PlanetCatfish.com

Which bottom feeders and/or algae eaters would be safe to include with Malawi cichlids in a 55 gallon tank?

CHIEF

Tanganjikan Synodontis spp., the Malawian Synodontis, Lophiobagrus, Phyllonemus and the common Ancistrus should all go well with them, unless the above are very small and you have fully grown Aristochromis

be aware that the most popular Malawians are often Mbuna; lots of Mbuna's are nasty and peaceful cats like Phyllonemus can be in serious trouble when housed with -for example- Pseudotropheus elongatus, Melanochromis auratus or Cynotilapia spp.

the best suitable cats for a cichlid-infested Mbuna tank is Synodontis petricola. it's well capable of living with obnoxious little nippers and it also does fine on a greenveggieflake-based diet.

Other Syno's like S multipunctatus and cats like Lophiobagrus or Phyllonemus need much more 'animal stuff' in their diet, like mysis, cyclops, krill etc etc.

Very good Malawian cichlid for a tank with fish like these include Aulonocara, Placidochromis, Protomelas, Lethrinops, Sciaenochromis freyeri etc. these are all fairly peaceful as Malawians go and they have the same diet requirements.

I have in my Malawi mbuna tanks without problems:
SAE,
Ansistus,
Peckoltia and Panaque sp.,
Synodontis.