plecos, they have more fight than others.
You might be able to combine Malawi and vics, but I wouldn't try it. It is more of a cichlid thing, most prefer to remain true to one lake. But, of the three mentioned, if you are going to do it, those would be the two. Just be aware Malawi cichlids are as a rule much more aggressive, and the vics might suffer. Those from Lake Tanganyika prefer a very high pH, much higher than both malawi and victoria. The pH requirements for those lakes are just too different. I wouldn't try it.
WOW! This tank is incredible. I just recently started up a tropical fish tank like -theederv-, 36 gallon bowfront. I already have 3 malawi cichlids in the tank to establish a nitrogen cycle. Do you know how long I have to wait before I add more fish? Also, I heard you can put plecos(gold nugget) and loaches(skunk, burmese border, and clown) in addition...is this true because I don't want any fish battling it out? Thanks a lot. :)
This is a beautiful tank, a real inspration for me. I am currently in the process of fishless cycling my first Lake Tanganyika tank, it's only 35 Gallon so I will only be stocking it with smaller fish (yellow labs etc)
In this tank I had Pseudotropheus demasoni, Pseudotropheus acei, Labidochromis caeruleus, and Labeotropheus trewavasae. The trewavasae got too big and way too grumpy for this tank, I'd recommend a six foot long (or bigger) tank for them. They were VERY AGGRESSIVE!
I replaced them with white top hara, you can see my fish in my fish videos on my channel. this tank has completely been renovated. :)
I truely like your tank. I especially like the black sand, it was an awsome touch, it truely brings out the fishes color. I might try that color in one of my tanks.
Thank you. That is 3M colorquartz black s-grade. I have totally redone this tank. I did grow tired of the black substrate after a few years. But, in a few years I may go back to another 3-substrate. It comes in every color of the rainbow just about. I'm thinking stark white next time, maybe mixed with a hint of another color to accent it.... Hummmm...
I hear you man, I'm like that too. I get tired of gravel, ornaments and background after a while and end up redoing the whole thing. I have a 125gal, a 75gal and a 35gal custom tank and I'm thinking of moving to a bigger place so that I can get me 2 or 3 more125gal tanks.
That is so freakin wierd, a couple of weeks ago I wanted to get another tank and my wife wanted to get a love seat and two end tables and I responded with that same exact line you just stated. "Who needs furniture when you can get another tank?" needless to say, noone got what they wanted. lol.
You know a stand can always be made to size, it's really not that hard. And it's way cheaper.Find a glass company and get the glass cut to size, it's also cheaper. Lighting, well if there is a home depot were you live get a double light strip and it will be cheaper than a petshop bought single light strip. Background, get some styrofoam a knife and some quick dry cement and a brush make rock shapes out of the foam, silicone them to the inside of your tank and give it time to dry fully.
Yes, there is nothing more unique, creative, and attractive as a well done do it yourself tank. I made a DIY background for a 10 gallon, and was too afraid to put it in because it weighed so much, I'll bet 15 to 20 pounds. Well, maybe not, but it felt very heavy to me, and I was afraid of cracking the tank setting it in. You have to have equipment and strenght to do a lot of do it yourself projects. I have neither.
Yeah, It does have some drawbacks, but it's the cost effectiveness that I was trying to get at. I'm thinking of hooking up my 75gal again and use the method with the cement and I'll try to do a step by step video and send it to you so you can check it out. It may take some time though. I also thought about a sump pump style filter myself. I think it would make a heck of a filter.
Yes, my one male is very fat. My females are all pretty thin and sleek, but they don't eat most of the time because they are too busy holding. Holding is a great diet plan.
I usually use 1 pound of sand per gallon of water. BUT, that doesn't always apply, especially if you have a very deep tank.
It depends on how many inches you want at the bottom. I like to slope my sand, having about 1 inch in the front and as deep as 5 inches in the back. I'm big on sloping. So, I'd probably use 50 pounds of sand in there. IF you are not a sloper,and only want an inch or so, I'd use 25 pounds. It all depends on how you want to aquascape your tank.
The fish at 1:46 to 1:54 is a Labidochromis caeruleus Nkhata Bay
The second one at 2:07 is a Labeotropheus trewavasae, and they aren't usually that color, that is a subdominant male (they lack color) the dominant male (I'm not sure if he is in this vid) is blue with a bright orange dorsal fin)
I got rid of the Labeotropheus trewavasae, they got too big for my 90 gallon.
The smallest tank size recommeneded for mbuna is one that is at least 4 foot long. I would not put any mbuna in a cube tank
I added lace rock. BUT, then this year I did some tank renovations, and added moon rock. SO, if you see my newest video (august) you will see a ton more :)
love the tank, love the fish, love the vid! unlike other videos, this one really shows off their personality. they're very pretty too :) the new tank arrangement looks great. i'd like to set up a cichlid tank someday! they look great with sand, but i'm scared of sucking it all up when i vacuume! :( one question:: how the heck would anybody be able to reach the bottom of that thing? lol :P
LOL about the cleaning. Yeah, I do suck up some sand when I vacuum. But not much. and YEAH, I have to lean into this tank. It is I think two feet deep...And my arms don't quite reach the bottom. This tank has changed a bit, I've added new fish, and changed my sand color. :)
very nice tank! i also like the "after". i think that one thing that would make your tank even better would be the addition of a lighter fish or two to try and even out the colours. you have very nice and healthy looking fish!
I've overstocked this tank to properly keep mbuna.
Better watch if you keep mbuna. Doing 10 gallons a week would have my guys living in toilet water. Yes, they would probably live, but they wouldn't be very happy living in a toilet. For mbuna 1/3 to 1/2 tank per week is the norm. Look it up. double u double u double u dotty cichlid-forum dotty com . Thousands of MALAWI MBUNA cichlid keepers can't be wrong.
woa woa calm yourself down. I didn't know lol...sorry. I am on cichlid forum and I actualy do not know how many you fish you have so I really couldn't say how much you should be changing. Sorry about the comment lol
I completely see where you are coming from. I have just started a 55 gallon mbuna tank and even though I just started I've already fell in love with these fish and I would do anything to keep them happy and healthy. I completely understand your reaction and I would have reacted the same way If it were my fish tank. It is a very nice fish tank and I hope to have a tank as beutiful as yours one day. no hard feelings
i have a breeding pair of convict cichlids and i have 3 mbuna. I want to put the mbuna with the convicts but idk if the will get along. If they can't, i have to sell the mbuna and i really don't want to though =/
I got the artificial lace rock from a pet store. But you really can't see all of them, they are hidden under my real lace rock.
I do not own any live rock, or artificial live rock. You can purchase resin (plastic) rocks at the pet store. If you can't find any, send me a link, and I'll send you a website where you might get some.
For the most part, this tank has real lace (not live) rock.
They seem better now; the filter was making odd noises before last night; it kinda reminded me of a frog. Perhaps they are programmed to be afraid of frogs as this would make evolutionary sense. It kinda seems like the weird noise and the freakieness began at the same time, so hopefully that was it. They still don't seem as happy as they were tho.
My fish have suddenly started acting like they're all freaked out and I don't know why! The blue dolphin seems to be yawning a lot and when they do come out they seem to keep their dorsal fins down, the way sick fish do, but they still seem ravenous when I feed them. Do you have any idea what is causing this odd behavior? (I just cleaned the filter and did a partial water change last night, but they're still being weird.)
