Cichlids Great and Small

`MBUNA`

Mbuna are the smaller algae grazers of Lake Malawi. They are usually located in large groups, but are by no means a schooling fish. In some areas 20 fish per square meter is not uncommon. Males and females generally show distinct sexual dimorphism, with the males being more colorful usually. They are aggressive fish by nature, and in a tank environment care must be given to the amount of fish in the tank as well as the ratio of males to females. In certain species, less dominant males actually acquire female coloration in order to avoid confrontations with the dominant male. In all female groups, many times a dominant female will acquire male coloration. Mbuna, in my opinion, are both overrated and underrated. Overrated because people know of their aggressiveness and want to see a death match, while these fish, although aggressive, have a distinct social structure and are not the full blown chaos someone might expect. Of course, someone who just wants killer pets may have other issues of his own to deal with. They are underrated by many so called "aquarists" because they are very hardy fish, they breed easily, and in general are easy to care for once everything is setup right. I never understood that notion. Personally, I believe that if a fish is difficult to breed and keep, there is a good chance that we should not keep these fish, as we are obviously not in a position to care for them. Besides, most people have only heard of fish that raise and carry their young in their mouths, an outstanding phenomenon to watch in your home!
The species of Mbuna are as follows:
These are:
Cyathochromis
Cynotilapia
Genyochromis
Gephyrochromis
Iodotropheus
Labeotropheus
Labidochromis
Maylandia
Melanochromis
Petrotilapia
PseudotropheusCrabro and Tropheus

Setting up a Mbuna tank is not very difficult, but there are certain things one must keep in mind. There should be a lot of rockwork with sparse planting. A tank full of nice rocks could rival any planted tank, I like to compare it to the beauty of the jungle and the beauty of the desert, or of a canyon.
By following the Set-up link you can find my water parameter, stocking, and designing recommendations, which are based on advise from others, books and my experience. You must, though, remember that these are general guidelines and not etched in stone...So have fun and remember that it is you who determines the quality and longevity of these animals lives.
Piscivore:
Feeds mainly on other fish.

Herbivore:
Eat chiefly algae, but also small crustaceans or anything else found.

Micro-Predator:
Eats mainly tiny crustaceans and micro organisms, but also a large amount of algae

Mbuna are exclusively Herbivores they spend all day scraping algae (and whatever lives in the algae) off the rocky shores of the lake. Of course they will eat moist anything that can fit in thier moutn, however, their digestional tract is made for vegetable matter and if fed a meaty diet they may develop blockage and eventual death. The short stocky bodies of these fish as well as there large tooth ridden mouths are perfectly developed for this typre of feeding. Mbuna, such as the Labeotropheus species are a fine examble of how the shape of the mbuna mouth is deirectly related to thier feeding habit. Feeding Mbuna in an aquarium environment does require some attention.


	Mbuna are the smaller algae grazers of Lake Malawi. They are usually located in large groups, but are by no means a schooling fish. In some areas 20 fish per square meter is not uncommon. Males and females generally show distinct sexual dimorphism, with the males being more colorful usually. They are aggressive fish by nature, and in a tank environment care must be given to the amount of fish in the tank as well as the ratio of males to females. In certain species, less dominant males actually acquire female coloration in order to avoid confrontations with the dominant male. In all female groups, many times a dominant female will acquire male coloration. Mbuna, in my opinion, are both overrated and underrated. Overrated because people know of their aggressiveness and want to see a death match, while these fish, although aggressive, have a distinct social structure and are not the full blown chaos someone might expect. Of course, someone who just wants killer pets may have other issues of his own to deal with. They are underrated by many so called "aquarists" because they are very hardy fish, they breed easily, and in general are easy to care for once everything is setup right. I never understood that notion. Personally, I believe that if a fish is difficult to breed and keep, there is a good chance that we should not keep these fish, as we are obviously not in a position to care for them. Besides, most people have only heard of fish that raise and carry their young in their mouths, an outstanding phenomenon to watch in your home! The species of Mbuna are as follows: These are: Cyathochromis Cynotilapia Genyochromis Gephyrochromis Iodotropheus Labeotropheus Labidochromis Maylandia Melanochromis Petrotilapia PseudotropheusCrabro and Tropheus

	Setting up a Mbuna tank is not very difficult, but there are certain things one must keep in mind. There should be a lot of rockwork with sparse planting. A tank full of nice rocks could rival any planted tank, I like to compare it to the beauty of the jungle and the beauty of the desert, or of a canyon. By following the Set-up link you can find my water parameter, stocking, and designing recommendations, which are based on advise from others, books and my experience. You must, though, remember that these are general guidelines and not etched in stone...So have fun and remember that it is you who determines the quality and longevity of these animals lives.			Piscivore: Feeds mainly on other fish. Herbivore: Eat chiefly algae, but also small crustaceans or anything else found. Micro-Predator: Eats mainly tiny crustaceans and micro organisms, but also a large amount of algae

	Mbuna are exclusively Herbivores they spend all day scraping algae (and whatever lives in the algae) off the rocky shores of the lake. Of course they will eat moist anything that can fit in thier moutn, however, their digestional tract is made for vegetable matter and if fed a meaty diet they may develop blockage and eventual death. The short stocky bodies of these fish as well as there large tooth ridden mouths are perfectly developed for this typre of feeding. Mbuna, such as the Labeotropheus species are a fine examble of how the shape of the mbuna mouth is deirectly related to thier feeding habit. Feeding Mbuna in an aquarium environment does require some attention.