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[_Andy]

I'm thinking of getting one to replace the tank on my nightstand - it will house a single African cichlid.

[knowse]

Take it topside buddy.

But to stay on topic...I haven't.

[Matt_]

I've seen them in operation at LFSs. Low flow, not much gas exchange. Probably perfect for a stupid freshwater fish.

[Ranger]

Probably perfect for a stupid freshwater fish.

[Lawdawg]

I checked into the tank as I really liked the look of the thing. Most issues people reported were poor gas exchange (given the design that's a no brainer) and difficulty in aquascaping (again due to the design). What kind of cichlid?

[_Andy]

She is a big fatty and quite happy in her tank all by herself. When I wake up most mornings she is staring at me waiting for her breakfast like a wiggly puppy...

[Lawdawg]

It's not a large tank but as long as you kept up on maintenance I'd think it would be okay.

[_Andy]

She is in a smallish tank now but yeah 6 gallons is cutting it pretty close.

Do they make a larger one? I thought they did but all I can find is the 6...

[_Andy]

I've seen them in operation at LFSs. Low flow, not much gas exchange. Probably perfect for a stupid freshwater fish.

She is every bit as animated and reactive as any saltwater fish I have had and pretty too.

[Lawdawg]

I think they are only in that small nano size. Why not get a cheap 20 gallon on an iron stand and give the fish some swimming room

[_Andy]

I like the tank on my nightstand so the footprint is limited. When she was in a 30g she still stayed pretty close to her "dug out" or hovered above it.

[Matt_]

I've seen them in operation at LFSs. Low flow, not much gas exchange. Probably perfect for a stupid freshwater fish.

She is every bit as animated and reactive as any saltwater fish I have had and pretty too.

Call me when she develops the same colors as the fish in my avatar.

[_Andy]

Eww...

[JimM]

Give me a Lake Tanganyika 'Mbuna' tank any day.
Marine fish have nothing on these guys, not in the looks department, and certainly not in the behavior department.
I can't wait to get another 180 gallon full of these fish.
Best tank I ever had, and kicked out fry constantly. Most marine fish you can't breed, so they might
as well already be dead.

Admittedly Andy has one of the more nondescript, Petco'ish varieties. (sorry Andy)

[JimM]

Oh, and 6 gallons is WAY too small for that Metriaclima sp. Those fish can push 6"
Hopefully you're feeding it right. Mostly algae based foods, lower protein. I've known dummies who feed them feeder goldfish.

[_Andy]

Pork rinds mostly.

[JimM]

Where did you buy that fish?

[Matt_]

Marine fish have nothing on these guys, not in the looks department,

Bah!

[Matt_]

Hey Jim, do those cichlids actually look like that in aquariums or is that just super males ready to spawn?

[JimM]

Hey Jim, do those cichlids actually look like that in aquariums or is that just super males ready to spawn?

Dominant males, or depending on the size of the tank, the one super male. Usually in say a 6' tank there will be room for at least 2 males of each species to hold a territory.
The sub-dominant males and females will not be so screaming. I had a group of M. zebra "chilumbae" in a 6' tank (with a bunch of other species as well) and the 2 dominant
males split the tank exactly in half, like an invisible glass wall. So I had two males that looked like this guy.


And the other 8 or so, both males and females more looked like the fish below, and moved between the two halves of the tank at will.



Then within each of their territories, other species have the same thing going on. The C. afra species (of which just like M. Zebra, there are many outstanding
species) are smaller, so in large 180 gallon+ tank with lots of rocks you could have room for 3 or 4 male territories. If you don't have one already, a large Mbuna tank at CCA would be a fantastic sight.