Mine get weird if I change ANYTHING in the tank for a day or two. Did you move rocks or anything? Also, my fish get freaky when we have a lot of thunderstorms or bad weather, and I have no idea why, since they live indoors and they are completely safe.
Check your water parameters, like your ammonia, and nitrite levels, and your pH and GH. Fish can get very stressed and die if there are problems with any of those.
If you washed out your filter, you may have washed out your nitrifying bacteria, and you could be having an ammonia or nitrite spike.
(PS, I rarely if ever do anthing but rinse my filter material with used tank water)
Oh, my gosh, I thought I was the only one who did that!!!
We had a fishtank that sat at our headboard, Not on it, it was actually behind the headboard, I put the stand up on cement blocks!! so the first thing you saw when you opened your eyes and looked up was the fish(and, from the view, it was upside down!!!). Freaky.
Thanks your for the comment, and yes, I do like to view the fish upside down.
ALSO, in one of my videos I film from under the tank,that is a unique view as well :)
Absoloutley beautiful fish mate, 5/5 hands down. If you wanna see something cool, look at the tank when you're upside down (Use your' initiative ;) ) it's a brilliant experience.
What an amazing tank you have (I've seen the other videos, too). I'm currently cycling a 300 liter (about 80 gallons) tank for mbuna (been cycling for about a month now: all paramaters a-ok). My problem is that I can't make up my mind on the starters. I've seen your 7+7+7+12 starter list, but also that you got rid of the L. trewavasae. I may copy your (very successful) starters, but any suggestions on the 4th species (instaed of the L. trewavasae)? Cynotilapia afra, perhaps? Thanks so much!
I went with the Cynotilapia sp. White Top Hara (sometimes called the gallireya reef) and even though mine are just juveniles I like them a LOT. I'd get 12 or so of them, they are really docile and seem to get along with everyone, they don't seem as crazy as the trewavasae. I got rid of the trewavasae because everyone was hiding in the rocks. As soon as they went, I could actually see my fish.
OK! Thanks for the tip. I may just go with your suggestion. I also wanted to say thanks for taking the time to answer my and everyone else's comments. It's so nice to find someone this considerate... even a year after the video was posted!
These guys are my hobby, I enjoy them very much. The doctor says my blood pressure is always perfect. I attribute it to my dogs (walking!) and the fish (relaxing!)
Thanks again, you are always welcome to stop by and see my new videos anytime. I want folks to enjoy their visits to my channel :)
kenyi (2), aratuas (3), red zebra (2), sacolofi (2), and some ramdom (2)and would i be able to send yu a pic of my tank so that yu could tell me whats wrong with it
It isn't long enough. A three foot long tank won't work for lake malawi cichlids. Any of them :( Well, maybe labs...maybe... Or a small group of certain cynotilapia species. But the fish you have I wouldn't even own for my 90 gallon. The aratus and kenyi will kill
I would trade them all in and look into some south american cichlids, like blue rams, or cockatoo cichlids. There are fish that will work great in your tank, just NOT the species you have. I have a south american tank that I love.
If so, not good. The tanks isn't long enough for them.
I'd trade them in, and get about 8 yellow labs OR 8 pseudotropheus saulosi. The species you have are too aggressive and will grow too large for your tank. I'm afraid they will start killing each other and/or dying from stress. I don't keep kenyi or auratus because even my four foot long tanks isn't large enough for their bad attitudes.
The saulosi are great colored fish, and have better attitudes
I use very long tanks for them, a four foot long tank is good, the six foot long tanks are better, and the 8 feet long tanks are great. OK, the eight foot long tanks are AWESOME. AND, you must overstock a long tank.
I do a weird estimation. I have mostly dwarf mbuna now, (labs, demasoni, cynotilapia) So I do almost the number of fish as inches the length of my tank. My tank is 48 inches long, I have about 48 3-4 inch long fish in there. Weird way to do it, but so far it is working for me.
wow very nice talk man..i have a 10 gallon chiclid tank and i juss have a quiestion for you. how many fish can i put in there. i already have 4. can i had some more. look at my vid, shows you wat i have in there!
As a rule, most Malawi mbuna shouldn't be kept in anything smaller than a 55 gallon. But even my 90 gallon seems small for them.
10 gallon is good for shell dwellers.
I'd do a trio of Lamprologus' multifasciatus from Lake Tanganyka. OR from south america, a pair of cockatoo cichlids and a dwarf clown pleco. OOPS, just read the bottom of your comment (I missed it at first) I'll have to go see what you have...) Be right back.
Your tank is too small for the fish you picked. It looks like you have at least a yellow lab, and I'm not sure what the others are. They are all babies. These fish get a minimum of four inches long each, and have terrible dispositions. My 90 just barely contains their attitudes. You should be alright for a few months, but they are going to need a tank 5 to 7 times that big. They will kill each other and you will be left with a ten gallon with one! Sorry to be the barer of bad news :(
There are a TON of great fish species you can do in a ten gallon.
My FAVORITE tank was my 10 gallon while I was in college -we weren't supposed to have ANY, but hey, I couldn't do without wet pets.
I had a bristlenose albino pleco and a wicked red betta with all those neon decorations and a black light as well as two cheap iradescent lights. OK, it might sound cheesy to some, but I LOVED that tank.
I'd have a 10 gallon now, but it is easier to maintain large tanks, and even I slack sometimes!
yea true. and seems to me 10 gallons are hard to keep your fish alive. too much and they die or develope "ick" and then die. i cant get a big tank rite now. maybe when i get my own place!! i rearranged my tank again and and now i put plants and UV lights for the plants. now it looks much better, less crowded with all that rocks i put. look at da vid!
I love your tank. Nice change. I have been trying to make my cichlids happy too I started with 3 frys and now they are huge and want to add more but my guys are too big. I got a video up to.
Dude i love your tank its amazing i wanna turn my tank into a african cichlid tank i got a south american cichlid tank now wit a oscar and a blue gurami.nice tank again.
Dude i love your tank its amazing i wanna turn my tank into a african cichlid tank i got a south american cichlid tank now wit a oscar and a blue gurami.nice tank again.
That is awesome. Just keep an eye on your peacock, as a rule they don't do well with mbuna. Peacocks are carnivores, and mbuna are mostly herbivores. Trying to keep all the fish happy and fed well can be problematic. Also, most mbuna turn psychotic when they turn about two years old. Terrible Twos can't even describe them. AND, they may turn on your peacock and kill it, even if the peacock is larger than them. Peacocks are much too docile to live long term with psychotic aggressive mbuna.
VERY HELPFUL!!! I am new to African cichlids and their darting nervousness made ME nervous just watching them! Good to know that they are just behaving normally!
I don't know what to make of these guys. Its Saturday morning now and they just act weirder and weirder. (I got them on Monday.) I'm going to try to find some more today; hopefully that will help. In San Diego it can be a challenge to find healthy fish tho. I think I might have 3 males and that could be the problem. I know at least 2 are male.
They act different as juveniles. Most are more nosey as juveniles, and they even school a bit and hang together when they are young.
