Lake Malawi Cichlids compatibility

S

Sunny

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Jun 24, 2004
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Hi! We are seriously considering having a big tank full of Lake Malawi Cichlids. What other fish could share the tank with them considering that they love higher HP?
Other fish I would like to have are Clown Loaches, Severum Cichlids and Gouramis. (Possibly one male Betta) Any suggestions?
 
Most of the fish you cite won't make very good companions for Malawis, in part because they have very different water requirements. Malawis also tend to be pretty aggressive, making it hard to pair them with non-african fish. It's not impossible, but it is not easy to find non-african tankmates.

I've heard of loaches being kept with africans, but I don't think the water requirments for Rift Lake cichlids (very hard, high pH) are optimal for clown loaches. Most gouramies will get beat up pretty bad, and a betta would not last long either. Don't know about severums... not sure they'd tolerate the water parameters, either, but I confess I don't know much about them.

A lot of us keep Rift Lake-only tanks just for this reason. It's easier to find compatible species if you look at those that actually live together in the wild. If you want suggestions in that realm, I sure we could help you out.

HTH,
Jim
 
Ive seen Malawi tanks with plecos in them and they get along fine. Plecos have tough scales so they can put up with alot of crap. You could also try some central american cichlids like Convicts. They are simmilar personality wise and also like a higher Ph. The sevs are very peacefull and will probally get beat up.

-Dan
 
I've done well with a 55g with Scienachromis Frieri, Labidochromis Kimpuma, Red Peacocks and Syno petricola. Steady for 3 years.

The pleco and clowns would likely do okay as replacements for the syno petricolas. However the clown loaches in other african tanks I know of, act as a "health meter" of sorts. The clowns would show stress and problems. You can indeed keep many african cichlids in moderately high pH water (7.4-7.8) which would be better for the clowns after acclimation.

Trumpet snails never took hold in this tank as I keep it at 8.2 pH. The clowns, from what I recall, appreciate trumpet snails for a treat.

As jschmit mentioned tank size is critical. IMO and IME 55g or bigger is required, unless you go with the smallest species.

I would NOT mix american or madagascar cichlids (or any soft water cichlids for that matter) with rifties. To much to even attempt to control or balance, IMO.

HTH
 
Re

It is an 80 gallon tank, and we have been changing our minds about what to put in it for weeks. We would like to make it into a Malawi tank, but now feel very concerned about their agressive tendencies. I mean, we wouldn't want to have a tank full of fish with torn fins. Are these guys really that agressive and if we decide to go with them, will we inevitably have to live with battered fish?
 
An 80 can make a nice cichlid tank. There are lots of species you can choose that make for very nice looking tanks. For cichlid newbies, I think a great starter group would be:

6 yellow labs (Labidochromis caeruleus) - 1 M, 5 F, pretty yellow fish
6 saulosi (Pseudotropheus saulosi) - 1 M, 5 F, nice blue & black stripes
5 petricolas (Synodontis petricola) - amusing, social syno catfish that do well w/cichlids


This would be a pretty tame, but beautiful, cichlid tank.

HTH,
Jim
 
Probably not... you could sub them for the saulosi, although one of the advantages of saulosi is that they aren't as aggressive as many Pseudotropheus species. Zebras are prettty aggressive and you'd be more likely to have trouble with them, especially if the were added to the labs and saulosi. You might also get interbreeding between the saulosi and zebras, and nobody really needs mutts.

You could probably get away with a zebra tank, keeping a colony of 8 to 10 zebras. You'd probably still want some synos, at least a trio, to clean up, though.

HTH,
Jim
 
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