I'm not sure what size tank you have, or what species you currently stock, but I have found the Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" to be top swimmers.
More can be found about them at: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1460 & http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/p_acei.php.
I currently stock 6 Tanzania Black with my White Top Hara, & Yellow labs

 

My stock is
Saulosi
Srt hongi
Pearl white zebras

I have a 55 gallon and I'd like to stay away from acei since they grow larger and I think to large for a 55 gallon

 

Giant danios are a favorite for some action at the top of an mbuna tank. Don't get overly attached to them though :thumb:

 

I want something that will be ok in there not something I'm gonna waste my hard earned money on! Has anyone had any success with keeping anything in with mbunas at the top water level?

 

tapout 14 - not sure what the answer is that want, but I just Googled the words: Mbuna Cichlid top swimmers (or different versions of this).
The resulting search listed pages of discussion on this topic from many different Cichlid forum's, other than this one.
The answers were to many, and to diverse to start listing here, but the species Acei was listed over and over again.
You'll have to do some research, and let us know what you find.

 

No exact answer I'm looking for. Just want to see who has had some success with top water swimmers in a mbuna tank for some ideas. Just don't want to waste money with fish dieing since money is tight

 

We have danios in one of our tanks just to reduce the mbuna flight response. You can get them for $1 each if you find a sale, and if you get a large school, you likely will not lose any.

There is always the potential though - as with mbuna. There is no guarantee that your much more expensive Africans aren't going to single one another out and kill each other either. Not to say that it happens all the time, but it isn't uncommon.

Mbuna are rock fish... You could add more rock higher up the back of the tank, and that should encourage a more full usage of the space.

I would say some rock or danios would be your best bet. Anything that isn't an African will probably have a hard life in the tank, and you shouldn't mix mbuna and haps or peacocks (more free-swimming Africans) in a 55 gallon tank. The danios are a bit of an exception because they are very swift swimmers, the occupy an entirely different part of the water column, and there is a bit of safety in numbers if you get a school.

 

Well I like that idea of a school of them I have my rocks 3/4 the way up my tank and my mbunas do on occasion swim to the top but I'd like a tank that looks full with top middle and bottom swimmers. My bottom will be the syno cats I plan to get in a few weeks

 

Some of my rocks stop about 2-3" from the top. The rocks grow algae and my mbuna are always up there grazing away. They do a great job taking up all the space in the tank.

Maybe you can try a couple of the more hardy/aggressive hybrid peacocks that are open swimmers? Try an OB peacock.

 

My aceis live at the top of the tank unless i have a piece of cucumber submerged at the bottom. Try adding a piece of floating driftwood or plants to peek their curiosity.

 

My white blaze chrysonotus swims at mid to top level almost all the time. He is VERY fast and aggressive even towards fish 3 times his size. You may give one of those a shot.

 

My white blaze chrysonotus swims at mid to top level almost all the time. He is VERY fast and aggressive even towards fish 3 times his size. You may give one of those a shot.

Where would one find said fish? I have no clue what they are.

 

Both of my chrysonotus were the tank wimps among peaceful haps and peacocks, so there is no telling. My mbuna swim at all levels of the tank so there is no need to top swimmers. Are they spawning yet? They move around more once that begins.

 

I just found them and I though mixing haps and mbunas was a no no? Yes funny story I just got the fish on last Friday and as of Sunday I had 3 srt females holding.

 

I guess my issue is that my tank just looks so empty. I have 14 mbunas and an albino bn Pleco.i do have plans for I more breading group in but unsure what to put In as of now I have
6 Juvie saulosi 1 is male for sure
1m 4f srt hongi
1m 2f pearl zebras ( once they breed ill grow out a few females to keep)

 

Both of my chrysonotus were the tank wimps among peaceful haps and peacocks, so there is no telling. My mbuna swim at all levels of the tank so there is no need to top swimmers. Are they spawning yet? They move around more once that begins.

That is weird. While I have only owned one mine chases around my Empress, Borleyi, Spilonotus that are all nearly 3 times his size. I guess that just reaffirms that every fish has their own personality.

 

My white blaze chrysonotus swims at mid to top level almost all the time. He is VERY fast and aggressive even towards fish 3 times his size. You may give one of those a shot.

Where would one find said fish? I have no clue what they are.

I bought mine from a online sponsor of this site.

 

I just found them and I though mixing haps and mbunas was a no no? Yes funny story I just got the fish on last Friday and as of Sunday I had 3 srt females holding.

Not trying to be snarky, but why don't you give them all a few weeks to settle in before you decide they aren't out enough? Am I missing something?

 

Oh they have settled. They are already breeding! Lol they have the cleanest water a fish could ask for and water chemistry is a++++++. I cycled the tank for almost 2 months before I even put a fish in and I do a 30% water change every 3 days.

 

I think the fish will continue to adjust for a month or two after you add them.

 

My Acei swims at the top for a large majority of the time.
I think it's kinda funny that your question is what top swimmers will go with mbuna.
There is a very well known,peaceful mbuna species that is well known for it's upper tank swimming behaviorI
I say get some Acei and some syno luccipinni that should up the activity in your tank for sure. Of course Acei can get pretty large for Mbuna so make sure your tank's footprint is appropriate. Most say something larger than a 55 galllon is best. Maybe a standard 75 gal. 48x18 or a 72x18 tank.
Because Acei are also known for being quite peaceful others have had success in a 55 gal. tank as well.

In one of my tanks I have a custom background which has space at the top of the tank for fish to use as a hiding spot. It works extremely well.
Fish that might otherwise get bullied more for spending time at the surface have a great niche now.
I find that it has caused females of 3 different species to spend a lot of time in the upper 1/2 of the tank.
That way when their crazy male goes into spawning mode they have a quick spot to swim to for refuge.
It made it really easy to ID sub doms also,because at first it was those sub dom fish who utilized that space. I was able to remove them before they suffered any real fin nipping because of the niche.
I know you may not want to install a background to create this effect,but having rockwork stacked up to about 3 inches from the surface might create the same effect.
If it were a flat surface type rock I think it would work for sure,river rock might not be as good for this purpose,I'm just guessing there. mainly because the design I have sort of mimics that of a flat rock.