As long as your tank is large, and you overstock it you should be fine. It is best to have a lot of a few species than a bunch of different species. In this tank now (a year later) I have basically four species and over 40 fish --I lost count, I kept and raised too many babies :) AND, I bought some new ones too.
I got rid of the trewavasae, the males were just too grumpy for my tank. They do better in a six foot long tank, and my tank is only four foot long. I replaced them with cynotilapia "white top" haras LOVE THEM
I really do need to update my videos.
Oh, yeah, I think they act more natural when you have fewer species as well. Because they can interact with members of their own kind, they show better behavior, kind of more natural. Well, about as natural as you can in a tank ;)
I got 4 more Sunday. The 3 originals plus the newer peacock were hiding when I came in today, but they do seem much less skitish at feeding. I think the newbies are helping them feel less vulnerable since they seemed to be terrified of me, and most fish feel some safety in numbers, I think. It took me a long time to get going, but so far this is turning out better than expected! I now have 2 blue dolphins, one electric yellow, 1 peacock, and 1 boy, 2 girl kynis, or something like that.
I got 4 more Sunday. The 3 originals plus the newer peacock were hiding when I came in today, but they do seem much less skitish at feeding. I think the newbies are helping them feel less vulnerable since they seemed to be terrified of me, and most fish feel some safety in numbers, I think. It took me a long time to get going, but so far this is turning out better than expected! I now have 2 blue dolphins, one electric yellow, 1 peacock, and 1 boy, 2 girl kynis, or something like that.
I traded my whites in and now concentrate on the yellows. You can't keep both in the same tank, because they will breed and the resulting fish are considered a form or hybrid, and that is frowned upon in the hobby. Any species crossbreeding with anything is a hybrid and shouldn't be sold.
So, now all I have are my yellows. The whites were way too submissive for my tank. The yellows are much more grumpy and can hold their own.
You can post a picture of him on cichlid dash forum DOT cOm in the unidentified section and some professional fish people can tell you what species you have and whether or not they are hybrid. Stripes don't always mean purbred, and most zebra mbuna are hybrids. They are becomming more and more abunant unfortunately. Get a hold of ANY african cichlid books by Ad Konings. Good reading :)
Oh, yeah, speaking of hybrid fish. BE CAREFUL when you purchase yellow labs.
Some in the trade now are lacking the black fins. That is a key that they are probably a red zebra/yellow lab cross hybrid AND THEY ARE TRASH. Stay away from those!!!!
I have used blue (actinic) lights before and I didn't like them. They made my yellow labs green, and their dorsal stripe, the stripe on the top fin that makes REAL yellow labs yellow labs, well, that light made it dissappear! I didn't like it at all, but, try it, a LOT of people use and like actinic lighting on their mbuna tanks.
I'm always tinkering with lighting, trying to find that perfect combination of bulbs. Just do not use "black" lights.
Black lights are bad because remember your fish need light like we do to grow and be happy. Black lights do not have the proper wavelenths to simulate "real" light. They aren't harmful, BUT, to keep fish happy it is best to use light as close to natural as possible, so search for wavelenths that encourage growth and stimulate real daylight.
That is also a Labidochromis caeruleus the blue morph, Nkhata Bay
They are some of the few that do well in smaller single species tanks. If you have a 40 gallon long, a group of 12 of these would be AWESOME over black sand!!!
I traded mine in, between my Labeotropheus trewavasae and Pseudotrophes demasoni, they spent most their time hiding. They did better in my quarantine tank, when they were alone.
A single fish wouldn't do well, they do better in groups. A single one might die from stress.
I find the white labs to be much more tempermental than the yellow, MUCH more sensitive, actually very sweet and calm for mbuna. I wouldn't mix them with overly aggressive mbuna, like L. trewavasae or demasoni. They just can't take the heat.
I NEVER saw my white labs even have a scuffle or fight over territory, which is why they didn't fit in so well with my roughhousing crowd!!!
As a rule, in lake malawi the females are yellow or orangy, and males are generally blue. EXCEPT the kenyi, then males are yellow and females are blue.
The auratus males are mostly brown, their bellies are brown, and on the females thier bellies stay a nice yellow. Juvenile or young auratus look alike, they all look female.
They are very aggressive fish. An adult male auratus is very aggressive. For most mbuna, you want to have at least four to six females for every one male.
To catch them, I have to drain the tank and remove the rocks. It is a pain, but that is the only way I can catch the holding females. I strip them, and raise the fry in a ten gallon. My females get put right back into the tank.
I've had these fish for about five years, and I have never had a tank break. My 90 gallon now has about 200 pounds of rock in it, and my fry grow out tank has at least 100 lbs. I use lace rock, it is easy to stack. I also brace it against the back of the tank. Put your rock in before your substrate -- your sand or gravel. Because the fish can move the sand and gravel and that could lead to a rock falling, which in theory COULD break your tank.
My rocks are secure, sit on the bottom of the tank.
I have 100 pounds of rock in my 38 gallon fry grow out tank.
35 gallons is too small to breed most mbuna. The adults will be "interrupting" each other, and the males will not have enough room to establish breeding areas and territories.
That size tank would be perfect for breeding south american dwarf species, like cuckoos, Bolivian and German rams. If your water is soft enough for them.
umm i have only have 1 fish breeding..she has bred 2wice in hal a year but i have more females and the arent active at all and recently i had to seperate my active female cause she was breing attacked
It depends on what type of cichlids you have. For these cichlids, they prefer a large tank, at least four foot long. They like their pH around 8.3, but my tank is around 7.8
These are harem fish, NOT pairing fish. I have one male for every 4-6 females. Keep your temperature stable, I use two smaller heaters instead of one large one. And do AT LEAST a 30% water change once weekly. I do about 60% water changes weekly. Your GH should be 7-9 degrees, and KH can be higher. Keep you Nitrates below20
The 55 would have to be a tropical tank, loaded with mollies, and platies, guppies, some gouramis and a pet pleco.
The 125 would have oscars, you could breed them in a tank that large. And the 150? You betcha MALAWI HAPLOCHROMES. Check them out on cichlid-forum dot com. they have an awesome species profile section, a "cookie cutter" setup-- MORE IDEAS!!! and a great discussion forum. Hubby and I want a 300 gallon to do native american species.
aww, cute fish!
um, did u se some of them attacking eachother? mine tried to ripping each other! so i have 6 of them. 2 females, 3 males. females ripping male's eggs fin.
oscarfight 1 year ago
Finally uploaded my tank, please take a look.
provancha70 2 years ago
There seems to be a lack of information on these white labs (Nkhata Bay). Can anyone tell me more about these fishes and their behavior.
ez0429 2 years ago
These were the first imports from Malawi, sellers thought they would be more popular of the Labidochromis caeruleus color morphs. However, once folks got a look at the yellow, the whites got forgotten. They aren't white, but more of a hint of blue/mother of pearl color. They shine :) As far as temperment, they are VERY SHY and will get beaten up in an aggressive tank. I'd keep them with cynotilapia species, or other "calm" mbuna. If they come in that LOL
Luvbeags 2 years ago
@Luvbeags Thanks for the info. I just got two of these guys they seem a little harder to find and are not as common as the yellows but that might be a different story in the wild. They are actually the most energetic fishes I have in my tank I guess is becasue I have more peaceful fishes. 2 Utaka Haps, 2 Milomo, 1 Electric Blue. 3 Yellow, Hongi, Johanni
ez0429 2 years ago
Yeah, I had to special order mine.
Got them shipped, but where I got them from is shut down.
You can probably find them at Dave's rare fish (google him)
Dave will send you some beauties I'm sure. He will ship anywhere. Great fishman, Dave is.
Luvbeags 2 years ago
how do you get air supply into the tank? looks like you have a fair few fish
danlopezbmx 2 years ago
I haven't counted my fish for a long time.
I have four filtration units on this tank.
I have a wet dry filter, and that supplies all the Oxygen needed for the tank.
I also have an external filter with biowheels which helps break surface tension. Bad gasses have to escape as well, I think surface sludge is overlooked by many (also my built in overflow skims for me)
Luvbeags 2 years ago
hey what does your yellow lab breed with? the white one. just curious, lol
tcfuturevet 2 years ago
No, luckily my whites and yellows didn't breed. I didn't keep the white labs long. They do not have the boisterous attitudes needed in my tank. They were much too submissive. The yellows hold thier own much better against the more aggressive species.
Luvbeags 2 years ago
I love the look of white labs. I wonder what they would have made? lol. My fishroom has changes. the MsuliPoints are in the 55G as species, the trewavasae are in 29G as species and the new 24G has 6 Juvie Cyno. Afra Chimate Dwarfs.
tcfuturevet 2 years ago
Yes, even though called white labs, they were more pearlescent, like the inside of a shell, mother of pearl colored.
Kind of a shiny bluish. VERY attractive fish. Just too shy for my taste. They were very docile (and VERY expensive)
I'm kicking myself for not keeping some for a species tank. That was a really nice strain of them. Oh, well, hindsight is always 20-20, right?
Oh, I like the cynos :) Nice fish!
Luvbeags 2 years ago
Oh they sound very interesting! I can't to get the new fish though! :P
tcfuturevet 2 years ago
I just set up my aunt tank and i don't know how long to wait until i put the malawi cichlids in?
kenny8230 2 years ago
I use cycle fish, and depending on how many I dump in there (I've used 20-30 giant danios for a larger tank)
It can take anywhere from 3-6 weeks for it to be well cycled. Sometimes I will add another filter from an established tank to help things along, but mostly a month or so with cycle fish will do it. When you get an ammonia spike, then get some nitrite readings, it has started. Over time, your ammonia will go to zero, then nitrites to zero, and nitrates will show. Then you are cycled :)
Luvbeags 2 years ago
what substrate is that???
MistaCheekz729 3 years ago
3m Colorquartz, BLACK S-grade
:)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
really sweet set up you have here. what kinda rocks did you use. do belive ill be going with something similar. check out the videos of the 3 tanks i have.
roseberry10305 3 years ago
That is Lace Rock
Luvbeags 3 years ago
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What is the name of music?
bojann79 3 years ago
I already have 3 malawi cichlids in the tank to establish a nitrogen cycle. Do you know how long I have to wait before I add more fish? Also, I heard you can put plecos(gold nugget) and loaches(skunk, burmese border, and clown) in addition...is this true because I don't want any fish battling it out? Thanks a lot. :)
TheOneAndOnlyProdigy 3 years ago
I thought I replied, oops, guess it didn't show up! Plecos have a tendency to get their eyes eaten out by Malawi's, I'm not sure why...and most loaches should be kept at a lower pH than the malawi fish. Clown loaches will get too big for your tank. If you are worrying about a cleanup crew for uneaten food in your tank, don't worry about it with Malawi fish. They eat everything.
The only thing that MIGHT survive with malawi are bristlenose plecos, they have more fight than others.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
Could I combine Lakes: Malawi, Victorian, and Tanganyika? Thanks
TheOneAndOnlyProdigy 3 years ago
You might be able to combine Malawi and vics, but I wouldn't try it. It is more of a cichlid thing, most prefer to remain true to one lake. But, of the three mentioned, if you are going to do it, those would be the two. Just be aware Malawi cichlids are as a rule much more aggressive, and the vics might suffer. Those from Lake Tanganyika prefer a very high pH, much higher than both malawi and victoria. The pH requirements for those lakes are just too different. I wouldn't try it.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
WOW! This tank is incredible. I just recently started up a tropical fish tank like -theederv-, 36 gallon bowfront. I already have 3 malawi cichlids in the tank to establish a nitrogen cycle. Do you know how long I have to wait before I add more fish? Also, I heard you can put plecos(gold nugget) and loaches(skunk, burmese border, and clown) in addition...is this true because I don't want any fish battling it out? Thanks a lot. :)
TheOneAndOnlyProdigy 3 years ago
is that sand you use? if so what kind? and if not what did you use for the bottom?
KawiDirtRider 3 years ago
That is 3M colorquartz, black s grade.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
Nice Tank!!
cmjones75 3 years ago
Thank You :)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
This is a beautiful tank, a real inspration for me. I am currently in the process of fishless cycling my first Lake Tanganyika tank, it's only 35 Gallon so I will only be stocking it with smaller fish (yellow labs etc)
I really do love this tank....well done
theederv 3 years ago
Thank you! Tanganyikans are rare around where I live.
You must post a video when you are up and running :)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
yellow labs are malawi mbuna
hawkwind999 3 years ago
nice
asianboi8585 3 years ago
Thank You.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
very nice fish tank can you give me some of the fish you have (names)olease thinking about buying some of those beautiful fish!!:):)5 stars
jacko651 3 years ago
In this tank I had Pseudotropheus demasoni, Pseudotropheus acei, Labidochromis caeruleus, and Labeotropheus trewavasae. The trewavasae got too big and way too grumpy for this tank, I'd recommend a six foot long (or bigger) tank for them. They were VERY AGGRESSIVE!
I replaced them with white top hara, you can see my fish in my fish videos on my channel. this tank has completely been renovated. :)
Thanks for commenting, always appreciated.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
I truely like your tank. I especially like the black sand, it was an awsome touch, it truely brings out the fishes color. I might try that color in one of my tanks.
cichlid62 3 years ago
Thank you. That is 3M colorquartz black s-grade. I have totally redone this tank. I did grow tired of the black substrate after a few years. But, in a few years I may go back to another 3-substrate. It comes in every color of the rainbow just about. I'm thinking stark white next time, maybe mixed with a hint of another color to accent it.... Hummmm...
So many decisions, so few tanks LOL
Luvbeags 3 years ago
I hear you man, I'm like that too. I get tired of gravel, ornaments and background after a while and end up redoing the whole thing. I have a 125gal, a 75gal and a 35gal custom tank and I'm thinking of moving to a bigger place so that I can get me 2 or 3 more125gal tanks.
cichlid62 3 years ago
Our old house (flooring) can't take another tank without additional supports. Which we just may do.
Who needs furniture when you can get another tank? That is my motto :)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
That is so freakin wierd, a couple of weeks ago I wanted to get another tank and my wife wanted to get a love seat and two end tables and I responded with that same exact line you just stated. "Who needs furniture when you can get another tank?" needless to say, noone got what they wanted. lol.
cichlid62 3 years ago
I just hate that the tanks aren't that expensive themselves, but when you add on stand, canopy, lighting, deco, background, and FILTRATION. Jeepers.
