Bottom Feeder Compatibility w/ Mbuna

[rebelliondog206]

I would like to know what bottom feeders are good to keep with Mbuna....

I tried Lace Catfish and had no luck.....maybe they were too small. Of three, one will hopefully recover in my comunity tank. Tail is pretty damaged, but he can still swim. Wish I could have found him earlier.

All the Mbuna are still young....Mbambas and Peacocks just starting to color. Yellow Labs are the clowns in the tank. Mainganos seem calm. Total is 14 in 55 gallons. They have definitely established a pecking order.....a couple are small. But, they all eat and still have all their body parts.

All my water tests have been good so far. Community tank has mollies, danios and cory cats that seem happy (lost one of 6 Dalmatian Mollies unexplained). None of the Mbunas seem/look unhappy or unhealthy.

Mbuna tank was started 2/10.....Community tank since 3/1.

How and what kind of catfish can I introduce to the Mbuna tank?

Someone with experience, please help.....

[VoidParadigm]

Armoured catfish are best, but you're very limited with only 55 gallons.

[kaybee]

I've had luck with other types of synodontis catfish (eupterus/euptera, multipunctatas, and ocellifer).

You mention that the mbuna are still young and that the lace catfish were too small. How large were the lace catfish? Lots of hiding spots for the catfish?

[rhonin]

I have featherfin catfish in a 60g with my mbuna's and doing fine.
One note: the cat was slightly larger than the mbuna's were and he has numerous hiding places he can get to to get out of the way.

The mbuna's are now full size and for the most part they keep the aggression amongst themselves and leave most of the other population alone.

The cat is bigger and wider and can get aggressive if pushed. As it maxes out at 7-8" it works well.

thumbs2:

[rebelliondog206]

I've had luck with other types of synodontis catfish (eupterus/euptera, multipunctatas, and ocellifer).

You mention that the mbuna are still young and that the lace catfish were too small. How large were the lace catfish? Lots of hiding spots for the catfish?

Little Cats are/were about 1 1/2 inches....biggest Mbuna is 3" Maingano. I do have 2 of 4 peacocks that are 3" (maybe less, peacocks are the fastest growing, correct?).

I think the cats had plenty of hiding, places the others could not have gotten in to.

Little research led me to believe that any of the Synodontis species would be ok....more research leads me to believe that Euptera may pick off the smallest of the Mbuna. Multipunctata would be my first choice....none available in my area.

I seem to have a couple of late bloomers....example is one little Mbamba that just is not keeping up with the 2 others. Seems aboout half the size of the others now. Started just a little smaller. Eats and hangs out with the others....just not growing. And does not put up with any bullying by the other fish.

Thanks for the info.......any more ideas will be greatly appreciated.

[kaybee]

I think maybe it was the small size your original catfish that worked against them.

2.5" or larger specimens should do fine.

[rebelliondog206]

Thanks for the quick responses.....

I will try to find some similar in size to the Mbuna. I am also planning to expand the rock-scape some before I do.

The picture shows what I have right now.

[rebelliondog206]

Will be using two Synodontis Petricolas I found....they are as long as the Cichlids in the tank. Very pretty fish.

The downside is that they are now the most expensive in the tank at $20 per fish.....think I got a little bit of a deal as well since that place had sold me the only other Cichlid that died. The 11 others are doing well.....so I think that was just bad luck.