If you like mbuna cichlids check out these species profiles to learn more! Pseudotropheus saulosi: ruclips.net/video/bw00qEP23UU/видео.html Pseudotropheus acei: ruclips.net/video/e1e7_0ylHvw/видео.html Red Zebra Cichlid: ruclips.net/video/fysn81uzgxw/видео.html If you want to see more behind the scenes stuff, exclusive videos and support the channel consider becoming a member! ruclips.net/channel/UCYVN7EN0ALL6CE4U7NpMUTAjoin Also, our new shirts can be found at: www.primetimeaquatics.com/merch For the latest in the fish room check us out on Instagram primetime_aquatics
Excellent info! I’ve watched this video over and over so I can be ready for my own Mbuna tank. After waiting a year to set up my 75 gal, I’m finally adding the fish now and they are amazing!!! Thank you Jason for all the great info! !!!
Setting mine up over the next 3 days going 40gal breeder I always wanted one and thanks to Jason and Prime Time Aquatics I have the know how. Thank you guys for doing what you do.
Nice video! I’ve learned over the years to over stock, rearrange decor frequently to confuse territory, feed often in small portions. You will also have one or two that are a pain to the community! I have had to put them in time out! Mbunas are a fun species!
I started my mbuna tank 8 or 9 months ago, I wanted pretty fish that weren't aggressive (had problems with that before), and I didn't want them to grow too large for the tank. So I picked Yellow Lab, Rusty Cichlids and C.Afra Jalo Reef. That's a combo I don't hear much about (although you guys at P.T.Aquatics talked about pairing rusties and labs), but it seems to be working great. They should all stay under 4", and right now I have the tank over stocked, but they're breeding like crazy, and some of the fry always seem to survive. I service the tank a couple times a week, but I am willing to do the work so long as the fish are doing well. Thanks for all the great info from this channel, I feel like one of the reasons I am seeing success is all the info you guys give. :)
I am a beginner but my tank had been setup by a close friend..the more I’m watching I need more structure in my tank. Your video had been very helpful bc I’ve been having problems with one fish being a “bully” to one fish
So far these videos in this playlist is very informative. I to love the Mbuna Cichlids. I %100 agree Mbuna keeping isn't for everyone. Also I myself have had great success with them. I do have a smaller tank than the 1 you keep them in however they are thriving great. I even got LUCKY and have some other types people say don't really fit in. I would say for me its all about how I add new fish. Sometimes I take out the more aggressive fish and add any new one's then add back the others fish 30 mins or so after..
Thanks setting up a tank today been cycling this for weeks . Been working on getting water perfect id like for them to breed but also variety fibally found some in my area im excited thanks for all the info very helpful i tried to find pics of the more aggresive ones you stated to not accidently mix those in 😂 wish me luck
Love your video it really helped give some background to mbuna. I have recently set up a african cichlid tank for my kids. I bought the fish from a pet store that has an aquarium section. My kids picked the fish due to the colours. I have a 200l tank with sand, lots of rocks and around 20 fish. I don't know the types of the fish just the colours. We have the blue and yellow fish you have and some orange mbuna. I was advised about the pH, nitrates and using algae flakes as food. This was as much as I was told and I was very nieve not realising how difficult this type of fish would be. I have had 3 fish die over the last 6 weeks. Usually one seems to stop feeding and hangs out on the bottom of the tank then does. The tank seems fine then it starts again. I can't see any fish seem to bully the rest or see any sign of bloat. I now realise this was not the type of fish I should have started with but now I have 20 fish and I really Dnt want anymore of them to suffer then die. Can anyone please offer me some advice on how to set up a happy tank for these fish? I am not sure where else to turn. The original pet store Dnt seem to be very helpful now I have taken the fish home. Thanks in advance if anyone helps x
Your videos are great. So full of information and incite. I always feel like I’ve learned something or received an informed opinion after watching. Thanks for taking the time to share
Jason, I am about to setup a MBUNA tank as well. I am beefing up my stand and going to reseal my 100 gal tank because I don’t know how old the tank is and I am going to beef up the corners with black silicone and the bottom. It’s a 4 ft tank but it’s tall. I am going to build a rock structure in the center of the tank so the fish can go in and out through the caves. Hence why I am beefing up the stand rocks are heavy.
Awesome video full of Information. We have a 75 gallon mbuna tank of red zebras,demasoni, yellow labs, socolofi, rusty, and yellow tail acai. 30 er so mbuna with a sailfin pleco and synodontis catfish. Run a fluval fx4, emperor 400 hob and a green machine internal filtration. There's chasing here n there but when we notice we move around the rocks and plants and this seems to curb their behavior. 8.2 ph 78 degrees hard water with salt additive. Mechanical and biological in fx4, chemical in hob for easy maintenance.
Great video, thank you. I went ahead and purchased all of my Mbundu as babies even 1 demasoni and they have been together a few months now now doing well. I’m not sure what the future holds however at this moment I’m very happy they are doing well. Thanks for the info.
I've 100% this time agree with your video I have kept mbuna for years at present I don't keep any more I just keep shell dwellers now but I agree you one setup never works for another set up all these fish have different attitudes but you know what's funny I have found peacocks to be just as aggressive as mbuna at times in all peacock tank
Lovely Mbuna aquarium, Jason. You have managed the aggression very well. I think the key with these fish is overcrowding for the reasons you describe. High levels of filtration are part and parcel with that strategy. Curious to know your favorite Mbuna out of the ones you are keeping?