Eh, times like these best to enjoy the tanks you have and save every penny.
That means don't by they loveseat or endtables either. ;)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
You know a stand can always be made to size, it's really not that hard. And it's way cheaper.Find a glass company and get the glass cut to size, it's also cheaper. Lighting, well if there is a home depot were you live get a double light strip and it will be cheaper than a petshop bought single light strip. Background, get some styrofoam a knife and some quick dry cement and a brush make rock shapes out of the foam, silicone them to the inside of your tank and give it time to dry fully.
cichlid62 3 years ago
EEk, I replied to this and it didn't show up!
Yes, there is nothing more unique, creative, and attractive as a well done do it yourself tank. I made a DIY background for a 10 gallon, and was too afraid to put it in because it weighed so much, I'll bet 15 to 20 pounds. Well, maybe not, but it felt very heavy to me, and I was afraid of cracking the tank setting it in. You have to have equipment and strenght to do a lot of do it yourself projects. I have neither.
I may do a DIY sump though :)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
Yeah, It does have some drawbacks, but it's the cost effectiveness that I was trying to get at. I'm thinking of hooking up my 75gal again and use the method with the cement and I'll try to do a step by step video and send it to you so you can check it out. It may take some time though. I also thought about a sump pump style filter myself. I think it would make a heck of a filter.
cichlid62 3 years ago
Yes, send a link or post as a video response.
I'd LOVE to see, and I'm sure many other fish fans would like to see it as well.
GOOD idea for a video :)
I've seen some DIY vids, and love them. You should just do it :)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
I'll keep you posted on it, definitely.
cichlid62 3 years ago
how big is the tank ??
matiqysi 3 years ago
90 us gallons.
See top right for more info in video description.
Thanks for stopping by :)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
What is the exact substrate you used here, it is quite fine?
turbodad99 3 years ago
That is 3M colorquartz black S grade. It is very fine. They make a T grade that is a little coarser/heavier.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
beautiful tank......
what do you think of mine ???
chrisneaky 3 years ago
Oh, I think I've commented on yours before.
I think the word AWESOME came to mind. I LOVE YOUR TANK :)
This tank has had a complete overhaul, you can see it in my fishtank playlist, I just redid everything in August :)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
Nice P.Acei But they are kind of fat :P
but P.Acei gets fat very easy.. But still one of my favorites :D
albinfiskare 3 years ago
Yes, my one male is very fat. My females are all pretty thin and sleek, but they don't eat most of the time because they are too busy holding. Holding is a great diet plan.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
I guess I need to start "holding" myself lol
G
Ginpug 3 years ago
WHERE DO YOU GET SUCH NICE ROCKS!?!
yuriogy1 3 years ago
They are from my local fish store. They ordered them for me, the company that supplies them is FELLER STONE company.
It is Lace Rock.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
how many pounds of sand do i need for my 40 gallon?
Fshlver 3 years ago
I usually use 1 pound of sand per gallon of water. BUT, that doesn't always apply, especially if you have a very deep tank.
It depends on how many inches you want at the bottom. I like to slope my sand, having about 1 inch in the front and as deep as 5 inches in the back. I'm big on sloping. So, I'd probably use 50 pounds of sand in there. IF you are not a sloper,and only want an inch or so, I'd use 25 pounds. It all depends on how you want to aquascape your tank.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
nice fish tank!
what is the fish you focused on from 1:46 to 1:54 and what was that jet black fish at 2:07
and last but not least how many of them could i have in a 28gallon cube/rectangle tank?(the two fish i pointed out)
good luck!
sweptawayforeva 3 years ago
The fish at 1:46 to 1:54 is a Labidochromis caeruleus Nkhata Bay
The second one at 2:07 is a Labeotropheus trewavasae, and they aren't usually that color, that is a subdominant male (they lack color) the dominant male (I'm not sure if he is in this vid) is blue with a bright orange dorsal fin)
I got rid of the Labeotropheus trewavasae, they got too big for my 90 gallon.
The smallest tank size recommeneded for mbuna is one that is at least 4 foot long. I would not put any mbuna in a cube tank
Luvbeags 3 years ago
oh ok then do you know any cichlids that could live in a 28 gallon aquarium. could Rams or Angels?
sweptawayforeva 3 years ago
I'd put either 3 angels in there, with about 6 other fish, I LOVE white cloud mountain minnows, they have great looking fins.
OR, I'd put about 4 rams in there with 4-6 black skirt tetras. Your rams will pair off, and when full grown keep ONE pair.
I have the tetras, they don't look so great in the stores, but they REALLY brighten up once home and settled in and happy.
OOOH, I also like Hemigrammus bleheri "Rummy Nose" tetras, and they could go with either angels or german blues I think.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
what kind of rocks did you add? i like them
supajuxt 3 years ago
I added lace rock. BUT, then this year I did some tank renovations, and added moon rock. SO, if you see my newest video (august) you will see a ton more :)
Well...maybe not a whole ton LOL
Luvbeags 3 years ago
love the tank, love the fish, love the vid! unlike other videos, this one really shows off their personality. they're very pretty too :) the new tank arrangement looks great. i'd like to set up a cichlid tank someday! they look great with sand, but i'm scared of sucking it all up when i vacuume! :( one question:: how the heck would anybody be able to reach the bottom of that thing? lol :P
piccuh 3 years ago
LOL about the cleaning. Yeah, I do suck up some sand when I vacuum. But not much. and YEAH, I have to lean into this tank. It is I think two feet deep...And my arms don't quite reach the bottom. This tank has changed a bit, I've added new fish, and changed my sand color. :)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
awesome tank
6asian6 3 years ago
really like looking tank man
6asian6 3 years ago
Thank you so much!
I hope to post some new vids, I have added some white top hara to this tank.
And, I'm female, it is hard to find girl friends who are as interested in the hobby!
My friend does have saltwater, but all her fish are very fancy.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, always appreciated :)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
very nice tank! i also like the "after". i think that one thing that would make your tank even better would be the addition of a lighter fish or two to try and even out the colours. you have very nice and healthy looking fish!
Branbits 3 years ago
I NEED to get new vids up. I have added white top hara to this tank, the males are awesome, whiteish with a hint of blue, beautiful fish
:)
Thanks for the comment, I searched a long time for light colored fish, and now, they are in there :)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
30-60 gallons is way too much of a water change weekly. 10 gallons would be plenty.
rrcoolj354 3 years ago
You are wrong.
I've overstocked this tank to properly keep mbuna.
Better watch if you keep mbuna. Doing 10 gallons a week would have my guys living in toilet water. Yes, they would probably live, but they wouldn't be very happy living in a toilet. For mbuna 1/3 to 1/2 tank per week is the norm. Look it up. double u double u double u dotty cichlid-forum dotty com . Thousands of MALAWI MBUNA cichlid keepers can't be wrong.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
woa woa calm yourself down. I didn't know lol...sorry. I am on cichlid forum and I actualy do not know how many you fish you have so I really couldn't say how much you should be changing. Sorry about the comment lol
rrcoolj354 3 years ago
AHH, sorry back at ya.
I didn't mean to jump all over you. ;)
Just I'm very passionate about my fish, and try to keep them as happy and as healthy as possible!!!
