A few years ago, I decided to name my 6g Asgard. In keeping with the tradition of naming tanks, I've decided to call the new 10g -- which is establishing itself as we speak -- Little Malawi.


This is a fascinating new direction for me. I feel comfortable with the lush, planted tank. But with Little Malawi I'll approximate the climate and conditions of the cichlids accustomed to that region. The tank, as you can see, is devoid of vegetation. I'm buffering the water gently to maintain a hard, alkaline column -- roughly 8.0 pH and high KH. In contrast, my original 10g tank, which hosts Tetras and Checkerboard cichlids (South American), is soft and acidic at just under 6 pH.

Livestock? I've given it a lot of thought. African cichlids are considerably larger than the mostly South American and Asian fish to which I'm accustomed. Because of this and the fact that my tank is small, I have to stock accordingly -- 3 specimens, one male, two female, so that everyone gets along nicely. I'm leaning toward Melanochromis maingano, a gorgeous dark blue fish with radiant light blue stripes and spots. They're typically aggressive, but they are so robust and beautiful, I think 3 specimens will work with the intricate cave network I've built in Little Malawi.

In a couple of weeks, I'll bring home the fish. For now, Little Malawi brews.