I have been keeping Mbuna's for many years. I have a yellow lab only tank now, just seems easier with one species, less aggresion. They have all grown up together from fry. They had been breeding and a few fry surviving. Just last week not sure what happened. I think the male dominance is shifting and a young male was singled out and didn't survive so sad. All seems calm now with an older male seeming to be OK with taking a less dominant role. I also do change around the landscape to stop agression. It seems to work. They are too busy finding new homes to get aggresive. For the most part my tank has been peacful for years. I am going to try and get some areas for fry to hide so maybe I can get a few more fish. Right now I have a 90 gallon with 9 adult fish. One hang on back and one sponge filter a few Anubias plants and water lettuce floaters. Oh yes and my pleco and nerite snails. Thanks for the video really informative.
I had a peaceful tank and introduced two blue dolphins. It was all good till one of them got bigger and then he became a bully. He bullied my peaceful acei (favorite mbuna) so bad that I wanted to squeeze him to death so I traded him (the dolphin) to my friend for two yellow labs. I Quarantined the labs but suddenly my Acei was bullying everything in site as bad as the dolphin was so I crossed my fingers even though my buddies tank and fish are well kept and put the labs in the community tank and the Acei in the 55 gallon Q tank. It worked out so well that I decided to buy another Q tank and let the Acei keep the 55 gallon, got two females for him and Im sure he thinks Life's never been so good. Thanks for the inspiring and informational videos.
Can you please make one for Malawi peacocks as well? I watched many videos featuring your 75 and 125 housing same and the Livestream, it would be great to have a short version that goes over important things.
Very informative. Please help me out with my stock. I am planning to get a 50g or 55g and want to so mbuna. Which type are for beginners and how many? I keep reading to overstock them? Nd also heard to get crushed coral substrate to keep ph high
Sounds like you are in the right track - pseudotropheus saulosi, yellow labs and rusty cichlids are all good options. In a 55 gallon - maybe 12-15 in total?
Hello Jason, first of all thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge. I have two questions and i would be very thankfull if you can answer me. If i set up mbuna tank with combination of (yellow labs, pseudotropheus Saulosi and acei, Rusty cichlid and maybe red zebras) is it safer to keep females only to minimize the aggression? And also can i keep sterbai corrys and/or hillstream loaches with them? Thank you
Great questions - I would put any Cory cats in with these guys. Sometimes more assertive loaches like Berdmorei work though. The all females can be tough because they are difficult to distinguish from males until they are older. At that point you may be better off getting juvenile mbuna and let them grow up together.
@PrimeTimeAquatics Thank you for your answer i really appreciate it. What number and ratio of the mbunas i am referring do you suggest for 800Liter tank 🙏
Just thinking about getting a mbuna Cichlid tank going and I didn’t know that that was the red zebra. Do you have a video where you identify mbunas by sight? I looked but there’s so many videos. Where I buy cichlids, they sell them as assorted.
Hello, i just subscribed. Great video... at around the 5 minute mark in the tank you moved one of the mbuna to because he was having a hard time in the other aquarium... what type of rocks are you stacking in that tank? I hope you didnt mention that in the video and i missed it.
Both my father and I on top of our 55 gallon African and our 55 gallon South American tank each have kept a 29 gallon Mbuna tank with great success. We’ve kept strictly Zebras and Labidochromis in those tanks with a 3:1 male-female ratio and they’ve both done very well with only 1 fatality in my tank which happened while I was on a business trip and my father has had none. We’ve kept 5-7 cichlids in there at a time and have had no territory or aggression issues with mating. A lot of people said we got extremely lucky but I beg to differ as it’s hard to get the same lighting to strike twice. A lot of people in the last 5 years have said I’m “abusing those poor fish” and not giving them enough space to swim. They’ve been quite happy with plenty of hiding spots for them and they’ve bred well. Maybe too well so I’ve had to make donations as the fry have grown but at maximum my largest fish is my blue zebra at 4 inches and it’s a male. It’s very possible to keep mbuna’s in a 29G tank, you just can’t be stupid about it and it does require some extra work to make it possible. But it’s far from impossible. I would only recommend it to experienced hobbyist who have had experience with Mbuna cichlids but it’s been a real joy.
Hello Jason I NEED HELP my Mbuna cichlids have red at the base of pectoral fins I don’t know why and I don’t know what to do I just know that it wasn’t always like that
@@PrimeTimeAquaticsthank you for taking the time to answer my question. Is there any way I can send you a photo of my fish? Just want to get to the bottom of it. Thank you, again
I've watched this video like 6 times now lol. I wanted to get your thoughts on the best temperature to keep my mbunas at. 79-80 is where mine are at currently and I had them at 78 and they did seem a bit more aggressive but they seem to be a bit more skiddish at 80 if that makes any sense lol. Appreciate the other tips on this video they have really helped. I now have a 125gal with mbunas and a 75gal with about 25 white lab fry and more to come. Of course if I can catch the females holding lol.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics. Ok so good to hear reinforcement on range. It's all over the place when you Google search it. Thank you very much and I hope we can make it to Aquashella to see you guys again!
