mbuna cichlids ?

[Kamantas]

I keep reading about mbuna cichlids, and many fish stores offers verity of cichlids under the name”mbuna”.
Is mbuna cichlid a name of one fish species or family of its own members?

 

[Rayshot1]

Yeah it's usually a blueish African

 

[Marius]

I keep reading about mbuna cichlids, and many fish stores offers verity of cichlids under the name”mbuna”.
Is mbuna cichlid a name of one fish species or family of its own members?

Mbuna = rock

Mbuna designates a variety of "rock" dwelling small - medium fish, vastly herbivorous or omnivorous species of Lake Malawi. Very active, very aggressive, some full of color (males and females),.others favoring the males ...minimum tank 4' long, required numbers minimum 6/group, preferably 1-2 males, 4 females. Depending on tank size one is limited to the number of groups that one can keep.

 

[mikem2]

In malawi cichlid two main groups are mbuna and utaka. Mbuna "rock fish". MARIUS is wright but not all of them are agressive ie: Labidochromis caruleus.

 

[mike dunagan]

Labs are still in the aggressive category, just more claim comparatively. Still aggressive.

 

[mikem2]

Labs are still in the aggressive category, just more claim comparatively. Still aggressive.

i think they are most peaceful malawi mbunas there is. "Lake malawi cichlids" book from Barron`s page 45 - quote:"...a small, peaceful mbuna that can be maintained in aquariums as small as 25 gallons..."
PEACE

 

[mike dunagan]

Good to quote, but I am stating from experience of keeping and others keeping that yes, they may be more docile, they are still aggressive. Many have had success keeping them with others, but they can still be aggressive, territorial and kill tank mates. I would not keep these fish in a tank as small as 25 gallons.

 

[snova031]

Gotta agree with what was said above...even though yellow labs are generally non-agressive in terms of mbuna, they are still aggressive when compared to general community fish.

 

[mikem2]

Good to quote, but I am stating from experience of keeping and others keeping that yes, they may be more docile, they are still aggressive. Many have had success keeping them with others, but they can still be aggressive, territorial and kill tank mates. I would not keep these fish in a tank as small as 25 gallons.

I agree on the size - too small (but i was only quoting). About agression - i keep a group of 9 (2m + 7f) and they are most pecafull malawi cichlids i have ever had (from mbuna). Teritorial - yes, but if you have enough rocks and big tank - no problem.