tank size
Of course you would want to go with the largest tank size you can with mbuna even though they are relatively small. Though small tanks are not out of the question. I have a female saulosi in a 20 gallon with african rootwood, broken clay pot, a flying fox, chinese algae eater, and a scissortail. Previously they were all together in a much larger 58g tank. The key thing is to have other fish that are faster and more maneuverable than the saulosi. However, once mbuna have established themselves in the tank, adding new fish of any type will generally tick them off and they will go after the newbies with no mercy. If you are intending to keep more than one saulosi, it is suggested that you go with 1 male for every 5 or more females. In the wild, the ratio of females to males is estimated around 50:1. This allows any male aggression to be dispersed among many as opposed to being able to just corner one female and beat her up. So we do the best we can in enclosed aquariums.
