Duddits
Aquarium Advice Freak
Can I put these in my 55g tank. The tank is empty now but I'd like to have 10-12 fish total and I really like these sunshine peacocks
Cichlids for my 55g
- Thread starter Duddits
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mattrox
Aquarium Advice Addict
You can, you could do a species colony hand have 1 male with 2 or 3 females. The females will be a bit drab.
Or you could do an all Male display with a male peacock with different colouration. eg Red Shoulder, German Red, Dragon's Blood, Marbled, Jacobfreibergi etc.
Or you could do an all Male display with a male peacock with different colouration. eg Red Shoulder, German Red, Dragon's Blood, Marbled, Jacobfreibergi etc.
ozmo
Aquarium Advice Activist
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2011
- Messages
- 106
I know nothing about African Cichlids but I think 10-12 peacocks may be pushing it a little depending on your entire setup. i.e. Filtration etc.
If I had a spare 55 I needed to populate I would go for Bolivian Butterfly/Ram.
They are South Americans and full of character and look great also. Or there are also the good old GBR (German Blue Ram).
Hope that helps,
ozmo
If I had a spare 55 I needed to populate I would go for Bolivian Butterfly/Ram.
They are South Americans and full of character and look great also. Or there are also the good old GBR (German Blue Ram).
Hope that helps,
ozmo
WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
There are many types of African Cichlids, where both the males and females are full of color and very interesting to watch. A 55g tank will work for many of them but not all. Some are better suited to a 75g tank.
This is where doing a lot of species research will help. The best way to stock a 55g tank is to pick 3 males that really pique your interest, but make sure they are generally compatible. Then add 3-4 females matching each male you chose. As they grow, being an aggressive fish, there may be some personality clashing along the way. If it's not to serious, let them work it out. But if fish are getting damaged or killed, you may need to trade out the biggest bully for a another of the same type. Or if it's real bad, trade the species out for a whole new one.
I had to do that with Red Zebras. I liked the bight to reddish orange of the RZ, but they were causing to many deaths. So I traded the RZ for Electric Yellow Labs, now things are mostly peaceful in my 55g Mbuna tank.
I have had to trade a few individuals that didn't fit in and I'm still trying to build up my female population. For some reason females seem to be difficult to get around here.
I haven't narrowed down to the 3 I like best yet either, because I didn't know anything about the male female ratio when I started. Nor did I have any one to tell me the best way to stock a 55g. I used the trial and error method. So now I'm letting my Mbunas decide who they prefer living with, because I love them all.
There are 2 types that I know for sure I want, 1 is the Electric Yellow and the other is Acei White tails.
The 2 on the top are Daffodil and Sapphire, both are female. You can't see it in the photo, but Sapphire is a very deep blue against a black background with pale powder blue (almost white) fins. It's near impossible to capture her colors in a picture. The 2 on the bottom, Dandelion & Turq, are males. But in both species the male and female colors are very similar, instead of bright males and grey females.
They are just an example of not having to give up on color with the higher female population, if you choose the right ones.
This is where doing a lot of species research will help. The best way to stock a 55g tank is to pick 3 males that really pique your interest, but make sure they are generally compatible. Then add 3-4 females matching each male you chose. As they grow, being an aggressive fish, there may be some personality clashing along the way. If it's not to serious, let them work it out. But if fish are getting damaged or killed, you may need to trade out the biggest bully for a another of the same type. Or if it's real bad, trade the species out for a whole new one.
I had to do that with Red Zebras. I liked the bight to reddish orange of the RZ, but they were causing to many deaths. So I traded the RZ for Electric Yellow Labs, now things are mostly peaceful in my 55g Mbuna tank.
I have had to trade a few individuals that didn't fit in and I'm still trying to build up my female population. For some reason females seem to be difficult to get around here.
I haven't narrowed down to the 3 I like best yet either, because I didn't know anything about the male female ratio when I started. Nor did I have any one to tell me the best way to stock a 55g. I used the trial and error method. So now I'm letting my Mbunas decide who they prefer living with, because I love them all.
There are 2 types that I know for sure I want, 1 is the Electric Yellow and the other is Acei White tails.