I have over forty fish in the 90 gallon.
:)
So yes, for me, my water changes are a necessity to keep my fish happy.
:)
I react really badly (SORRY) to people who tell me I'm abusing my fish, or not caring for them properly.
I researched these fish and took a year to set up this tank, so you can imagine it is my passion.
:)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
I completely see where you are coming from. I have just started a 55 gallon mbuna tank and even though I just started I've already fell in love with these fish and I would do anything to keep them happy and healthy. I completely understand your reaction and I would have reacted the same way If it were my fish tank. It is a very nice fish tank and I hope to have a tank as beutiful as yours one day. no hard feelings
rrcoolj354 3 years ago
Never hard feelings from me!!!
You should also visit Khaki91 and Guy23HD
channels
they both have GREAT tanks
;)
Tell them Luvbeags sent you.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
thanks, I'll do that!!!
rrcoolj354 3 years ago
agreed 50% per week is needed with MBUNA
adrian8139 3 years ago
i have a breeding pair of convict cichlids and i have 3 mbuna. I want to put the mbuna with the convicts but idk if the will get along. If they can't, i have to sell the mbuna and i really don't want to though =/
tcfuturevet 3 years ago
mbuna should be kept in large tanks (four foot long is the minimum)
and they should NOT be mixed with other fish.
There is nothing wrong with a tank with convicts! They make a very attractive tank, they are easy to breed, and they are quite the characters!
No, best advised not to mix them.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
Hi, i like your setup... i want to do mine like that but i have a 50g. I also wanted to know where you are purchasing these artificial live rocks?
rawimpact 3 years ago
I got the artificial lace rock from a pet store. But you really can't see all of them, they are hidden under my real lace rock.
I do not own any live rock, or artificial live rock. You can purchase resin (plastic) rocks at the pet store. If you can't find any, send me a link, and I'll send you a website where you might get some.
For the most part, this tank has real lace (not live) rock.
Thanks for the comment :)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
heyy my female fish has a mouth full right now how long will it take for the babies to come out she breeded today
FALCOx187x 3 years ago
African cichlids usually hold for about three weeks.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
They seem better now; the filter was making odd noises before last night; it kinda reminded me of a frog. Perhaps they are programmed to be afraid of frogs as this would make evolutionary sense. It kinda seems like the weird noise and the freakieness began at the same time, so hopefully that was it. They still don't seem as happy as they were tho.
zindiferousnp 3 years ago
Hola
My fish have suddenly started acting like they're all freaked out and I don't know why! The blue dolphin seems to be yawning a lot and when they do come out they seem to keep their dorsal fins down, the way sick fish do, but they still seem ravenous when I feed them. Do you have any idea what is causing this odd behavior? (I just cleaned the filter and did a partial water change last night, but they're still being weird.)
zindiferousnp 3 years ago
Mine get weird if I change ANYTHING in the tank for a day or two. Did you move rocks or anything? Also, my fish get freaky when we have a lot of thunderstorms or bad weather, and I have no idea why, since they live indoors and they are completely safe.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
Check your water parameters, like your ammonia, and nitrite levels, and your pH and GH. Fish can get very stressed and die if there are problems with any of those.
If you washed out your filter, you may have washed out your nitrifying bacteria, and you could be having an ammonia or nitrite spike.
(PS, I rarely if ever do anthing but rinse my filter material with used tank water)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
Oh, my gosh, I thought I was the only one who did that!!!
We had a fishtank that sat at our headboard, Not on it, it was actually behind the headboard, I put the stand up on cement blocks!! so the first thing you saw when you opened your eyes and looked up was the fish(and, from the view, it was upside down!!!). Freaky.
Thanks your for the comment, and yes, I do like to view the fish upside down.
ALSO, in one of my videos I film from under the tank,that is a unique view as well :)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
Absoloutley beautiful fish mate, 5/5 hands down. If you wanna see something cool, look at the tank when you're upside down (Use your' initiative ;) ) it's a brilliant experience.
gibsonguitarist2006 3 years ago
What an amazing tank you have (I've seen the other videos, too). I'm currently cycling a 300 liter (about 80 gallons) tank for mbuna (been cycling for about a month now: all paramaters a-ok). My problem is that I can't make up my mind on the starters. I've seen your 7+7+7+12 starter list, but also that you got rid of the L. trewavasae. I may copy your (very successful) starters, but any suggestions on the 4th species (instaed of the L. trewavasae)? Cynotilapia afra, perhaps? Thanks so much!
ZhiguliiSpain 3 years ago
I went with the Cynotilapia sp. White Top Hara (sometimes called the gallireya reef) and even though mine are just juveniles I like them a LOT. I'd get 12 or so of them, they are really docile and seem to get along with everyone, they don't seem as crazy as the trewavasae. I got rid of the trewavasae because everyone was hiding in the rocks. As soon as they went, I could actually see my fish.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
OK! Thanks for the tip. I may just go with your suggestion. I also wanted to say thanks for taking the time to answer my and everyone else's comments. It's so nice to find someone this considerate... even a year after the video was posted!
ZhiguliiSpain 3 years ago
You are very welcome!
These guys are my hobby, I enjoy them very much. The doctor says my blood pressure is always perfect. I attribute it to my dogs (walking!) and the fish (relaxing!)
Thanks again, you are always welcome to stop by and see my new videos anytime. I want folks to enjoy their visits to my channel :)
Luvbeags 3 years ago
kenyi (2), aratuas (3), red zebra (2), sacolofi (2), and some ramdom (2)and would i be able to send yu a pic of my tank so that yu could tell me whats wrong with it
FALCOx187x 3 years ago
It isn't long enough. A three foot long tank won't work for lake malawi cichlids. Any of them :( Well, maybe labs...maybe... Or a small group of certain cynotilapia species. But the fish you have I wouldn't even own for my 90 gallon. The aratus and kenyi will kill
I would trade them all in and look into some south american cichlids, like blue rams, or cockatoo cichlids. There are fish that will work great in your tank, just NOT the species you have. I have a south american tank that I love.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
ok thanks i got kenyi sacolofi aratus and some other kind lool
FALCOx187x 3 years ago
i have a 3ft by 1 ft tank and 10 cichlids how many should i have and how much rock should i have
FALCOx187x 3 years ago
i have 10 fish in a 3ft by 1 foot by 1.5ft how many rocks should i put in that
FALCOx187x 3 years ago
Do you still have the auratus and kenyi?
If so, not good. The tanks isn't long enough for them.
I'd trade them in, and get about 8 yellow labs OR 8 pseudotropheus saulosi. The species you have are too aggressive and will grow too large for your tank. I'm afraid they will start killing each other and/or dying from stress. I don't keep kenyi or auratus because even my four foot long tanks isn't large enough for their bad attitudes.
The saulosi are great colored fish, and have better attitudes
Luvbeags 3 years ago
how do i calm my cichlids down the tend to bug eachother and now a couple hand around the top of the tank
FALCOx187x 3 years ago
I use very long tanks for them, a four foot long tank is good, the six foot long tanks are better, and the 8 feet long tanks are great. OK, the eight foot long tanks are AWESOME. AND, you must overstock a long tank.
