Malawi Cichlids for my new tank (35g)

Well i just got a 35 gallon i am making into another malawi tank. 35 gallon is quite small, so you need smaller more peaceful cichilds. A couple trios of mbuna will be good (yellow labs, rusties, afras, salousies, etc). Dont go for anything that grows over 3 or 4 inches or is labelled as moderately to highly aggressive.

To decorate use sand and lots of rocks. Pile the rocks or stack slate to make lots of caves and hiding places and your fish will show thier natural behaviors. You said your tap water is already good for malawis, but if you wanted you could add some crushed coral or shell to the tank to help buffer the water a bit.

In my new tank i am doing 3 or 4 pseudotropheus salousi and 3 small peacocks. However, peacocks like open swimming space and not as many rocks, and so its hard to accomodate both. The tank also needs to be longer for them to have more swimming space.

I will also add a synodontis catfish to the tank, just as a bottom cleaner. But mbuna tend to sift the sand anyways, so a catfish is not really needed.

HTH and good luck!
-Diana

A 35 is quite small for cichlids... the species LuvMyKribs mentions are good. You might also consider Lake Tanganyka shell-dwellers, too. The do better in such a small tank.

Jim

Diana said it well.

Cheers!

Raf