Hi everyone,

I've had a tropical tank for a year now and today I ordered a new 88gal (330 l) tank which I plan to set up as a malawi cichlid tank. I've done some research on what these fish like in terms of water parameters etc but I would like some advice from someone who has experience in keeping these fish. I know of the mbuna species and haps species and that they should not be kept together but that's about it. I plan to do a fishless cycle but perhaps someone could give me some guidance on the following questions.

What's the best substrate to use?
How should I build the caves? How many?
Should I add some plants?
What kind of food to give?
How many fish to start with and how to add fish later?

The person at the LFS where I bought the tank from seems quite knowledgable but I want to compare her advice to that of someone who is not a store owner, yet has experience with these fish.

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45g pentagonal
4 Swordtails, 2 dwarf Gouramis, 5 Mollies, 1 Rainbow Shark, 6 Molly fry 6 zebra danios

88 gal Malawi tank
4 Yellow labs, 1 Baenshi, 2 Borleyis, 3 Trewavas, 2 Livingstonis, 1 Venustus, 2 Green Terrors

as far as substrate! I like the look of sand. Aquaquartz pool filter sand
can be found for under $10. for a 50# bag

The other three! Google Mbuna Cichlid's. There's a ton of info out there
on Mbuna. Go check out the video's on you tube. You'll get some idea's
for setting up your tank.

For substrate I have crushed coral for water hardness and ph, also argonite sand, idk if the pool sand is the same. I also have lime stone for water hardness and ph. I have successfully done what others dont recommend, by having a tank with both malawi and a few tenganikan shell dwellers in the same tank. I dont have any hap variety ( I think) but I think my johannis would be of the mbuna variety and the 2 of them are the rulers of the tank. As for the caves, each fish will want their own spot, so the more the better, just leave them a large portion of swimming space. As for starting out with fish, your going to want them to all be of relatively same size, so the small one dosent get picked on to death, it is also common to slightly overcrowd african cichlids tanks to sort of spread the aggression

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I heard he once packed a bong load that lasted for 8 days and 8 nights

I think most haps are more mild mannered than most, so if you got haps you would want to find others that has the same temperment.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

I'm planning on doing the same with my 75g tank so I have the same questions. But as far as plants go, I'm looking for sea grass rather than plants and no one has told me yet if I have to put a base soil down before I add the pool sand. Can the plant thrive on just being planted in pool sand? Also considering these fish have some really amazing colors what kind of lighting would be use to show them off but at the same time yield good plant growth as well? Thanks Joe

OK, well thanks for the advise so far. The tanks has been delivered and levelled. I'm only going to start the set up in the middle of August when I am back from Holiday. I definitely don't want to rush the setup and I'm taking my time to decide on gravel and decorations. So far I'm more partial to dark substrate with light coloured rocks. I've seen several example tanks in various aquarium stores and I've got some ideas but some more advice from anyone would always be gratefully received.

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45g pentagonal
4 Swordtails, 2 dwarf Gouramis, 5 Mollies, 1 Rainbow Shark, 6 Molly fry 6 zebra danios

88 gal Malawi tank
4 Yellow labs, 1 Baenshi, 2 Borleyis, 3 Trewavas, 2 Livingstonis, 1 Venustus, 2 Green Terrors

you can mix mbunas peacocks and haps from lake malawi just try to buy them as fry and place them in the tank all at once use plenty of base rock. I can get some really nice base rock here in puerto rico just stay away from the melanocromis family auratus. Cichlids that I recommend. mbunas are red blotch zebra,orange blotch zebra, marmalade fuelleborni,blue berry ob zebra, purple lupingu,albino red face Mack, blue lip Williamson,red top ndumbi,red top zebra,elogatus jewel spot, zebra long pelvic mdoka. Peacocks are borleyi red, bicolor 500, German red, sunshine peacock, lemon jake,aulonocara calico,aulonocara hansbaenschi red flash,aulonocara stuartgrant niagara,aulonocara usisya,aulonocara blue orchid.