The Cichlids from Lake Malawi are some of the most colorful fish available to hobbyists, and also some of the most interesting. The ones that inhabit the rocky areas of this African lake are known as “Mbuna”, (pronounced “emboona”) while the ones that like the more sandy-like areas are known as “Utakas.” The Mbuna are the focus of this article.
These fish are sometimes known as “freshwater coral reef fish,” due totheir incredible colors. Almost all of them are mouthbrooders, that is they raise their fry in their mouth instead of laying eggs. Few groups of fish are mouthbrooders, making them very unique. Breeding will not be discussed right now though, we will talk about how to keep these fish in this article. There is a group of Malawi Cichlids called “peacocks.” They are not to be combined with the true-mbuna, as they are less aggressive.
The tank:
The ideal tank for Mbuna is a biotope tank for Lake Malawi. This means
only fish from
that lake in there. No Central American or Lake Tanganiyan Cichlids
should be kept with
them. A 55 gallon is usually sufficient for a nice community, while 30
gallon is suitable
for most species tanks. Always keep a female if you only want one of
that species (even
though it is possible to keep just one male, and it may be more
desirable to do so if you
have a more aggressive tank). If you want to breed them., and want a
group of them,
always keep only 1 male, with 2-5 females. The tank should not be extra
high, and longtanks are always better.
The Substrate :
Gravel is fine, however the size of the gravel may be determined on howmuch
your species are known to dig. Pick a dark color substrate, or else the
colors tend to fade
against lighter colors. Another good substrate is crushed coral,
however it is usually light
in color. There is a dark-colored version of it out now as well, but is
rare here inMaryland. This does offer the advantage of buffering the water, and
keeping pH high and
steady. A note on sand: This substrate dirty and anaerobic in no
time. Always clean your
substrate when you do your water changes. If not, you will not notice
the effects right
away, but not too far down the line you will have a tank with a very
acidic pH and water
high in waste levels. It is even worse with sand, as sulfuric-based
compounds can quickly
build up that are very lethal to fish if released into the water
column. One last note is that
when you are doing a complete cleaning or replacement, never clean more
than 1/3 of thesubstrate at a time, or you will lose your bacteria bed.
The Rocks:
These fish need a lot of rocks in their tank, or else aggression will
run wild, or they will be
uncomfortable and be very insecure. Also, pick darker colored rocks.
For rocks, it is
preferable to have them be porous, so water can pass through them. Lava
rock is good
for example, however some people claim that the rough edges can hurt the
fish, and their
mouths. Large flat rocks work really nicely for them. Place rocks
always down on the
substrate, and push gravel around them, or these fish will knock over
your piles in an
instant. You may wish to use an aquarium-safe silicone glue to put your
rocks together
for added stability. I have found that (New and Clean!) PVC pipe works
great for these
fish. I put a group of three on the bottom and place a large flat rock
over them to hide
them and keep them from floating. This offers many more hiding places,
more water flow,
and a very stable structure to build on. Rock structures should reach
almost to the top ofthe tank if possible.
Plants and Lighting:
Mbuna tolerate light better than most Cichlids. One or two fluorescent
bulbs is sufficient.
Many plants can be kept with Mbuna, despite common misconceptions. Thegenus
Anubias, Java Fern, Hornwort / Coontail, and Giant Vallis are some of
the main plants
that do well with mbuna. Preferably, put the plants in first, and also
put a few small rocks
around the base of them so they do not get dug up. (Personal Note: I
have found Ps.
Demasoni, and have heard others say the same, to be more of a plant
eater than most
Mbuna, however I have not kept this fish long enough, or with enough
different kinds ofplants, to verify my findings).
Food:
This is very important in keeping Mbuna. Most Mbuna grow to be around 4
inches in the
wild, yet those same ones can grow up to 7 inches in captivity. These
fish are overfed
many times. This is dangerous to them (plus it puts more waste into the
tank) and it can
shorten their livespan. Food should be offered only a couple of times
every other day.
Frequent small feedings are much better to exercise. Typical Mbuna food
is: Brine
shrimp--frozen or live once a week. A couple leafs of Romaine lettuce aweek.
Bloodworm, plankton occasionally. A good quality flake food. Floating
algae sticks.
And also spirulina flakes should be the staple food. Cichlids grow veryfast. A
well-balanced diet is essential. They will also eat their natural food,
algae, in your tank.
Contrary to popular belief, feeder fish are not their natural diet and
should not be fed.
There are exceptions (M. auratus is known to occasionally eat live fish
in the wild) but
they are few. These are algae-eaters! Just because they will except
feeder fish, it is
immoral to feed them to a fish that does not need it. And no, these
fish are not killers inthe wild.
Water parameters:
Cichlids have evolved at an incredibly fast rate. It still stumps
scientists as to how so
many species came about in such little time. They are very hardy fish,
however two things
have always been their downfall. The one is acid water, the second is
cold water, the
second being more harmful to them in my opinion. The pH for mbuna
should be held a
constant 7.5-8.5 for ideal conditions and breeding. This can be
accomplished by crushed
coral substrate somewhat, or one of the many water conditioners on the
market. Thereare some, like perfect pH 8.2, that are very easy to use and
cost-effective. Kent makes
very good products as well. You can buy a simple pH test kit to test
the pH levels. Test
often when starting an aquarium, then like once a month after it has
been running for a few
months. I always buy one with a small scale, because one with
increments of 5-10 is of
little value to a perfectionist. Water quality should be high, easily
done through water
changes of a minimum of 20% every other week. Never change more than50% of the
water at a time unless it is an emergency. I personally change a total
of 60% a month in
my 55 gallon tank, and it takes very little time to do so. With messier
fish like Cichlids,cleaning the gravel is essential at every water change.
I assume that since Cichlids require larger tanks, the beginner aquarist, if informed, will stay away from them at first. Never the less, the basics of fish-keeping apply. Quarantine tanks, good aeration, a background to the tank, mixing your water before hand and letting it set first, etc. should be standard by now. Keeping these fish is a blast, and breeding them, a topic to later be covered (along with choosing your species) is incredibly rewarding. They have become a hobby standard and many people chose themover saltwater fish even. Thanks for educating yourself.
Any further questions on this article may be directed to Mark (the
author) at: