Kwa malo okhala ndi nsomba, mchenga wosiyanasiyana umagwira ntchito ngati malo okongoletsera komanso othandiza zamoyo zam'madzi pomwe ukuwonjezera mawonekedwe a thanki. Nsomba ngati ma cichlid (omwe amakhala m'nyanja zam'miyala, zamchenga ku Africa) kapena ma tetra (ochokera ku mitsinje ya Amazonian yokhala ndi pansi pa mchenga) zimakula bwino m'malo okhala ndi pansi pa mchenga, chifukwa zimawalola kuti azitha kusaka mchenga kuti apeze chakudya kapena kupanga zisa. Mchenga wosiyanasiyana wa malo okhala ndi nsomba umakonzedwa mosamala kuti usakhale wopanda madzi— susintha pH ya madzi, kuuma, kapena kuchuluka kwa ammonia, zomwe zimapangitsa kuti nsomba zikhale bwino. Chosankha chofala cha malo okhala ndi nsomba zam'madzi oyera ndi mchenga wowoneka ngati wachilengedwe wokhala ndi mithunzi ya beige, brown, kapena bulauni wopepuka, womwe umafanana ndi mphepete mwa mitsinje kapena pansi pa nyanja komwe mitundu yambiri ya nsomba imachokera. Komabe, mitundu yowala kwambiri monga buluu kapena wobiriwira imagwiritsidwanso ntchito m'malo okhala ndi nsomba zokongoletsera— katswiri wina ku Los Angeles adapanga thanki la madzi oyera okhala ndi mutu wa "coral reef" pogwiritsa ntchito mchenga wabuluu ngati pansi, wophatikizidwa ndi nsomba zopangidwa ndi coral ndi tropical, zomwe zimapangitsa kuti pakhale chiwonetsero chowoneka bwino chomwe chidapambana mpikisano wa malo okhala ndi nsomba zam'madzi am'deralo.​

Mchenga wokongola umathandizanso thanzi la zomera za m'madzi ndi zamoyo zopanda mafupa. Zomera za m'madzi monga Amazon swords kapena Java ferns zimamera mosavuta m'minda ya mchenga, zomwe zimathandiza kuti mizu yawo ifalikire ndikuyamwa michere. Mosiyana ndi miyala, yomwe imatha kufinya ndikuletsa kukula kwa mizu, mchenga umapereka malo omasuka, okhala ndi mabowo omwe amalimbikitsa kukula kwa zomera zabwino. Zamoyo zopanda mafupa monga nkhanu kapena nkhono zimapindulanso ndi mchenga wokongola - zimasefa mumchenga kuti zipeze algae kapena chakudya chotsala, ndipo tinthu tosalala timateteza kuwonongeka kwa mafupa awo ofewa. Kafukufuku wochitidwa ndi gulu lofufuza za m'madzi adapeza kuti nkhanu zomwe zimasungidwa m'minda ya mchenga zinali ndi chiŵerengero cha kupulumuka chapamwamba cha 25% poyerekeza ndi zomwe zili m'miyala, chifukwa cha kapangidwe kake kofewa komanso kuthekera kochirikiza machitidwe achilengedwe ofufuza zakudya.​

Kwa malo okhala ndi zokwawa (monga zinjoka zokhala ndi ndevu kapena akadzidzi) kapena amphibians (monga achule kapena salamanders), mchenga wokongola umapanga gawo lachilengedwe lomwe limathandizira zosowa zawo zapadera. Zokwawa zokhala m'chipululu, monga zinjoka zokhala ndi ndevu, zimafuna gawo la mchenga lomwe limafanana ndi malo awo ouma - mchenga wokongola wokhala ndi mithunzi yachikasu, lalanje, kapena bulauni wopepuka ndi wabwino, chifukwa umalola zokwawa kuti ziboole (khalidwe lachilengedwe lomwe limawathandiza kuwongolera kutentha kwa thupi). Kukula kwa tinthu ta mchenga (1-3 mm) ndi kakang'ono kokwanira kuti zilole mabowo kubisala koma kwakukulu kokwanira kuti zisakhudze (vuto lofala la thanzi pomwe zokwawa zimadya gawo la pansi, zomwe zimapangitsa kuti kugaya chakudya kutsekeke). Woweta zokwawa ku Miami adagwiritsa ntchito mchenga wa lalanje wokhala ndi mitundu yosiyanasiyana m'malo awo okhala ndi ndevu: mchengawo sunkawoneka ngati malo akumidzi aku Australia (malo achilengedwe okhala ndi zinjoka zokhala ndi ndevu) komanso unalimbikitsa zinjoka kuti ziboole, zomwe zimapangitsa kuti ziweto zikhale zathanzi komanso zogwira ntchito.

