The name mbuna means "rockfish" in the language of the Tonga people of Malawi.
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pH 7.5-8.4 is ideal with an almost pristine (near 0 ppm) Ammonia and Ammonium Nitrite content, Ammonium Nitrate levels are controlled by water changes as needed to maintain these demanding levels.
Empty shells of large Lanistes are used as brood shelters by mbuna such as Pseudotropheus livingstonei, while a small catfish, which grows to less than 30 mm in length, uses smaller shells as brood shelters.