Compatible Fish with Blue Johannies?

Question

I recently set up a 50 Gallon tropical fish tank and added five blue johanni's. I did some research and found that they are not very friendly to other fish. What other fish can I add to the tank?

Answer 1

other african cichlids only, preferably mbuna.
these guys can be vicious and territorial, so sticking with other cichlids that stand up for each other is your best bet. any non-african cichlid added runs the risk of becoming dinner!

another good tough cichlid would be the electric yellow (Labidochromis Caeruleus), they're fairly common in fish stores and tough as well. although they're malawi and not mbuna so check on their compatibility (the forum below is good) but they'll look good with your blues!

as with all mbuna cichlids they like a high PH, unlike most other usual fish in fish stores, they need a PH of 7.8-8.

Answer 2

Yup, the best tankmates for them are fish that have the aggression and behavior to handle them. For the most part this is other mbuna from lake Malawi. Some tips to help you choose wisely:

Stay away from mbuna of the same family (Melanochromis), as mixing them will enhance aggression

Stay away from mbuna of the same color and/or markings as the one you have (keep in mind the adult colors if your females have not changed yet)

Stay away from low-key mbuna like Iodotropheus Sprengerae which have trouble handling high aggression tankmates

Even though Johanni are from Malawi, it's best to stay away from Haplochromines and Peacocks, of which many won't do well in the hectic environment of mbuna - there are some that will work, but choose carefully and with research if you go with these types as companions

And don't forget, lots and lots of hiding spots for weak fish to get away from the stronger, and overstocking is the most common tool to use to handle aggression with mbuna - it doesn't get rid of it but it does disperse it amongst more fish, so none are the target of too much hostility.

Those Labidochromis are a good choice to start with, tough but not outwardly aggressive mbuna that tend to co-exist well with most mbuna varieties. Otherwise there are so many species, it might be better if you checked to see what you can get your hands on and then asked if those species are compatible with your current ones.