1. Over stock 2 filter well 3 low protein diet 4 lots of rock 5 dont nee a deep tank as they often stay in the rock area lower down 6 when quarantining your fish dont put any rocks or decor in (this gives them a territory to fight over )
Build up your rocks so they go up to at least half the depth of the tank. You can keep more because they will spread out. Make sure there are loads of caves.
@@Jezza_One true I went from just a bottom layer rocks with some crevices, now have them stacked multi-layered halfway up and the fish are far more active
Watching your video . I have a 150 gallon tank ' would appreciate your pick of mbunas (same size) and what type of rock to use . What about filtration for the tank .
If I were setting up that tank I would go with two Seachem Tidal 110s or two Marineland PRO 450s. A combo of acei, yellow labs, rusty cichlids, saulosi, and red zebras would look cool. The acei get bigger but they aren't very aggressive.
I know I’m late but what fish is the light blue with the darker blue stripes. Picked up 2 “assorted” cichlids that look exactly like that for $3 To the left at 0:56 seconds, I think it’s a demasoni cichlid correct me if I’m wrong!
I used to have a firemouth cichlid. Then I decided to add a smaller one, hoping they would form a pair. The new one got killed in about an hour, before I was able to realise it wasn't just some chasing around.
Could you give a good list of colorful mbunas with M:F ratio for a 75? I fell in love with the recommendations you gave in the 40 gallon video, but I want to start fresh with a 75.
I'm a big fan of Yellow Labs, Saulosi, Rusty Cichlids, Socolofi, and Red Zebras in a 75 gallon - you'll get blues, yellow, purple, orange - all the colors! You could do 1 male for each with 4 females!
What about yellow labs in a 75 gallon? I have heard they have a bit of aggression but are more on the peaceful side? I have a good bit of experience on dither fish and catfish aswell as shrimps. I’d love to get into the world of cichlids and I dosent seem to hard as long as I do my homework.
Watched your video on the setup of mbuna tank . It was very informative . My problem is I bought a 150 gallon tank with everything included . Now I know I'm way over my head . I have sand and holey honeycomb rock in the tank . I also have FX6 canister filter and a Seachem 110 filter . I have watched many videos that say put only males in the tank to keep down aggression . I am elderly and a novice . I would appreciate your thoughts and recommendations . Thank You .
A male only tank can be more difficult with mbuna because males and females can look so similar in some cases. I tend not to worry about it with mbuna. Our mbuna cichlid tanks are all mixed.
I started out with 4 baby mbuna and a cleaner fish in my 39 gallon tank have gotten little over around 3 inches long and getting ready to set up a 55 gallon for them with sand instead of gravel thought about getting a different cleaning fish is there any shrimp or so on that is compatible to put in with um and also now also have a baby now and growing well
At the bigining of the video there is a yellow fish with black spots in it, what is the name?? Someone gave me a few but I have not found the name and I think it's not an OB, please advise on the mane
Hi, great video. I'm moving to a African chiclid setup. I want to do mbuna. I have a 4 ft roughly 180 litres. I love the look of this tank. The colours are great. Can you help me out with a list of the fish you have in this tank and a rough stocking capacity. Thanks in advance 🤙
Hi Jason. Beautiful fish and a lovely hardscape. Off topic but I have a question for you. What should be the ideal gap between the top of a tank and the tank above it? Is 6 inches good enough for regular maintenance or should it be 9 inches? In the process of planning a fish room and super inspired by your videos
Prime Time Aquatics thanks Jason. Very thoughtful about the decorations. But 12 inches is a luxury I cannot afford. Planning to stack 3 tanks vertically. Don’t want the topmost tank to be too high, would defeat the purpose. I want to enjoy the fishes
Hey guys im a newby to mbunas & really like them & other cichlids. But I have a 40g br & wonder how many of the smaller mbunas can i add to the 40g brdr... tyvm
I tried putting a small cichlid in my tank i rearranged the rocks plants and everything and he got beat up so I gotta get full grown ones but I can’t seem to find 3 female 3 inch yellow labs but I’ll keep looking and ask my LFS to order some
I have some fry from some of The adults in a different tank, they are about 3months old in this moment and about 2cm big, i have realy Wonder when i can put them back to The adult tank,? How big do they need to be,,? Hope to get a answer. Best regards from sweden, keep up The awsome videos.
Very cool that you got fry! I try to wait until they are big enough that they won't get eaten. I've found it easier to add smaller juveniles to established mbuna tanks because the adults often don't see them as a threat.
where did you get that rock formation. I like the black background. i have been debating universal rocks vs painted. moving up to a 125 gallon tank. Have taken many of your suggestions.
Need advice - getting back into the hobby, how many should I add for the very first time? All of them? Little by little? I have a 75g, currently cycling. I want to get them small, just not sure how many right off the bat. Thanks for any help!
Starting with a group of 1-2" mbuna usually works out best. Once the tank is well-cycled with a decent amount of beneficial bacteria, I generally start with at least 15 and wait a couple weeks to make sure the microbes are taking care of the bio-load and add another 10 or so. Keep in mind I always start with cycled media, so this is easy for me to do.
Prime Time Aquatics Perfect thanks, that’s what I was kind of thinking but this gives me a good base to work with. Thank you so much for your response!
