How is my stocking?

:iagree:

I've never understood why the box stores stock fish like auratus, kenyi, or crabro. They are very often the cause for people to give up on Mbuna tanks. You end up with one fish in most cases. Gladiator Fish. They're all nice looking fish ( except when the crabro gets large and turns black ), but most Mbuna are. Better to stick with the less psychopathic alternatives.
 
Agreed dude you are so true on that one would think they stock the least aggressive species to newbe's like the rusty's well i see yellow labs everywhere..

Yep you can walk into most shops here and see just those aggressive species, i havent seen rusty's, soulosi, and most of your lower end aggressive africans hmmm maybe i need to open a pet shop just for that reason aye, hehehe..
 
Could I get an oddball fish (like a bichir?) in with these guys?

I was thinking dinosaur eel, but not sure how that would work.

How would this stocking sound:

4 - Yellow Lab
4 - Orange Mbuna
4 - White
4 - Scolofi
1 - Auratus
(1?) - Ropefish/Bichir/etc. ?
3 - Synodontis
 
Probably not good, as for the oddball may be picked on when little and or eat your fish once it outgrows the cichlids..
 
Not sure I would get a bichir in there...if you can find one you could try for a tanganyikan eel though...but cutting out a couple groups of the mbuna and the synos to do that...btw I would not put the auratus in. They are psychos, and very unattractive when mature.
 
Sorry I haven't replied, been busy with school. How is this stocking?

4 x Scolofi
4 x Yellow Labs
4 x Red Mbuna
4 x White Mbuna
2 x Syndontis

If I were to just get a few mixed mbunas, would that work?
 
I like your groups - what do you mean by red/white mbunas ? I think you might mean red zebras and perhaps ice white zebras. You might consider cynotilapia afra or lab. hongi instead of maybe one of the zebra groups - I think the colours would be great too with that change.

Problem with mixed mbuna is you don't know what you're getting. Fair enough if you see a particular fish you really like, but difficult to arrange groupings. I would say if you say a fish you like, get it, subject to overal stocking, but I wouldn't do a large community of 'mixed mbuna' (presuming you mean fish with no established provenance/dubious species/probably hybrids.)
 
Yea unfortunately most places in my area only sell "mixed cichlids". Meaning not only are mbuna of all sorts grouped together, but often parrots, JDs, severum, and oscars are all in the same tank.

I did mean red and white zebras, I'm not quite sure why I said mbuna...

Is there a place where I can find a picture and description of common "mixed african" cichlids? So far my eye is only keen in determining what lake a fish is from, I can't really tell different species yet...
 
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