If you like mbuna cichlids check out these species profiles to learn more! Pseudotropheus saulosi: th-cam.com/video/bw00qEP23UU/w-d-xo.html Pseudotropheus acei: th-cam.com/video/e1e7_0ylHvw/w-d-xo.html Red Zebra Cichlid: th-cam.com/video/fysn81uzgxw/w-d-xo.html If you want to see more behind the scenes stuff, exclusive videos and support the channel consider becoming a member! th-cam.com/channels/YVN7EN0ALL6CE4U7NpMUTA.htmljoin 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 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
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. :)
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..
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
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
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.
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
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.
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 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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'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!
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.
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
I am pretty sure I have mbunas. Got themreally young from the local Petland store. Yellow ones ,orange, blue w/blk strips, blk/yello/brown horizontal strips, purple w/yellow fins, and one albino(not sure if it's mubuna as he is smaller and a loner) Anyway, I have them in a small 250 gal. back yard pond and kept them alive through a very cold winter this past year here in NW Fl. ($$$$$ on electric bill -but I done it!) Started off with 10, now have like 50! Now they are producing so many fry I don't know what I am gonna do! But all the babies are blue ones and the yel/blk/bro/striped ones. Just for those that might like to know this, I raised 5 gold fish along with them! They got along with them great, but did recently give them away. QUESTION: So how can I figure out if I have female or males in the yellow, orange, purple, and albino/white ones? They are between 4-5". Any help here will be greatly appreciated! GREAT VIDEO! SUBBED!
Yep, sounds like you probably got a mix of yellow labs, red zebra, and kenyi at least. Yellow labs and red zebra males and females look very similar - my males for both just have a little better color and are bigger. If you have Kenyi, the males turn bright yellow and the females stay blue. Those are the most common. The brown may be bumble bee cichlids. The babies could very well be hybrids though and it's hard to be certain the parents were pure breed too since they usually just sell them as "mixed Africans". Congrats on the babies. O, and the females are usually the ones with a mouth full of fry!
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.
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.
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.
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
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, 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
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!
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, 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 🤙
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.
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.
I have found all your videos so helpful. Im limited due to space but what would be better for yellow labs and maingano's... A 40 breeder or a 55? I know the 40 actually has more surface space while the 55 is taller. Which one do you think would be better? And how many can I stock in it? And last question... If they're juveniles, how long can I keep them in the tank before having to upgrade them to a larger tank? Thank you so much!
I think either one is a solid option for the fish you want to stock. Just depends on how much you want to spend and how much wall space you want to dedicate. You could probably go with a total of 10-12 fish.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics well wall space.... We could easily fit a 55 or a 40. The problem was 75g is too heavy. So 10-12 yellow labs and maingano's... All females would be safe? Or would there be aggression between them?
@@PrimeTimeAquatics are those two types of fish more bottom or top swimmers? I think with the 40... I'll have more ability to aqua scape. The 55 seems tight and narrow. But visually looks nice because it's longer. What do you think? Thank you again for always being an inspiration with this hobby.
Okay so I have a choice now of a 55g or 65g.... To stock with yellow labs and maingano's. The 40 breeder is out. 55 is narrow and 4ft long... Or the 3 foot 65g with 18 inches of depth? What's your opinion? Thank you so much and I'm sorry for all the questions.
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
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. 👍👍
Depends on the size tank. Some of the easier ones are Apistos, Bolivian Rams, Kribensis, Keyhole Cichlids, and Curviceps provided you have the right size tank and average water parameters. They can be so much fun!
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.
Jason, I love your Cichlid tanks! I've been thinking of trying Cichlids, but I always heard they were agressive. I've had aquariums for 30+ years. Could you please list the names of the Cichlids you have in your tank so I can research them further? Thanks!
They really are fun to keep. 🙂 In that tank I have yellow labs, johanni, peusdotropheus acei, metriclima elongotus, bumble bee female, red zebra, kenyi, blotched red zebra, blue dolphin and a couple bristle nose plecos.
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!