Malo okhala ndi mchenga wa Amphibian, omwe amafunikira chinyezi chambiri, amapindulanso ndi mchenga wokongola - akasakanikirana ndi ulusi wa kokonati kapena sphagnum moss, amapanga gawo losunga chinyezi lomwe limathandizira mitundu monga achule a dart kapena axolotls. Kusagwira ntchito kwa mchenga kumalepheretsa kutulutsa zinthu zovulaza ngakhale m'malo onyowa, ndipo mtundu wake ukhoza kusankhidwa kuti ugwirizane ndi mutu wa malo okhala - wokonda zosangalatsa adapanga malo okhala ndi mutu wa "pansi pa nkhalango" wa achule a dart pogwiritsa ntchito mchenga wobiriwira wakuda ndi wofiirira, wophatikizidwa ndi zomera zamoyo ndi moss, zomwe zimapangitsa malo okhala omwe amafanana kwambiri ndi malo otentha a achule.

Posankha mchenga wamitundu yosiyanasiyana wa m'madzi a m'nyanja kapena m'malo osungira nyama, chitetezo ndi ubwino ndizofunikira kwambiri. Mchenga uyenera kukhala wopanda poizoni, wopanda zitsulo zolemera, utoto, kapena mankhwala omwe angawononge ziweto - yang'anani zinthu zomwe zikukwaniritsa miyezo monga malangizo a chitetezo cha zoseweretsa a CPSC (ngakhale kuti si zoseweretsa, miyezo iyi imatsimikizira kuti palibe poizoni) kapena ziphaso zokhudzana ndi aquarium kuchokera ku mabungwe monga Global Aquaculture Alliance. Mchenga uyeneranso kutsukidwa ndikutsukidwa bwino kuti uchotse fumbi kapena zinyalala, zomwe zingakwiyitse madzi a m'madzi kapena kukwiyitsa khungu la zokwawa. Kwa m'madzi a m'nyanja, ndikofunikira kusankha mchenga "wotetezeka m'madzi" - woyesedwa kuti utsimikizire kuti susungunula kapena kutulutsa mchere m'madzi. Kwa m'madzi a m'nyanja, mchenga uyenera kukhala wosatentha, chifukwa malo ambiri osungira zokwawa amagwiritsa ntchito nyali zotenthetsera zomwe zimatha kukweza kutentha kufika pa 30-40°C.​

Kusamalira malo okhala ndi mchenga wokongola n'kosavuta komanso kosavuta. M'malo osungiramo zinthu za m'madzi, mchenga uyenera kutsukidwa nthawi zonse (pogwiritsa ntchito chotsukira miyala chokhala ndi chokometsera pang'ono) kuti uchotse zinyalala ndikuletsa kusonkhana kwa ammonia. Mchenga sufunika kusinthidwa pafupipafupi—ndi chisamaliro choyenera, ukhoza kukhala zaka 2-3. M'malo osungiramo zinthu, mchenga uyenera kutsukidwa tsiku lililonse kuti uchotse zinyalala, ndipo gawo lonselo liyenera kusinthidwa miyezi 6-12 iliyonse kuti lipewe kusonkhana kwa mabakiteriya kapena nkhungu. Kwa malo osungiramo zinthu za m'chipululu, mchenga uyenera kusefedwa mwezi uliwonse kuti uchotse zinyalala ndikusunga mawonekedwe ake osasunthika.​

Mwachidule, mchenga wokongola wakhala malo ogwiritsidwa ntchito mosiyanasiyana komanso otetezeka okonzera malo okhala m'madzi ndi m'malo otsetsereka, zomwe zimapangitsa kuti malo otchingidwa azioneka bwino komanso azisamalira thanzi la ziweto zam'madzi ndi zapadziko lapansi. Pamene anthu ambiri okonda zosangalatsa amakonda malo okhala zachilengedwe, mchenga wokongola umapereka njira yopangira malo okongola komanso ogwira ntchito omwe amakwaniritsa zosowa zapadera za mitundu yosiyanasiyana ya ziweto.