cichlids for a 29 gallon

[wobble]

As rbishop stated, you will get opinions on both sides. My opinion is based on my own personal experience and experiences of three of my friends (we are all obsessed with African cichlids). I wonder how many of those giving you advice that it's ok for mbuna in a 29g have actually tried it with them through adulthood. You won't have any problems while the fish are juveniles, but they really start to get aggressive as they grow.

Obviously you are free to do what you wish. I do commend you for doing your research first though. I wish these forums were available when I first started my fish hobbie. It would have saved me ALOT of time and money.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

 

[DeRo316]

The only africans I would put in a 29/30 would be shell dwellers. You would be OK with some juvenile Malawis but by the time they matured they would be too aggressive and too large for a 29/30.

 

[kay-bee]

I personally wouldn't try to stock any mbuna in a 29-gal for long term purposes.

Yellow labs are usually recommended with smaller tanks but I guess I must have some aggressive yellow labs (mine don't fall in the 'peaceful' category and would never work in a 29gal). They fight more than my 'more aggressive' species, and my only aggression-related mbuna death (thus far) was a result of yellow lab vs yellow lab violence.

It seems some yellow labs can work in a 29gal, but I think not all.