I do a weird estimation. I have mostly dwarf mbuna now, (labs, demasoni, cynotilapia) So I do almost the number of fish as inches the length of my tank. My tank is 48 inches long, I have about 48 3-4 inch long fish in there. Weird way to do it, but so far it is working for me.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
wow very nice talk man..i have a 10 gallon chiclid tank and i juss have a quiestion for you. how many fish can i put in there. i already have 4. can i had some more. look at my vid, shows you wat i have in there!
jdesepeda 3 years ago
What kinds of cichlids do you have?
As a rule, most Malawi mbuna shouldn't be kept in anything smaller than a 55 gallon. But even my 90 gallon seems small for them.
10 gallon is good for shell dwellers.
I'd do a trio of Lamprologus' multifasciatus from Lake Tanganyka. OR from south america, a pair of cockatoo cichlids and a dwarf clown pleco. OOPS, just read the bottom of your comment (I missed it at first) I'll have to go see what you have...) Be right back.
Luvbeags 3 years ago
Your tank is too small for the fish you picked. It looks like you have at least a yellow lab, and I'm not sure what the others are. They are all babies. These fish get a minimum of four inches long each, and have terrible dispositions. My 90 just barely contains their attitudes. You should be alright for a few months, but they are going to need a tank 5 to 7 times that big. They will kill each other and you will be left with a ten gallon with one! Sorry to be the barer of bad news :(
Luvbeags 3 years ago
ahah anw its all good..i did ask you a question and you did help me..thanks alot man!! dat helps!
jdesepeda 3 years ago
There are a TON of great fish species you can do in a ten gallon.
My FAVORITE tank was my 10 gallon while I was in college -we weren't supposed to have ANY, but hey, I couldn't do without wet pets.
I had a bristlenose albino pleco and a wicked red betta with all those neon decorations and a black light as well as two cheap iradescent lights. OK, it might sound cheesy to some, but I LOVED that tank.
I'd have a 10 gallon now, but it is easier to maintain large tanks, and even I slack sometimes!
Luvbeags 3 years ago
yea true. and seems to me 10 gallons are hard to keep your fish alive. too much and they die or develope "ick" and then die. i cant get a big tank rite now. maybe when i get my own place!! i rearranged my tank again and and now i put plants and UV lights for the plants. now it looks much better, less crowded with all that rocks i put. look at da vid!
jdesepeda 3 years ago
I love your tank. Nice change. I have been trying to make my cichlids happy too I started with 3 frys and now they are huge and want to add more but my guys are too big. I got a video up to.
thanks for sharing.
NikkiesMommy2008 4 years ago
Dude i love your tank its amazing i wanna turn my tank into a african cichlid tank i got a south american cichlid tank now wit a oscar and a blue gurami.nice tank again.
darkforce42 4 years ago
Thank You!!!
Actually, I have always wanted an oscar :)
I think if we ever get another large tank we will probaby have oscars.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
Dude i love your tank its amazing i wanna turn my tank into a african cichlid tank i got a south american cichlid tank now wit a oscar and a blue gurami.nice tank again.
darkforce42 4 years ago
No, my fish (about forty or so of them) all stay in the tank for my water changes. :)
Luvbeags 4 years ago
That is awesome. Just keep an eye on your peacock, as a rule they don't do well with mbuna. Peacocks are carnivores, and mbuna are mostly herbivores. Trying to keep all the fish happy and fed well can be problematic. Also, most mbuna turn psychotic when they turn about two years old. Terrible Twos can't even describe them. AND, they may turn on your peacock and kill it, even if the peacock is larger than them. Peacocks are much too docile to live long term with psychotic aggressive mbuna.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
VERY HELPFUL!!! I am new to African cichlids and their darting nervousness made ME nervous just watching them! Good to know that they are just behaving normally!
zindiferousnp 4 years ago
Mine actually don't act like that all the time. I had just rearranged their tank and they were very upset.
They are very active fish though. :)
Luvbeags 4 years ago
Hi
I don't know what to make of these guys. Its Saturday morning now and they just act weirder and weirder. (I got them on Monday.) I'm going to try to find some more today; hopefully that will help. In San Diego it can be a challenge to find healthy fish tho. I think I might have 3 males and that could be the problem. I know at least 2 are male.
zindiferousnp 4 years ago
They act different as juveniles. Most are more nosey as juveniles, and they even school a bit and hang together when they are young.
As long as your tank is large, and you overstock it you should be fine. It is best to have a lot of a few species than a bunch of different species. In this tank now (a year later) I have basically four species and over 40 fish --I lost count, I kept and raised too many babies :) AND, I bought some new ones too.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
I got rid of the trewavasae, the males were just too grumpy for my tank. They do better in a six foot long tank, and my tank is only four foot long. I replaced them with cynotilapia "white top" haras LOVE THEM
I really do need to update my videos.
Oh, yeah, I think they act more natural when you have fewer species as well. Because they can interact with members of their own kind, they show better behavior, kind of more natural. Well, about as natural as you can in a tank ;)
Luvbeags 4 years ago
I got 4 more Sunday. The 3 originals plus the newer peacock were hiding when I came in today, but they do seem much less skitish at feeding. I think the newbies are helping them feel less vulnerable since they seemed to be terrified of me, and most fish feel some safety in numbers, I think. It took me a long time to get going, but so far this is turning out better than expected! I now have 2 blue dolphins, one electric yellow, 1 peacock, and 1 boy, 2 girl kynis, or something like that.
zindiferousnp 4 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I got 4 more Sunday. The 3 originals plus the newer peacock were hiding when I came in today, but they do seem much less skitish at feeding. I think the newbies are helping them feel less vulnerable since they seemed to be terrified of me, and most fish feel some safety in numbers, I think. It took me a long time to get going, but so far this is turning out better than expected! I now have 2 blue dolphins, one electric yellow, 1 peacock, and 1 boy, 2 girl kynis, or something like that.
zindiferousnp 4 years ago
can u plzzzzzz post a video focusing on the labs ? ilike them alot and i couldnt get the chance to see many of the color morphs
kokokoko1348 4 years ago
I traded my whites in and now concentrate on the yellows. You can't keep both in the same tank, because they will breed and the resulting fish are considered a form or hybrid, and that is frowned upon in the hobby. Any species crossbreeding with anything is a hybrid and shouldn't be sold.
So, now all I have are my yellows. The whites were way too submissive for my tank. The yellows are much more grumpy and can hold their own.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
i thought my juvenile was a hybrid so i was gonna get rid of him but his fins are turnin blue so hes a zebra
kokokoko1348 4 years ago
You can post a picture of him on cichlid dash forum DOT cOm in the unidentified section and some professional fish people can tell you what species you have and whether or not they are hybrid. Stripes don't always mean purbred, and most zebra mbuna are hybrids. They are becomming more and more abunant unfortunately. Get a hold of ANY african cichlid books by Ad Konings. Good reading :)
Luvbeags 4 years ago
Oh, yeah, speaking of hybrid fish. BE CAREFUL when you purchase yellow labs.
Some in the trade now are lacking the black fins. That is a key that they are probably a red zebra/yellow lab cross hybrid AND THEY ARE TRASH. Stay away from those!!!!
KOKO, did you get my mail?
