55 Gallon African Tank Suggestions

I would reccomend a show tank of male aulonocara species - 'peacocks', and some synodontis catfish species.

stunning colours, relatively (compared to a lot of mbuna) little aggression.

Or, tanganyikans - small tropheus colony. 55 might be a bit small for them though.

either way, natural substrate, lots of rockwork, plain background

Electric yellows, electric blues (make sure they have the white strip on the dorsal fin), cobalts, blue peacocks,

Notable mbuna cichilds
Many mbuna cichlids are regularly stocked and sold by pet shops. Some of the most common ones are bumblebee cichlid, auratus cichlid, electric yellow cichlid, red zebra cichlid, and johanni cichlid. Cichlids belonging to any of the genera listed below are usually considered mbuna.

An electric yellow cichlid, Labidochromis caeruleus.



Labeotropheus fuelleborni

• Cyathochromis Trewavas 1935
• Cynotilapia Regan 1922
• Genyochromis Trewavas 1935
• Gephyrochromis Boulenger 1901
• Iodotropheus Oliver & Loiselle 1972
• Labeotropheus Ahl 1926
• Labidochromis Trewavas 1935
• Maylandia Meyer & Foerster 1984.
• Melanochromis Trewavas, 1935
• Petrotilapia Trewavas 1935
• Pseudotropheus Regan 1922

The list below includes groups of non-mbuna mouthbrooding cichilds from Lake Malawi.

• Peacock cichilds
• Haplochromines

any of these that I found on this website...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbuna

We have mostly mbuna but 1 hap..(the supposed electric blue...it has an orange strip along the top of its dorsal fin)(the true electric blue has a white strip on the tips of its dorsal)...

Sciaenochromis fryeri (blue ahli) Haps...

http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/freshwater/cichlids/electricblue.html

Or...

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=840

Electric blues get too large and too aggressive for a 55g tank. I wouldn't put them in anything less than a 75g.

I wouldn't keep johaniis and yellow labs together personally. With a large group of labs you might be ok, but their aggression levels are very different.

If you want another tank with along the same lines of aggression, then I'd go with groups of Cynotilapia afra, Johannis, and Greshakei or Pseudotropheus socolofi albinos.
Or if you want something different, then go with Yellow Labs or P. saulosi, Acei, and Rusty Cichlids or some type of Aulonocara.

Tangs would be a good 2nd African tank I think if you were wanting something a tad different. But there are of course, other Mbuna. I'd just make sure you house some that are along the same temperament.

you could do pseudotropheus socolofi with the labs to get the blue & yellow mix of colours.