Hi, I love your work. I have a 55 gal, what would be your recommend amount of mbunas to put in it. I want to overstock. And should I put them in all at once or every week
It might be better to add them over the courses of weeks if the tank is new and just recently cycled. In a 55 gallon you could probably get to a max of 14-18?
@@PrimeTimeAquatics thank you for the guide. I had fish in it but decided to make some changes I replaced the rocks with a cichlid substrate and I took out about 80% of the water. Again thank you
OBs have worked well with mbuna. They tend to be fairly aggressive. Less aggressive mbuna like yellow labs, rusty cichlids and saulosi have also worked for me as well. It doesn't always work, and I always recommend a back up plan. :-)
Hi Jason. I have 5 yellow labs ( young ones 2" avg ) in a 44 gal. I am hoping they will breed at some point when they get bigger. I also like the yellow tail acei. Would be ok to add a few of them ? 4-6 ? Thanks.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Ok good to know. I won’t add them. Maybe I’ll just go with the Yellow Labs. Or if there are a few other types you can recommend? Thanks for taking the time to get back to me. 👍👍
I have always had the most success buying juveniles as well. When ive added adult fish even in groups they have had more aggression. If they grow up together they seem to do better, especially if i add the whole community at the same time.
If you like mbuna cichlids check out these species profiles to learn more!
Pseudotropheus saulosi: ruclips.net/video/bw00qEP23UU/видео.html
Pseudotropheus acei: ruclips.net/video/e1e7_0ylHvw/видео.html
Red Zebra Cichlid: ruclips.net/video/fysn81uzgxw/видео.html
If you want to see more behind the scenes stuff, exclusive videos and support the channel consider becoming a member! ruclips.net/channel/UCYVN7EN0ALL6CE4U7NpMUTAjoin
Also, our new shirts can be found at: www.primetimeaquatics.com/merch
For the latest in the fish room check us out on Instagram primetime_aquatics
Do you think a 50 gallon lowboy 2ft by 4ft 10in tall would work for mbuna
I have a 250 gallon cichlid tank and a 500 gallon saltwater
3 years later I'm still watching this and getting ready to set up my first mbuna tank
Have fun!
Lol. Better to be over prepared than underprepared. Hope it goes well. Just starting my research 👍
How did it go and do you still have the tank?
@@iGodVoltage I do and it is doing well. I had a few issues with too many males at first but it's settled down now and doing good!
@@dan_e how big was the tank?
Excellent info! I’ve watched this video over and over so I can be ready for my own Mbuna tank.
After waiting a year to set up my 75 gal, I’m finally adding the fish now and they are amazing!!!
Thank you Jason for all the great info! !!!
That is so cool! Hope you enjoy them!
Setting mine up over the next 3 days going 40gal breeder I always wanted one and thanks to Jason and Prime Time Aquatics I have the know how. Thank you guys for doing what you do.
Dude, this is the first “older” video I’ve watched of yours… looks like you’ve been making some gainz over the years man 💪😎
Nice video! I’ve learned over the years to over stock, rearrange decor frequently to confuse territory, feed often in small portions. You will also have one or two that are a pain to the community! I have had to put them in time out! Mbunas are a fun species!
What food you fed them?
@@PUSSYMEOW 9:35
I started my mbuna tank 8 or 9 months ago, I wanted pretty fish that weren't aggressive (had problems with that before), and I didn't want them to grow too large for the tank. So I picked Yellow Lab, Rusty Cichlids and C.Afra Jalo Reef.
That's a combo I don't hear much about (although you guys at P.T.Aquatics talked about pairing rusties and labs), but it seems to be working great.
They should all stay under 4", and right now I have the tank over stocked, but they're breeding like crazy, and some of the fry always seem to survive.
I service the tank a couple times a week, but I am willing to do the work so long as the fish are doing well.
Thanks for all the great info from this channel, I feel like one of the reasons I am seeing success is all the info you guys give.
:)
Very cool!
I am a beginner but my tank had been setup by a close friend..the more I’m watching I need more structure in my tank. Your video had been very helpful bc I’ve been having problems with one fish being a “bully” to one fish
Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
So far these videos in this playlist is very informative. I to love the Mbuna Cichlids. I %100 agree Mbuna keeping isn't for everyone. Also I myself have had great success with them. I do have a smaller tank than the 1 you keep them in however they are thriving great. I even got LUCKY and have some other types people say don't really fit in. I would say for me its all about how I add new fish. Sometimes I take out the more aggressive fish and add any new one's then add back the others fish 30 mins or so after..
My Red Zebra vies for tank boss with my female kenyi. Thanks for all the information. It is how I chose my fish😊
Just started a 55g Mbuna tank. Thanks for these videos. They are a big help. God Bless.
Thank you!
Thanks setting up a tank today been cycling this for weeks . Been working on getting water perfect id like for them to breed but also variety fibally found some in my area im excited thanks for all the info very helpful i tried to find pics of the more aggresive ones you stated to not accidently mix those in 😂 wish me luck
Have fun!
