Question:is it ok if I keep mbuna cichlids in a 10g tank? if not, how about having just one of them? If i can have two of them, what are the things I can do to reduce their aggression and keep them happy? Will he/she be still happy even though I keep only one of them?
thanks!
Answers:
You will be just fine with two Malawi cichlids. The temperament of cichlids varies just as much from fish to fish as dog to dog. That said, both are Malawi, and should be compatible. Make sure you buy roughly the same size mbuna's. In addition, it's a ten gallon so make sure you have an aerator and a place to hide if one is more aggressive than the other.
Hope this helps
You can house a single mbuna in a 10 gallon tank for the duration of its life, provided the tank is adequately filtered and you do regular partial water changes. Two mbunas however will eventually fight as in the wild these fish occupy territories that even for the most peaceful species are three to four square feet.
By placing a lot of rocks, flowerpots, other hiding places in the tank you will may stall of the inevitable carnage for a while. Just remember that by putting in all that deco you are displacing water volume, increasing the need for better filtration more frequent water changes.
Bottom line is, if all you can afford/have room for is a 10 gallon tank, you might want to reconsider mbuna, especially if you think it is "boring" to keep a single fish.
Think of it this way, would you insist on getting a pair of great danes if you lived in a 200 sq. foot apartment, or would you get a couple of chihuahas instead?
That situation very well could work, but most likely would not end well. Mbuna are very diverse so simply picking two you like, especialy if they are different species, is not a good idea. Either way, the level of agression in even the least criminal electric yellow would put the average pet store fish to shame.
What I would recomend is that you look into the shell dwellers of lake Tanganyika (the other major african rift lake) or some of its other inhabitants. The fish tend to be smaller and, in the case of shell dwellers especialy, you can easily have severial fish able to exibit their interesting behaviors in a 10gallon tank.
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