The 2 on the top are Daffodil and Sapphire, both are female. You can't see it in the photo, but Sapphire is a very deep blue against a black background with pale powder blue (almost white) fins. It's near impossible to capture her colors in a picture. The 2 on the bottom, Dandelion & Turq, are males. But in both species the male and female colors are very similar, instead of bright males and grey females.
They are just an example of not having to give up on color with the higher female population, if you choose the right ones.
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Duddits
Aquarium Advice Freak
Wow you guys rock. Thanks for all the info. I did a little more research and found out that they'll work as long as I keep it 1 male to 3-4 females. I'm still searching for the "perfect" stock for my tank. I know a lot will be trial and error til the tank pretty much decides whet will work.
As for the tank set up and filtration. I have several rocks and caves for them to hide and and call their home. Its a sand based tank with a wet/dry sump capable for a 75g reef set up I use to run. So the filtering is no worry.
So as of today the hunt begins for the right stock and it seems like peacocks and haps are the way to go. I'll post pics as I go to show u what I've come up with.
Again, thanks for all the advice and tips!
As for the tank set up and filtration. I have several rocks and caves for them to hide and and call their home. Its a sand based tank with a wet/dry sump capable for a 75g reef set up I use to run. So the filtering is no worry.
So as of today the hunt begins for the right stock and it seems like peacocks and haps are the way to go. I'll post pics as I go to show u what I've come up with.
Again, thanks for all the advice and tips!
WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
Peacocks and hap's should work together. Just remember that the 1 male will have the great coloring and the 4 females will all be grey, so it will cut into the color in your tank
OP
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Duddits
Aquarium Advice Freak
Yeah I've been looking at that. From what it looks like most females are a dull color. Not nearly as vibrant as the makes but I want a friendly tank rather then a dominant male tank
WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
It took some switching of fish but so far my fish are peaceful. If I get one that's to big of bully, I trade him in for a different fish. Even with peaceful fish you can get personalities that don't match.
I've had to take several fish back to my not so LFS, because they didn't fit in with the group. I just kept trying until I got fish that liked each other.
Of course all that work goes out the window when one of the females starts holding. Then they all get a bit antsy about territories. But that's not unusual with Africans. the way I resolve the territory thing is, when I do the twice a week PWC I rearrange the whole tank. Each fish has a favorite spot, so I just switch the spots around. My fish are to busy finding their spot and setting it up the way they like it, to be fighting over it. It's a PITA I know, but territorial battles when fish are pregnant are common. So I keep them busy thinking about other things.
Since I got rid of the worst bullies and only have fish that tolerate each other, I haven't had any fighting in my tank or any stress related diseases or deaths. And right now my ratio is off, I've way to many males and I haven't been able to find any females for my Alpha male. Which could cause all kinds of trouble, but the fish I have get along with each other, including the males.
You can have a peaceful tank with aggressive and semi-aggressive fish. You needn't give up great color for peace. You just need to weed out the ornery ones.
Early on I had a Red Zebra that was a psychotic serial killer. If he couldn't kill them outright, he'd harass them until they'd die from stress. He killed more than half of my fish, most of them female, in just over a week. It took a long time to replace all the females he killed. I took him back to the FS and as a couple of the other RZ I had grew up they started to act the same way. So I returned all my RZ and I won't ever have another one. But not all RZ are like that, it was just my experience with them.
I have a couple of Kenyi's by accident. Some people have had very aggressive Kenyi's and won't ever have them again. But the 1 male and 1 female I have (labeled wrong at the FS) get along with all the other fish, so I kept them. Even though they were both suppose to have been female Cobalt Blue Zebras. But you can't always tell when they are so tiny when you buy them.
Don't give up on certain fish because of what they may do, or because someone else had a bad one, like my RZ. Fish are no different that people, some are good some are bad, some get along with others some don't.
I'm not suggesting you go about mixing Angels and Oscars. Some rules are concrete. But don't settle either because they may not get along, because they may get along just fine. Won't know unless you try.
mattrox
Aquarium Advice Addict
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Duddits
Aquarium Advice Freak
Yeah I read those except the one about the all male Malawi tank. I like that idea but I know it's risky.
mattrox
Aquarium Advice Addict
Without a female, peacocks shouldn't attack each other as much because they are not defending a spawning site.
In my experience, all male peacock tanks are relatively peaceful.
In my experience, all male peacock tanks are relatively peaceful.