They are one of my favorites because they are beautiful
YES,my mature community mbuna tank has great suscess adding new tankmates of 1/1.5 "
Love your video it really helped give some background to mbuna. I have recently set up a african cichlid tank for my kids. I bought the fish from a pet store that has an aquarium section. My kids picked the fish due to the colours. I have a 200l tank with sand, lots of rocks and around 20 fish. I don't know the types of the fish just the colours. We have the blue and yellow fish you have and some orange mbuna. I was advised about the pH, nitrates and using algae flakes as food. This was as much as I was told and I was very nieve not realising how difficult this type of fish would be.
I have had 3 fish die over the last 6 weeks. Usually one seems to stop feeding and hangs out on the bottom of the tank then does. The tank seems fine then it starts again. I can't see any fish seem to bully the rest or see any sign of bloat. I now realise this was not the type of fish I should have started with but now I have 20 fish and I really Dnt want anymore of them to suffer then die. Can anyone please offer me some advice on how to set up a happy tank for these fish? I am not sure where else to turn. The original pet store Dnt seem to be very helpful now I have taken the fish home.
Thanks in advance if anyone helps x
If I were keeping 20 mbuna I would probably want at least a 55 gallon tank with some rock work. Once they have that they tend to settle in.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics thank you for your reply. I will see if I can return some of the bigger fish giving the smaller ones room to grow. X
Cichlids, will definitely give them a shot in the future but they seem like they can be stressful at first. Thanks for the tips.
They can be at first. They get easier the longer you keep them. : -)
Your videos are great. So full of information and incite. I always feel like I’ve learned something or received an informed opinion after watching. Thanks for taking the time to share
Thank you Mike! Glad they are helpful and I appreciate you watching.
Insight. Incite to violence etc
Jason,
I am about to setup a MBUNA tank as well. I am beefing up my stand and going to reseal my 100 gal tank because I don’t know how old the tank is and I am going to beef up the corners with black silicone and the bottom. It’s a 4 ft tank but it’s tall. I am going to build a rock structure in the center of the tank so the fish can go in and out through the caves. Hence why I am beefing up the stand rocks are heavy.
That’s cool! Have fun!
Thank you for the info Jason
Such a great video. Awesome information brother
Thank you!
Very nice Mbunas. I know it's wrong but I went ahead a crammed a dozen or so in a 29 gallon (mostly Zebras) w no problems. Lotsa slate and rockwork
I have a group growing out in a 23 bow front without any issues. Curious what they will do when full grown.
I add at least 5 Mbunas at a the same time 👍. All 1.5 to 2 inches small
Awesome video full of Information. We have a 75 gallon mbuna tank of red zebras,demasoni, yellow labs, socolofi, rusty, and yellow tail acai. 30 er so mbuna with a sailfin pleco and synodontis catfish. Run a fluval fx4, emperor 400 hob and a green machine internal filtration. There's chasing here n there but when we notice we move around the rocks and plants and this seems to curb their behavior. 8.2 ph 78 degrees hard water with salt additive. Mechanical and biological in fx4, chemical in hob for easy maintenance.
Sounds like a great setup!
all i had to see were mbuna and you got my sub
Woohoo!
Great video, thank you. I went ahead and purchased all of my Mbundu as babies even 1 demasoni and they have been together a few months now now doing well. I’m not sure what the future holds however at this moment I’m very happy they are doing well. Thanks for the info.
Thanks for the helpful advice re: auratus and demasoni.
Thanks for watching! I've seen auratus destroy more than one tank. :-)
Those are really cool rock structures! I'm very impressed with how peaceful your tanks are. Thank you for sharing your great video!
Thank you! It's been an enjoyable tank.
Prime Time Aquatics you're welcome.
love the info Question would i be wasting my time doing a waterfall in a Mbuna tank 220 gallon
Possibly - they love to dig things up!
I've 100% this time agree with your video I have kept mbuna for years at present I don't keep any more I just keep shell dwellers now but I agree you one setup never works for another set up all these fish have different attitudes but you know what's funny I have found peacocks to be just as aggressive as mbuna at times in all peacock tank
I feel the same. The peacocks really give me fits sometimes!
Another great video from PTA... 👍🏻👍🏻
Also just curious if you have a recommendation on a good source for mbuna types and info.
Love your channel! Great info
Hope Z Thank you! Appreciate you watching.
Lovely Mbuna aquarium, Jason. You have managed the aggression very well. I think the key with these fish is overcrowding for the reasons you describe. High levels of filtration are part and parcel with that strategy. Curious to know your favorite Mbuna out of the ones you are keeping?
Even though they’re not the highest quality, I think the Johanni’s are my favorite. 😀
I have been keeping Mbuna's for many years. I have a yellow lab only tank now, just seems easier with one species, less aggresion. They have all grown up together from fry. They had been breeding and a few fry surviving. Just last week not sure what happened. I think the male dominance is shifting and a young male was singled out and didn't survive so sad. All seems calm now with an older male seeming to be OK with taking a less dominant role. I also do change around the landscape to stop agression. It seems to work. They are too busy finding new homes to get aggresive. For the most part my tank has been peacful for years. I am going to try and get some areas for fry to hide so maybe I can get a few more fish. Right now I have a 90 gallon with 9 adult fish. One hang on back and one sponge filter a few Anubias plants and water lettuce floaters. Oh yes and my pleco and nerite snails. Thanks for the video really informative.
I keep vastly more decorations in the tank for hiding. Also dither fish and crayfish help round out the tank.