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
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
If you like mbuna cichlids check out these species profiles to learn more!
Pseudotropheus saulosi: th-cam.com/video/bw00qEP23UU/w-d-xo.html
Pseudotropheus acei: th-cam.com/video/e1e7_0ylHvw/w-d-xo.html
Red Zebra Cichlid: th-cam.com/video/fysn81uzgxw/w-d-xo.html
If you want to see more behind the scenes stuff, exclusive videos and support the channel consider becoming a member! th-cam.com/channels/YVN7EN0ALL6CE4U7NpMUTA.htmljoin
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
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.
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?
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
Dude, this is the first “older” video I’ve watched of yours… looks like you’ve been making some gainz over the years man 💪😎
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!
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!
YES,my mature community mbuna tank has great suscess adding new tankmates of 1/1.5 "
Just started a 55g Mbuna tank. Thanks for these videos. They are a big help. God Bless.
Thank you!
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..
They are one of my favorites because they are beautiful
My Red Zebra vies for tank boss with my female kenyi. Thanks for all the information. It is how I chose my fish😊
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
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!
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.
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!
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. : -)
Such a great video. Awesome information brother
Thank you!
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
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!
Thanks for the helpful advice re: auratus and demasoni.
Thanks for watching! I've seen auratus destroy more than one tank. :-)
I keep vastly more decorations in the tank for hiding. Also dither fish and crayfish help round out the tank.
Thank you for the info Jason
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. 😀
Another great video from PTA... 👍🏻👍🏻
all i had to see were mbuna and you got my sub
Woohoo!
Love your channel! Great info
Hope Z Thank you! Appreciate you watching.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
Can you tell me how you attached the plant to the top?
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!
Also just curious if you have a recommendation on a good source for mbuna types and info.
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 🙏🏻
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.
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.
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?
Very Nice Aquascape!
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 🙏
Thanks for great advice.
Thank you for watching!
Another great informative video mate
Thank you!
That t shirt is the bees knees man and great vid as always
Thank you!
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
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!
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!
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
At 5 minutes into the video, what kind of rocks are the cliff looking white rocks that are stacked?
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.
I am pretty sure I have mbunas. Got themreally young from the local Petland store. Yellow ones ,orange, blue w/blk strips, blk/yello/brown horizontal strips, purple w/yellow fins, and one albino(not sure if it's mubuna as he is smaller and a loner) Anyway, I have them in a small 250 gal. back yard pond and kept them alive through a very cold winter this past year here in NW Fl. ($$$$$ on electric bill -but I done it!) Started off with 10, now have like 50! Now they are producing so many fry I don't know what I am gonna do! But all the babies are blue ones and the yel/blk/bro/striped ones.
Just for those that might like to know this, I raised 5 gold fish along with them! They got along with them great, but did recently give them away.
QUESTION:
So how can I figure out if I have female or males in the yellow, orange, purple, and albino/white ones? They are between 4-5". Any help here will be greatly appreciated!
GREAT VIDEO!
SUBBED!
Yep, sounds like you probably got a mix of yellow labs, red zebra, and kenyi at least. Yellow labs and red zebra males and females look very similar - my males for both just have a little better color and are bigger. If you have Kenyi, the males turn bright yellow and the females stay blue. Those are the most common. The brown may be bumble bee cichlids. The babies could very well be hybrids though and it's hard to be certain the parents were pure breed too since they usually just sell them as "mixed Africans". Congrats on the babies. O, and the females are usually the ones with a mouth full of fry!
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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?
Can you list the types of food you use? Much appreciated
This may help:th-cam.com/video/18zLyt4h-A8/w-d-xo.html
That fish wasnt playing about his corner 😆😆
I know! :-)
Hi Jason, what is the reasoning behind using sponge filters in combination with a HOB filter?
Prob more filtration
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
What size pump are u using to power those sponge filters?? Thanks
I got 3 yellow labs 2 red jewels, 2 electric blue johannis 1 pleco in a 55. All get along just fine no issues
Wow how big are those mbuna?
Mostly full size - anywhere between 4-7" depending on the species.
