Favorite Group of Malawi's?

And your reasons?

My favorite is haps. I just like them better and their colors and size better. And since peacocks are haps too, I like those as well .

I'm not sure what my favorite hap is at the moment, but from what I've owned so far, my favorite genus is Protomelas.

hmm.... i don't know if i really should vote yet i have only owned 3 types of malawi species (livingstonii, labs,and acei) and no peacocks. But i just love my livingstoni male in personality and looks so i'm going with Haps

Haps. Large size, pointed heads, dark rusty colors :thumb:

Personally I've had terrible experience with peacocks......But that's just me

Mbuna are......easy and almost perfect, but I may say........Too easy :-?

Haps. They seem to have a bit more personality. Their colors are also more striking IMO.

mbuna they are the 1st that i have and have great personality

Love my Mbuna. :thumb:

the_evil_dickfeldi said:

Mbuna are......easy and almost perfect, but I may say........Too easy :-?

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If your reffering to thier hardiness I'll have to agree. But, trying to build a community of locally available Mbuna species that has some semblance of getting along can be a real challenge.

I love the Haplochromines! I mean they have so many different shapes from an Aristochromis christyi to a Trematocranus placodon. So many different faces, body types, colors, personalities and feeding behaviors. Heck, its my favorite group of any fish on the planet!

I like my Mbuna.

Not hating mbuna, I like them, but something just doesn't quite meet me. Maybe they were too easy even for me to take care and breed?

Still, even though I love haps, for sheer color mbuna are best :thumb:

Mbuna, for color and activity.

:thumb: Mubna are the fish I am attracted to. They are just the right amount of challenge for my first tank. However the kribs and tropheus moori that I accidently put in with them are great to watch and I am working on a better situation for them. Next project a 125 gallon, yes I am addicted. :lol:

Mbuna for their color and activity! I love them!

Haps... just raise a Protomelas Liuli properly and you'll see why

haps, a colony of dolphins in a 125 is awesome, there is personality for you.

herb

I'm growing an attachment to larger haps. My Bucco Rhoadsii is more breathtaking than any photo could possibly do justice, and he's only about 70%! My Champ still has a lot of growing out to do. My Livingstoni is quite nice as well, and of course Spilonotus, bot Mara Rocks and as someone has a photo of, Tanzania!

Some of my alltime favorites are still P. Taiwan Reef, and P. Phenechilus Tanz! I'll toss in Mylochromis Latastraga as another favorite.

I'm also fond of several peacocks, Ruby Red, Ngara, Blue Neon Otter Point, Midnight

So I guess I'd have to go HAP on this one.

I'm not surprised by the popularity of Mbuna. Being somewhat cheap and easy to come by(common species anyway)I think they lead you into the more hard core stuff, but for me, I now find them undesireable. I'm still breeding Cobue and Labs(which is a fish I really like), but before I do another Mbuna tank, Id probably try a Discus tank, a SA/CA tank, or even a Rainbowfish tank... all before I'd do Mbuna.

If I had to choose it would be an easy decision.

A tank of Haps and Aulonocara.

Favorite fish: Aulonocara Baenschi. Find the right strain and nothing is more impressive than a Male in full color!

Favorite Hap: Protomelas Spilonotus Tanzania.

On the MalawiCichlidHomepage website you'll see some stunning Hap tanks that Frank Panis setup. One of them is a 800g monster housing Rostratus, Spilonotus Tanzania, Aulonocara Cobue, etc.

Mbuna all the way,
My red tiger spits gravel at all the other fish to let them know whos boss!!!!