I had a peaceful tank and introduced two blue dolphins. It was all good till one of them got bigger and then he became a bully. He bullied my peaceful acei (favorite mbuna) so bad that I wanted to squeeze him to death so I traded him (the dolphin) to my friend for two yellow labs. I Quarantined the labs but suddenly my Acei was bullying everything in site as bad as the dolphin was so I crossed my fingers even though my buddies tank and fish are well kept and put the labs in the community tank and the Acei in the 55 gallon Q tank. It worked out so well that I decided to buy another Q tank and let the Acei keep the 55 gallon, got two females for him and Im sure he thinks Life's never been so good. Thanks for the inspiring and informational videos.
Nice story - it's all about finding balance. Sounds like you were able to do that!
Can you tell me how you attached the plant to the top?
Another great informative video mate
Thank you!
Very Nice Aquascape!
That t shirt is the bees knees man and great vid as always
Thank you!
Can you please make one for Malawi peacocks as well? I watched many videos featuring your 75 and 125 housing same and the Livestream, it would be great to have a short version that goes over important things.
That fish wasnt playing about his corner 😆😆
I know! :-)
At 5 minutes into the video, what kind of rocks are the cliff looking white rocks that are stacked?
Thanks for great advice.
Thank you for watching!
Very informative. Please help me out with my stock. I am planning to get a 50g or 55g and want to so mbuna. Which type are for beginners and how many? I keep reading to overstock them? Nd also heard to get crushed coral substrate to keep ph high
Sounds like you are in the right track - pseudotropheus saulosi, yellow labs and rusty cichlids are all good options. In a 55 gallon - maybe 12-15 in total?
Hi u got some baby's frome my black and blue i got 20 of them love this fish
I got a nice albino Carrot Top I love to find a female for him
Hello Jason, first of all thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge. I have two questions and i would be very thankfull if you can answer me. If i set up mbuna tank with combination of (yellow labs, pseudotropheus Saulosi and acei, Rusty cichlid and maybe red zebras) is it safer to keep females only to minimize the aggression? And also can i keep sterbai corrys and/or hillstream loaches with them? Thank you
Great questions - I would put any Cory cats in with these guys. Sometimes more assertive loaches like Berdmorei work though. The all females can be tough because they are difficult to distinguish from males until they are older. At that point you may be better off getting juvenile mbuna and let them grow up together.
@PrimeTimeAquatics Thank you for your answer i really appreciate it. What number and ratio of the mbunas i am referring do you suggest for 800Liter tank 🙏
I got 3 yellow labs 2 red jewels, 2 electric blue johannis 1 pleco in a 55. All get along just fine no issues
Just thinking about getting a mbuna Cichlid tank going and I didn’t know that that was the red zebra. Do you have a video where you identify mbunas by sight? I looked but there’s so many videos. Where I buy cichlids, they sell them as assorted.
I have a species profile on Acei, Red Zebra and Saulosi - I can't remember if I have done others?
Can you list the types of food you use? Much appreciated
This may help:ruclips.net/video/18zLyt4h-A8/видео.html
Hello, i just subscribed. Great video... at around the 5 minute mark in the tank you moved one of the mbuna to because he was having a hard time in the other aquarium... what type of rocks are you stacking in that tank? I hope you didnt mention that in the video and i missed it.
How can you tell male or female in the bright orange one?
Makes take on an almost iridescent orange.
Both my father and I on top of our 55 gallon African and our 55 gallon South American tank each have kept a 29 gallon Mbuna tank with great success. We’ve kept strictly Zebras and Labidochromis in those tanks with a 3:1 male-female ratio and they’ve both done very well with only 1 fatality in my tank which happened while I was on a business trip and my father has had none. We’ve kept 5-7 cichlids in there at a time and have had no territory or aggression issues with mating. A lot of people said we got extremely lucky but I beg to differ as it’s hard to get the same lighting to strike twice. A lot of people in the last 5 years have said I’m “abusing those poor fish” and not giving them enough space to swim. They’ve been quite happy with plenty of hiding spots for them and they’ve bred well. Maybe too well so I’ve had to make donations as the fry have grown but at maximum my largest fish is my blue zebra at 4 inches and it’s a male. It’s very possible to keep mbuna’s in a 29G tank, you just can’t be stupid about it and it does require some extra work to make it possible. But it’s far from impossible. I would only recommend it to experienced hobbyist who have had experience with Mbuna cichlids but it’s been a real joy.
Hello Jason I NEED HELP my Mbuna cichlids have red at the base of pectoral fins I don’t know why and I don’t know what to do I just know that it wasn’t always like that
Could be due to fighting or possibly fin rot? If it gets worse you could try something like Erythromycin?
@@PrimeTimeAquaticsthank you for taking the time to answer my question. Is there any way I can send you a photo of my fish? Just want to get to the bottom of it. Thank you, again
I've watched this video like 6 times now lol. I wanted to get your thoughts on the best temperature to keep my mbunas at. 79-80 is where mine are at currently and I had them at 78 and they did seem a bit more aggressive but they seem to be a bit more skiddish at 80 if that makes any sense lol. Appreciate the other tips on this video they have really helped. I now have a 125gal with mbunas and a 75gal with about 25 white lab fry and more to come. Of course if I can catch the females holding lol.