Luvbeags 4 years ago
i got the mail thanks alot once again luv the labz
kokokoko1348 4 years ago
can i use my blue light i heard it was bad
FALCOx187x 4 years ago
I have used blue (actinic) lights before and I didn't like them. They made my yellow labs green, and their dorsal stripe, the stripe on the top fin that makes REAL yellow labs yellow labs, well, that light made it dissappear! I didn't like it at all, but, try it, a LOT of people use and like actinic lighting on their mbuna tanks.
I'm always tinkering with lighting, trying to find that perfect combination of bulbs. Just do not use "black" lights.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
Black lights are bad because remember your fish need light like we do to grow and be happy. Black lights do not have the proper wavelenths to simulate "real" light. They aren't harmful, BUT, to keep fish happy it is best to use light as close to natural as possible, so search for wavelenths that encourage growth and stimulate real daylight.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
duh, typo, I mean SIMULATE real daylight
Oops...
Luvbeags 4 years ago
whats the fish that looks like a yellow lab but light blue??? i neeed to get 1
kokokoko1348 4 years ago
That is also a Labidochromis caeruleus the blue morph, Nkhata Bay
They are some of the few that do well in smaller single species tanks. If you have a 40 gallon long, a group of 12 of these would be AWESOME over black sand!!!
I traded mine in, between my Labeotropheus trewavasae and Pseudotrophes demasoni, they spent most their time hiding. They did better in my quarantine tank, when they were alone.
A single fish wouldn't do well, they do better in groups. A single one might die from stress.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
I find the white labs to be much more tempermental than the yellow, MUCH more sensitive, actually very sweet and calm for mbuna. I wouldn't mix them with overly aggressive mbuna, like L. trewavasae or demasoni. They just can't take the heat.
I NEVER saw my white labs even have a scuffle or fight over territory, which is why they didn't fit in so well with my roughhousing crowd!!!
Luvbeags 4 years ago
thanks for all the help yu should make a vid about yur fry
FALCOx187x 4 years ago
I have them posted in my other videos.
My 38 gallon fry growout tank has its own video, and you can see a LOT of my fry in my pet montage video.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
yes thats what i do
FALCOx187x 4 years ago
and can yu clarify how i can tell if it is male or female
FALCOx187x 4 years ago
As a rule, in lake malawi the females are yellow or orangy, and males are generally blue. EXCEPT the kenyi, then males are yellow and females are blue.
The auratus males are mostly brown, their bellies are brown, and on the females thier bellies stay a nice yellow. Juvenile or young auratus look alike, they all look female.
They are very aggressive fish. An adult male auratus is very aggressive. For most mbuna, you want to have at least four to six females for every one male.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
what did yu do with the mother when yu saw sshe was holding
FALCOx187x 4 years ago
I leave all the mothers in the tank.
To catch them, I have to drain the tank and remove the rocks. It is a pain, but that is the only way I can catch the holding females. I strip them, and raise the fry in a ten gallon. My females get put right back into the tank.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
the way to make them have babies is alot of hiding spots...and if i put to much rock will the tank crank of blow up
FALCOx187x 4 years ago
I've had these fish for about five years, and I have never had a tank break. My 90 gallon now has about 200 pounds of rock in it, and my fry grow out tank has at least 100 lbs. I use lace rock, it is easy to stack. I also brace it against the back of the tank. Put your rock in before your substrate -- your sand or gravel. Because the fish can move the sand and gravel and that could lead to a rock falling, which in theory COULD break your tank.
My rocks are secure, sit on the bottom of the tank.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
3 aratus,4 salousi, 2 red zebra 2 kenyi
FALCOx187x 4 years ago
I'd seriously consider getting a larger tank.
When these fish hit about two or three years old they will kill each other.
For a good cookie cutter setup for the tank you have, go to cichlid-forum dot com.
From info on that site, I have my fish having babies about every six weeks.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
well my cichlids have breeded twice aleady,....but i want them to breed again
FALCOx187x 4 years ago
What type of cichlids do you have?
Luvbeags 4 years ago
thanks i will fill it up more i have 10 fish and a 35 gallon tank.....if i put to much rocks will the tank over flow and break the glass or no
FALCOx187x 4 years ago
I have 100 pounds of rock in my 38 gallon fry grow out tank.
35 gallons is too small to breed most mbuna. The adults will be "interrupting" each other, and the males will not have enough room to establish breeding areas and territories.
That size tank would be perfect for breeding south american dwarf species, like cuckoos, Bolivian and German rams. If your water is soft enough for them.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
umm i have only have 1 fish breeding..she has bred 2wice in hal a year but i have more females and the arent active at all and recently i had to seperate my active female cause she was breing attacked
FALCOx187x 4 years ago
What are the species of the fish you are trying to breed?
If they are africans, your tank should be very long. And mbuna like rocks, so the holding females can hide and not get attacked.
If someone is being attacked, your tank is either too small, understocked, or lacking rockwork.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
Nice setup man!
Looks almost like a reef tank.
Very nice!
slitnajeans 4 years ago
Thank you. :)
Luvbeags 4 years ago
where'd you get it?
and can i find one in michigan?
kokokoko1348 4 years ago
KOKO, you have mail :)
Luvbeags 4 years ago
I'm trying to find demasoni myself any idea how i can get them
Tim2880 4 years ago
Which state are you in?
Luvbeags 4 years ago
i was woundering if anyone can help me...i was woundering how i could get my 12 cichlids to breed..
FALCOx187x 4 years ago
It depends on what type of cichlids you have. For these cichlids, they prefer a large tank, at least four foot long. They like their pH around 8.3, but my tank is around 7.8
These are harem fish, NOT pairing fish. I have one male for every 4-6 females. Keep your temperature stable, I use two smaller heaters instead of one large one. And do AT LEAST a 30% water change once weekly. I do about 60% water changes weekly. Your GH should be 7-9 degrees, and KH can be higher. Keep you Nitrates below20
Luvbeags 4 years ago
very nice, If you ever wan tot start all over again, just drop a 10 inch tiger oscar....
TigerOscar78 4 years ago
owsome tank very nice any tips you want to share i have 3 tank 55 125 150 always looking for new ideas
'
clos1966 4 years ago
If I had those tanks. Hummm What would I do...
The 55 would have to be a tropical tank, loaded with mollies, and platies, guppies, some gouramis and a pet pleco.
The 125 would have oscars, you could breed them in a tank that large. And the 150? You betcha MALAWI HAPLOCHROMES. Check them out on cichlid-forum dot com. they have an awesome species profile section, a "cookie cutter" setup-- MORE IDEAS!!! and a great discussion forum. Hubby and I want a 300 gallon to do native american species.
Luvbeags 4 years ago
Very nice looking rock arrangement. It looks like an ocean reef!!!
hawaiidoves 4 years ago
Thank you. It is lace rock. It only costs a fraction of real live reef rock.
I'm hoping it doesn't look too "oceany" because these are rift lake cichlids-- freshwater fish.
Thank you for your comment :) Comments are always appreciated! ;)
Luvbeags 4 years ago
dont strip the mother she will take care of them as long as she wants and when scared the babys will swim into her protective jaws.
kokokoko1348 4 years ago
Babies not stripped in my tank = Lunch
Fry rarely survive my tank.
I have about 2 or 3 survive on their own per year.
By stripping, I get about 300 per year. My Mbuna do not make good mothers.
Luvbeags 4 years ago