mostlycichlids
Cichlid Specialist
sorry but how will 3 -4 males cut down on aggression ? re the rest of your posts, I think (imo) 1 male and a harem of females is the best approach to ensuring that no one female is harassed to death.
If labs are that aggressive why are you reccomending keeping 3 -4 males in this tank which is too small to allow them claim sufficient territory ? As a very new fishkeeper I would be interested in your thinking.
btw I think they are (generally) called mbuna not mbuma, correct me if I am wrong
You are right they are mbuna not mbuma im not the best speller. My recomendation was for smaller juvi fish as a grow out. Adult mbuna shoud not be kept in anything less than 50 gallons. That being said a 36 gallon tank is too small for any mbuna adults. Anything smaller than 50 gallons and the fish are going to suffer, bottom line. Just because they come to the top and swim around and breed dont mean they are thriving. You are correct Mbuna labs in particular should be kept in groups of 3-4 f/1m for breeding purposes. That being said, as long as the tank is large enough.
Fish maintained in tanks which are too small or in conditions which are too crowded, develop severe stress syndrome. these fish do not exhibit proper color, do not develop proper fin form, do not exhibit proper metabolic development, do not exhibit normal behaviour, do not develop proper musculature, do not develop properly functioning organ systems and as a result, slowly lose their inherant resistance to disease. this results in a significantly shortened lifespan and along the way, lots of diseases for which the poorly conditioned fish is a good target.
Refrence..liv2padl