I run them between 78-80.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics. Ok so good to hear reinforcement on range. It's all over the place when you Google search it. Thank you very much and I hope we can make it to Aquashella to see you guys again!
Love that rock. I have always wanted to get some but I can't wrap my head around spending that kinda money on rocks. DIG THE VID. STAY FUNKY
Ya, the rocks were more than the fish! Haha
1. Over stock
2 filter well
3 low protein diet
4 lots of rock
5 dont nee a deep tank as they often stay in the rock area lower down
6 when quarantining your fish dont put any rocks or decor in (this gives them a territory to fight over )
Thanks for sharing!
Build up your rocks so they go up to at least half the depth of the tank. You can keep more because they will spread out. Make sure there are loads of caves.
@@Jezza_One true I went from just a bottom layer rocks with some crevices, now have them stacked multi-layered halfway up and the fish are far more active
Question how can you get Kennyi with electric yellow unfortunately I tried and my Kennyi killed my electric yellow cichlid
I started them together when they were young. That may have helped.
i have a 20g tank with a blue maingano only gets 3" calm down, think i could get away with another mbuna that gets 3" or smaller?
I usually can't get mbuna to work in anything less than a 40 breeder or 4ft tank long term.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics okay figured adding another would be pushing it. Any suggestions? Was thinking a African catfish
Will 3 yellow labs, and 3 electric blue johannis do for a 30 gallon?
Watching your video . I have a 150 gallon tank ' would appreciate your pick of mbunas (same size) and what type of rock to use . What about filtration for the tank .
If I were setting up that tank I would go with two Seachem Tidal 110s or two Marineland PRO 450s. A combo of acei, yellow labs, rusty cichlids, saulosi, and red zebras would look cool. The acei get bigger but they aren't very aggressive.
Hey jayson quick question
I know I’m late but what fish is the light blue with the darker blue stripes. Picked up 2 “assorted” cichlids that look exactly like that for $3
To the left at 0:56 seconds, I think it’s a demasoni cichlid correct me if I’m wrong!
That is Metriaclima elongotus.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics thank you. I think I’ve got kenyi cichlid by accident. Looks to be 2 females, are they ok with my labs ?? All roughly 1.5 inch
What type are the larger fish with the yellow tails
Paeudotropheus acei
I used to have a firemouth cichlid. Then I decided to add a smaller one, hoping they would form a pair. The new one got killed in about an hour, before I was able to realise it wasn't just some chasing around.
Sorry that happened.
Could you give a good list of colorful mbunas with M:F ratio for a 75? I fell in love with the recommendations you gave in the 40 gallon video, but I want to start fresh with a 75.
I'm a big fan of Yellow Labs, Saulosi, Rusty Cichlids, Socolofi, and Red Zebras in a 75 gallon - you'll get blues, yellow, purple, orange - all the colors! You could do 1 male for each with 4 females!
What about yellow labs in a 75 gallon? I have heard they have a bit of aggression but are more on the peaceful side? I have a good bit of experience on dither fish and catfish aswell as shrimps. I’d love to get into the world of cichlids and I dosent seem to hard as long as I do my homework.
They do well in a 75.
Watched your video on the setup of mbuna tank . It was very informative . My problem is I bought a 150 gallon tank with everything included . Now I know I'm way over my head . I have sand and holey honeycomb rock in the tank . I also have FX6 canister filter and a Seachem 110 filter . I have watched many videos that say put only males in the tank to keep down aggression . I am elderly and a novice . I would appreciate your thoughts and recommendations . Thank You .
A male only tank can be more difficult with mbuna because males and females can look so similar in some cases. I tend not to worry about it with mbuna. Our mbuna cichlid tanks are all mixed.
I started out with 4 baby mbuna and a cleaner fish in my 39 gallon tank have gotten little over around 3 inches long and getting ready to set up a 55 gallon for them with sand instead of gravel thought about getting a different cleaning fish is there any shrimp or so on that is compatible to put in with um and also now also have a baby now and growing well
4:57 what kind of rock are you using in that tank?
I have Texas Holey Rock in the 75 gallon.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics the brick 🧱 looking ones. Thank you so much by the way 🙏🏻
At the bigining of the video there is a yellow fish with black spots in it, what is the name?? Someone gave me a few but I have not found the name and I think it's not an OB, please advise on the mane
That may be the OB Red Zebra?
So for a 75 gallon how many mbuna is the happy number? 20 I'm thinking
Ya, around 20 is good.
Hi, great video. I'm moving to a African chiclid setup. I want to do mbuna.
I have a 4 ft roughly 180 litres.
I love the look of this tank. The colours are great. Can you help me out with a list of the fish you have in this tank and a rough stocking capacity. Thanks in advance 🤙
I might go with 6 pseudotropheus saulosi and maybe 6 rusty cichlids?
Amazing ❤️
Hi there how many mbuna cichlid can go in 40 breeder tank
I usually do 12-15
Subbed ! Question ...can I keep the yellow labs with electric blue acara ?
I’ve seen people do it. I don’t only because the chances of the yellow labs being a little too much for the acara later on are too high for me.
The long light blue fish with horizontal lines. What's the name of fish
That is a Johanni cichlid.
I am new in this fish hobby. I have a 15 gallon tank with a dozen 1 inch juvenile auratus
Jesse Jaway Those are some of the meanest mbuna out there! You’ll probably want to move them out quick before you wind up with one! 😀
Hi Jason. Beautiful fish and a lovely hardscape.