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!
Would you consider Kenyi extremely aggressive
No, I would say moderately aggressive. Females are easier to keep. Males can be a little rough though.
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, 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?
How long did it take for them to get that big. Thanks!!!
They grow decently fast. Maybe 1.5 years?
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.
Hey jayson quick question
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.
I have found all your videos so helpful. Im limited due to space but what would be better for yellow labs and maingano's... A 40 breeder or a 55? I know the 40 actually has more surface space while the 55 is taller. Which one do you think would be better? And how many can I stock in it? And last question... If they're juveniles, how long can I keep them in the tank before having to upgrade them to a larger tank? Thank you so much!
I think either one is a solid option for the fish you want to stock. Just depends on how much you want to spend and how much wall space you want to dedicate. You could probably go with a total of 10-12 fish.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics well wall space.... We could easily fit a 55 or a 40. The problem was 75g is too heavy. So 10-12 yellow labs and maingano's... All females would be safe? Or would there be aggression between them?
@@PrimeTimeAquatics are those two types of fish more bottom or top swimmers? I think with the 40... I'll have more ability to aqua scape. The 55 seems tight and narrow. But visually looks nice because it's longer. What do you think? Thank you again for always being an inspiration with this hobby.
Okay so I have a choice now of a 55g or 65g.... To stock with yellow labs and maingano's. The 40 breeder is out. 55 is narrow and 4ft long... Or the 3 foot 65g with 18 inches of depth? What's your opinion? Thank you so much and I'm sorry for all the questions.
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
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. 👍👍
Amazing ❤️
What type are the larger fish with the yellow tails
Paeudotropheus acei
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 😂
So I am doing a lot of research on cichlids what ones would you suggest to start out as a beginner since these are the more aggressive and tricky?
Depends on the size tank. Some of the easier ones are Apistos, Bolivian Rams, Kribensis, Keyhole Cichlids, and Curviceps provided you have the right size tank and average water parameters. They can be so much fun!
Thank you 😊
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 got into !African cichlids based on their beauty. I will only have a 38gallon tank. How long before they are too big?
If they are mbuna it doesn't take long before a few of the alpha fish start dominating.
Very nice aquarium.
Thank you!
I'm looking to start up a 30 gallon dwarf mbuna tank with maybe 8 or so of them. Any recommendation on specific species of the dwarf variety?
That can be a tough set-up. I haven't had much long-term success with mbuna in anything less than a 40 breeder.
Thanks Jason, do you think fewer dwarf mbuna could work? Maybe 4-6? Or do you view it as a difficult setup regardless for a 30 gallon tank?
Hi what kind of sand do you used?
In some tanks I use pool filter sand (mbuna tank and a few others), but in many I also use Nat Geo sand, which I prefer.
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.
Jason, I love your Cichlid tanks! I've been thinking of trying Cichlids, but I always heard they were agressive. I've had aquariums for 30+ years. Could you please list the names of the Cichlids you have in your tank so I can research them further? Thanks!
They really are fun to keep. 🙂 In that tank I have yellow labs, johanni, peusdotropheus acei, metriclima elongotus, bumble bee female, red zebra, kenyi, blotched red zebra, blue dolphin and a couple bristle nose plecos.
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!
How can you tell male or female in the bright orange one?
Makes take on an almost iridescent orange.
Omg!!i dnt know witch one better to keep Mbuna or peacok plss give me idea
I think mbuna are easier.
If you have a bigger tank go with peacock. Because they are less aggressive or do both. Buy your peacocks first then add mbunas months later
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! 😀
Can u add live plants with these fish?
They usually eat them
What type of filtration do you have in the 75 gallon tank
I have two sponge filters and a HOB. That combo has been working great!
So for a 75 gallon how many mbuna is the happy number? 20 I'm thinking
Ya, around 20 is good.
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?
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.
7:20 Very beautiful tank you got there!
Did you assemble this rock in anyway or this is how it was shaped in nature?
-Abdullah
It's actually three pieces of rock that I stacked together.