africans with tankmates?

[elementkid65]

i know i know only africans with africans

but is there any thing i can put with them???
tiger barbs?

what other types of africans can i put with them?

it's to go with with 5 zebra cichlids in a 40g with a 5" chinese algae eater.

numerous caves and hiding places

thanks in advance:dance: :headbang2: :headbang2: :evil_lol:

[Coler]

what dimensions is the tank ? How many male & female zebras do you have ?

You say its to go with 5 but your sig says 7 - are you losing some ?

Rift-Lake with Rift-Lake is the best way to keep them, and within that Malawi with Malawi, Tangs with Tangs and Victoria with Victoria.

Further within that, Mbuna are best with Mbuna in a tank your size.

Depending on what you actually have in there and your filtration and tank maintenance you could maybe do something like a group of pseudotropheus acei (white fin) or pseudotropheus socolofi albino...try and stay away from fish of similar colouration to what you have already. By group I mean 3 or 4 fish, 1 male the rest female, if you already have females in the tank.

If you just have 5 (7?) male zebras you are likely to have world war 3 shortly and would have to radically adjust your stocking.

[Ruben Tolon]

in a bigger tank you keep some synodontis cats with the mbuna, once you upgrade tanks.

[elementkid65]

i have 5 zebras now 2 males 3 females i gave 2 away as they were males
the tank is 41 gallons its 900mm long 390mm deep and 460 high
filtration is 2 800l/ph internal power filters
10% water changes every sunday
the zebras : males are purple/blue with yellow finnage
females are yellow/black/grey with black/grey fins
there are lots of caves and rocks and getting more soon
also coler wats the rock called that u use it looks awesome

[Coler]

Thanks !

The rock is tufa rock; its great for stacking; nice and light, forms nice caves.

With 2 males and 3 female zebras I would take out one more male zebra and then look at a group of yellow labs and/or (depending on how ambitious you want to be) a group of maybe pseudotropheus socolofi albino or normal...do 1 male and 3 females of each. 1 male and 2 females might even be better as regards total stocking, although this might cause a bit of harassment of the females within each group.

That's pushing your tank to its absolute limit imo (if you add two more groups). At a minimum you would, I think, be doing 25% - 30% water changes twice a week. And whatever you do you should increase your water changes to at least 25% once a week. Would also be better to run a good cannister external filter on the tank.

[Coler]

you were saying in your other thread that they were hiding a lot and have been more at ease since you created more caves etc. This is a good idea - the more cover/shelter/hiding places the more secure they will feel and the more they will be out and about.

They really won't need dither fish when stocked appropriately, and when there is enough caves, and its a bit tough on e.g. danios to be kept with them. Australian Rainbowfish would be a better choice. They are tougher, and will be happier in the same water conditions as the mbuna.