Lake Malawi (Mbuna and Haps)
Mbuna — rock-dwelling, herbivorous, intensely territorial. Yellow Lab, Demasoni, Acei.
Haps — open water, predatory, more peaceful. Peacock cichlids, Aulonocara.
Lake Tanganyika
Frontosa — pearled cichlids, peaceful, large (12 inches).
Shell-dwellers — small (1-2 inches), live in empty escargot shells.
Tropheus — herbivorous, schooling, demanding.
Tank Requirements
Both: hard alkaline water (pH 8-8.6), warm (78-82°F).
Heavy rock structure for territories. Sand substrate.
Compatibility Reality
Malawi and Tanganyika fish CAN coexist if both prefer same water chemistry.
But personality clashes common. Best to pick one lake and stock fully.
- ✦Crushed coral or aragonite buffers pH and KH
- ✦Overcrowd Mbuna — disperses aggression. Understocked tanks see more fighting
- ✦Avoid live plants except for floaters — Mbuna eat plants