Draft Malawi Tank

[Sonny Disposition]

OK. I'm trying not to leap before I look (like I usually do). I have a 65 gallon high to work with and I'm thinking of turning it into a Malawi tank of sorts.

I like working with the yellow Labidochromis caeruleus, so I'm looking for compatible tank mates for them that show a fair amount of color.

From comments I've received, I'm thinking Maylandia estherae would be a good choice, especially if I can find a strain where the males are blue and the females are solid orange (which I've read about on the Web).

I'm also thinking maybe a breeding group of Aulonocara, one of the species that isn't too nasty, where the males are blue with rust-red orange.

I'd build a couple of rock piles. Essentially, I'd pile the rocks on to a piece of slate or two, and stick them together with aquarium sealant. The idea is to have rock piles that I can pull out quick, if I need to drain the tank down and pull out a holding female to save the fry.

The backs and sides I'd plant with the Potomac River Val that I've been raising for several years, as it likes hard water and a high pH. Here and there, in the foreground, I'd start some java moss. These plants are tough, and most plant eating fish that I know about won't eat them.

A flow through bag in the filter box will help keep the water hard and the pH up between water changes.

What do you experienced Malawi keepers think: would this work?

 

[maddog10]

I can help you out with some Aulonocara stuartgranti (Chilumba) if you want to go that way. I have a 40Long FULL of (F1) fish.

Don't know what your water is like, but you would definately want to buffer it somehow. Filter bag full of crushed coral seems to work well.

 

[Sonny Disposition]

I'm definitely interested. My tap is Silver Spring tap water, which is a little on the hard side. Not like Malawi, but definitely on the hard side. When I raised mollies, I would dissolve a half teaspoon of garden lime in a gallon of hot water, and pour it in the tank as the tank was filling up. That, a commercial high pH buffer and crushed coral in the filter box would probably keep them happy.

Your photo--is that a young male?

Has anybody ever tried breeding color into the females?

Also, is that a home made sponge filter in the background? How did you make it? (I need to hook up some sponge filters for the daphnia tanks.)

I can help you out with some Aulonocara stuartgranti (Chilumba) if you want to go that way. I have a 40Long FULL of (F1) fish.

Don't know what your water is like, but you would definately want to buffer it somehow. Filter bag full of crushed coral seems to work well.[/b]

 

[maddog10]

Yep, that is a young male a little less than a year old and right at 3". I have not seen ANY color in the females - you would be starting from scratch on that idea!

I got a couple hundred of those sponges from Ron, he made them. Work fine and very easy to remove and clean. Pull the PVC tube out, remove sponge and push against inside of trashcan to clean (they have slate bottoms).

 

[Sonny Disposition]

How long do the males take to fully mature?

Yep, that is a young male a little less than a year old and right at 3". I have not seen ANY color in the females - you would be starting from scratch on that idea!

I got a couple hundred of those sponges from Ron, he made them. Work fine and very easy to remove and clean. Pull the PVC tube out, remove sponge and push against inside of trashcan to clean (they have slate bottoms).[/b]

 

[maddog10]

In my experience, the males are able to breed at about 8-9 months (probably sooner). At 10-11 months (like in the photo) they pretty much have their adult coloration. Other than that they just get bigger, around 5"

 

[Tim]

If you're using the L. caeruleus as a base, you have a lot of ways you can go with the tank. L. caeruleus is an insectivorous fish so it's not limited to the straight vegetarian diets like many of the other Mbuna. You could mix them with the A. stuartgranti that Mike has or you could go the M. estherae route. I just picked up a half dozen of the M. estherae with the blue males and orange females. I wouldn't do both however. A lot of people mix Metriaclima species with Aulonocara species and they make it work, fish breed, etc. However these fish have different dietary needs, come from different areas in the Lake (Peacocks are deep, algae grazing Mbuna shallower), and generally the Mbuna will bully the Aulonocara and you may not see full coloration. Again, there are foods out there that can be fed to a broad spectrum of fish and a lot of people mix them in their tanks. I would go with either the straight Mbuna route, L. caeruleus, M. estherae and perhaps a Cynotilapia species or go the L. caeruleus with some type of Hap or Peacock route.

Your plants would be safer with the Yellow Labids and Haps or Peacocks. The Mbuna I've kept ate Java moss and Java Fern. Valisneria wasn't even a question on whether or not they'd eat it. I never did try starting with plants and adding young fish however. So, you may have better luck than I did on that.
Good luck with the tank.
Tim