Tank Size and Shape
Minimum 75-gallon (4 ft long) for a Mbuna group. 125-gallon ideal. Wider footprint matters more than height because Mbuna are bottom and mid-water dwellers.
6-foot tanks (180-gallon) are the gold standard — they allow truly mixed species groups.
Rockwork
Mbuna evolved among rocky shorelines. They need caves, ledges, and crevices — every fish should have a personal hiding spot.
Use Texas holey rock, lava rock, or slate. Stack to within 4 inches of the water surface for vertical territory zones.
Anchor rocks to the tank bottom (not the substrate) using egg crate to prevent collapses when fish dig under.
Substrate
Aragonite sand or crushed coral. Both buffer pH upward toward the 8.0–8.4 target. Pool filter sand also works but does not buffer.
Avoid silica sand or freshwater gravel — they don't provide the alkalinity Mbuna need.
Water Parameters
Temperature: 76–82°F (24–28°C).
pH: 7.8–8.6.
GH: 10–20.
KH: 10–18.
Nitrates: under 30 ppm.
Most tap water needs hardness boosting with cichlid mineral salts (Seachem Malawi/Victoria Buffer).
Stocking — The Overstocking Strategy
Mbuna tanks are deliberately overstocked. Why? Aggression spreads across many targets, so no single fish gets bullied to death.
For a 75-gallon: 12–15 Mbuna in a mixed-species group. For 125-gallon: 18–25.
Maintain a 3:1 female-to-male ratio for each species to prevent males from harassing single females to death.
Compatible Species
Yellow Lab (Labidochromis caeruleus): bright yellow, peaceful by Mbuna standards.
Rusty Cichlid (Iodotropheus sprengerae): rust-purple, very peaceful.
Red Zebra (Maylandia estherae): orange-red, moderately aggressive.
Auratus (Melanochromis auratus): black-and-yellow, very aggressive — only for mixed aggressive groups.
Avoid mixing Pseudotropheus demasoni in groups under 12 — they self-cull to one fish.
Diet
Mbuna are herbivores. Spirulina pellets, spirulina flakes, blanched zucchini, blanched spinach, and Repashy Soilent Green.
Avoid high-protein foods (bloodworms, beef heart). They cause Malawi bloat — a fatal intestinal condition.