Off topic but I have a question for you.
What should be the ideal gap between the top of a tank and the tank above it? Is 6 inches good enough for regular maintenance or should it be 9 inches?
In the process of planning a fish room and super inspired by your videos
For me it depends on the size of the tank because larger tanks require larger decorations. I shoot for 10 - 12" generally. Great question!
Prime Time Aquatics thanks Jason. Very thoughtful about the decorations. But 12 inches is a luxury I cannot afford. Planning to stack 3 tanks vertically.
Don’t want the topmost tank to be too high, would defeat the purpose.
I want to enjoy the fishes
Hey guys im a newby to mbunas & really like them & other cichlids. But I have a 40g br & wonder how many of the smaller mbunas can i add to the 40g brdr... tyvm
10-12 would probably work.
Would you consider Kenyi extremely aggressive
No, I would say moderately aggressive. Females are easier to keep. Males can be a little rough though.
Very nice aquarium.
Thank you!
can i put lots of plants in a tank
Mbuna eat most plants
I tried putting a small cichlid in my tank i rearranged the rocks plants and everything and he got beat up so I gotta get full grown ones but I can’t seem to find 3 female 3 inch yellow labs but I’ll keep looking and ask my LFS to order some
I have some fry from some of The adults in a different tank, they are about 3months old in this moment and about 2cm big, i have realy Wonder when i can put them back to The adult tank,? How big do they need to be,,? Hope to get a answer. Best regards from sweden, keep up The awsome videos.
Very cool that you got fry! I try to wait until they are big enough that they won't get eaten. I've found it easier to add smaller juveniles to established mbuna tanks because the adults often don't see them as a threat.
Why do you choose to have two filters ??
More for water movement in larger tanks.
Thank you I was wondering I’m setting up a 40 gallon breeder so wanted to see if I needed a second filter
What bottom feeders to you recommend with them I have a 55 gal
I kept bristlenose plecos with mine.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics I have one already but he’s incredibly fat and lazy 😂
where did you get that rock formation. I like the black background. i have been debating universal rocks vs painted. moving up to a 125 gallon tank. Have taken many of your suggestions.
It’s actually three different rocks that I got from my local pet store. Painting is a lot cheaper, but the Universal Rocks looks cool!
What size pump are u using to power those sponge filters?? Thanks
Had 2 3-inch Mbuna with my 6inch Dempsey+ 5 bluegill (wild) and 1 baby LM Bass. Lasted 2 months then the bass tried to eat my cichlids.
Can someone plz tell me what’s the orange fish with the small black spots on it , I’ve been trying to figure it out for the longest
That is a Blotched Red Zebra.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics thank you soo much , it’s been a pain trying to identify what it was 😅
Need advice - getting back into the hobby, how many should I add for the very first time? All of them? Little by little? I have a 75g, currently cycling. I want to get them small, just not sure how many right off the bat. Thanks for any help!
Starting with a group of 1-2" mbuna usually works out best. Once the tank is well-cycled with a decent amount of beneficial bacteria, I generally start with at least 15 and wait a couple weeks to make sure the microbes are taking care of the bio-load and add another 10 or so. Keep in mind I always start with cycled media, so this is easy for me to do.
Prime Time Aquatics Perfect thanks, that’s what I was kind of thinking but this gives me a good base to work with. Thank you so much for your response!
Hi, I love your work. I have a 55 gal, what would be your recommend amount of mbunas to put in it. I want to overstock. And should I put them in all at once or every week
It might be better to add them over the courses of weeks if the tank is new and just recently cycled. In a 55 gallon you could probably get to a max of 14-18?
@@PrimeTimeAquatics thank you for the guide. I had fish in it but decided to make some changes I replaced the rocks with a cichlid substrate and I took out about 80% of the water. Again thank you
Have you ever tried keeping them with peacocks? I think I will add a ob peacock to my mbuna tank.
OBs have worked well with mbuna. They tend to be fairly aggressive. Less aggressive mbuna like yellow labs, rusty cichlids and saulosi have also worked for me as well. It doesn't always work, and I always recommend a back up plan. :-)
Hi Jason. I have 5 yellow labs ( young ones 2" avg ) in a 44 gal. I am hoping they will breed at some point when they get bigger. I also like the yellow tail acei. Would be ok to add a few of them ? 4-6 ? Thanks.
I probably wouldn’t add the Acei - they are one of the larger mbuna and can reach 6-7”.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Ok good to know. I won’t add them. Maybe I’ll just go with the Yellow Labs. Or if there are a few other types you can recommend? Thanks for taking the time to get back to me. 👍👍
Can u add live plants with these fish?
They usually eat them
Hi Jason, what is the reasoning behind using sponge filters in combination with a HOB filter?
Prob more filtration
Wow how big are those mbuna?
Mostly full size - anywhere between 4-7" depending on the species.
I have always had the most success buying juveniles as well. When ive added adult fish even in groups they have had more aggression. If they grow up together they seem to do better, especially if i add the whole community at the same time.
They seem to establish the hierarchy more peacefully when young.
How long did it take for them to get that big. Thanks!!!
They grow decently fast. Maybe 1.5 years?