Suggest 1st fishes for Mbuna tank??

[gillguy]

As a temporary set-up, do a group of yellow labs or rusties. One male to 3 or 4 females. Move them over to the 55 as soon as possible. Don't expect a molly to last long with them though.

You don't need dithers with mbuna or rift lake cichlids in general. I would personally prefer to keep more mbuna than take up space with dithers.

"In the multitude of counselors there is safety"

I think thats from Proverbs somewhere.

Anyway, thanks to the advice here, I won't try and use Mollies for dithers...sounds like they'd be "dinner" instead. I'll probably just return them to my LFS and and get the labs or rusties. I just love setting up a new tank...

Thanks again to all,

Jason

 

[Ruben Tolon]

You could do some yellow labs but no mollies. Ruben, dithers are not necessary with africans.

I didn't mean to make it seem like I'm suggesting dithers are necessary, I'm just making suggestions as to options if the OP wanted have some. I've always used them in Tanganyikan cichlid tanks (with julies or shelldwellers) and I assume there is no harm in keeping them in a mbuna tank. Although to be fair, I don't use any dithers in my (mostly) Neotropical cichlid tank either.

 

[Coler]

no harm in them at all

I just took from your use of the expression 'use' them (the dithers) that you were kind of saying they were needed.

The great thing about mbuna is that you can overstock somewhat and they are to some extent their own dithers : 'hmmm....lots of fish around here...must be safe !....oh crud there's that psycho demasoni...hey...wait a minute...I'm a demasoni !!...I'm gonna kill him....ohlookfood'

 

[user_name]

Can't guarentee the safety of your mollys with adult yelllow labs. A few juvies MIGHT work.

 

[Pittbull]

Zombie Thread my friend... Those Molly's are goners by now..

 

[efors]

Yep; and the adult yellow labs may be fishy mummies!

 

[Lady G]

LMAO!!!

I was going to post a thought till I saw your post Pitt!! Guess I need to start looking at the thread start date when I look at a post HAHA!!!

 

[Pittbull]

Yeah it took me a while as well when i first started on this site back in 2007 hehehe