An average mbuna community could hold 30 different species — a large tank 50 or more.

Malawi is a gigantic crevice. This results in a typical male response — fighting — and females who don’t know when to leave will get battered, too. Things got interesting for the haplochromines however, which went through “adaptive radiation” and today comprise around 1,000 species, which is about as many as live in the whole of the North Atlantic! It filled with river water and fish — and these then changed, evolved and adapted to suit their new, lacustrine environment.And it’s big.

All the mbuna, and all the other haplochromines in Lake Malawi are maternal mouthbrooders, meaning that they lay eggs, which are then taken into the female’s mouth where they are incubated, hatched, and then finally spat out as fully formed fry.This paid dividends for the early cichlid colonisers of the lake bed as even breeding females were not tied down to any one small patch for a month at a time and instead could be upwardly mobile, go forth and colonise. Those with scaled-up kettles and hard tapwater will do really well with mbuna — these aren’t fish for soft, acidic water conditions. I've seen some Mbuna live for upwards of 7 years, some not as many. If you continue to use this site we’ll assume you’re happy to receive all cookies. You have lots of filtration and lots of aeration, so go wild (filter bacteria levels permitting), and quickly build up a high number of similarly sized, similarly aged (ideally young, sub 5cm/2in fish).

Melanochromis auratus is probably the most widely available, with juveniles displaying attractive humbug patterning. 'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman dies of cancer Vitamin B could help prevent 'worst outcomes' in COVIDDoes the insect repellent Citriodiol really kill COVID? Adequate nutrition is obviously important to the fish's growth, but environmental quality also determine's a cichlid’s growth rate and his health over a lifetime. I know, I’m confused by that too. The name mbuna means "rockfish" in the language of the Tonga people of Malawi. The uninitiated wouldn’t know that a female was with eggs or fry at all, and the males didn’t have to turn into giants who would then have to defend the fry against all comers, whether fish, bird or reptile.Keep mature males and females together in the home aquarium and they will breed. Most can live more than that pretty easily with proper care.Actually, after a bit of research, its usually agreed on 4-10 years average, depending on the species.Good answer by Ryok. You can sign in to vote the answer.Still have questions? The mbuna as they are known (pronounced mmm-boon-a or mu-boon-a,) are hardy, easy to keep, easy to breed, and widely available.One qualification any aquarium fish needs to become really popular is colour, and mbuna deliver this in swathes. Cichlids are quite popular with hobbyists because of their variety of body shapes and brilliant colors. You should also avoid keeping conspecifi… But I’m sure as heck not complaining about it. To start right with mbuna a 120cm/4ft tank or larger is best. Outnumber a male of each species by at least two females, so that one poor female doesn’t get singled out and harassed.

For the best results you should pair a single male with multiple females rather than keeping more than one male in the same tank. Cichlid paradise!But the fascination doesn’t stop there, as the mbuna deliver a double whammy of appeal by way of how they breed.

Or don’t have any females at all — but you’ll miss out on the joys of breeding. Mbuna are endemic to Lake Malawi in Africa’s Great Rift Valley — a 3,700-mile long trench created by the African tectonic plate tearing apart. So it’s no to reverse osmosis water without adequate amounts of Malawi cichlid salts first being added, and decor should include calcareous, lime-based decor or filter media to keep those minerals high and pH, KH and GH buffered.In the wild mbuna rarely top 7.5–10cm/3–4in total length but fed rich foods in the aquarium they can reach 12.5–15cm/5–6in.