My 200 mbuna tank set up

[Mogurako]

You can't have my favorites!!!

Well I learned from the best so I feel I'm allowed to!

 

[Aquaman1978]

Cryptoheros is by far my favorite genus, I breed.

Cutteri.
Sajica.
Chetumalensis.
Septemfasciatus.
Mrynae.
Honduran sp.
Panamensis.
Nanoletues.

So for a tank that's 180 gallon what would a decent stocking list. What kind of numbers. I feel lucky to have two of the smartest keepers of cichlids on this site helping me out.

 

[bettaowner]

My favorite new world cichlids are the red tiger, jaguar cichlids, green terrors, festaes, and convicts.

 

[Aquaman1978]

My favorite new world cichlids are the red tiger, jaguar cichlids, green terrors, festaes, and convicts.

I already have a few black convict fry that my brother gave me in a grow out tank. Just scared to out them into this tank because they will overrun it.

 

[HUKIT]

A 7ft tank needs big fish so that sized tank I'd do as follows.

1 pair of Paratheraps synspilus or breidohri.
6-7 Thorichthys pasiones.
1 pair of Cryproheros panamensis.
12-15 corydoras of your liking(hit or miss with large fish).
20-25 Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis.
1 Panaque nigrolineatus.

Photo from Mo Devlin. I have 6 wild caught synspilus from the same collection point as his, I hope mine turn out half as good as there is no better looking Cichlid on the planet in my opinion.

 

[bettaowner]

Fire mouth and jack dempseys are great cichlids too.

 

[Aquaman1978]

Do you have any that are breeding? That is a beautiful fish. Will have to look up the others.

 

[bettaowner]

My Lfs had some young synspilum cichlids for 20 dollars. This is a slow growing species by the way.

 

[HUKIT]

Do you have any that are breeding? That is a beautiful fish. Will have to look up the others.

Not yet as they're around 5-6"(they will reach 14-17"), they are just starting to pair off so just this morning I've moved them into the 150g.

 

[Mogurako]

A 7ft tank needs big fish so that sized tank I'd do as follows.

1 pair of Paratheraps synspilus or breidohri.
6-7 Thorichthys pasiones.
1 pair of Cryproheros panamensis.
12-15 corydoras of your liking(hit or miss with large fish).
20-25 Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis.
1 Panaque nigrolineatus.

That sounds like a tank full of awesome! What about 8-10 Hoplosternum thoracatum instead of corydoras?!

 

[HUKIT]

My Lfs had some young synspilum cichlids for 20 dollars. This is a slow growing species by the way.

That's not true, this guys will grow up to 3/4" per month without power feeding.

 

[Freakgecko91]

That sounds like a tank full of awesome! What about 8-10 Hoplosternum thoracatum instead of corydoras?!

Or dianema urostriata I love me some porthole catfish

 

[Freakgecko91]

Or maybe even a good sized school of Cory, and then 3-4 of either hoplo or porthole

 

[HUKIT]

That sounds like a tank full of awesome! What about 8-10 Hoplosternum thoracatum instead of corydoras?!

That would work too. I've always had a soft spot for the ultra hyper corydoras, if I had room in my tank I'd have a school.

 

[Mogurako]

Or maybe even a good sized school of Cory, and then 3-4 of either hoplo or porthole

Brochis splenden would be my choice for a Cory like catfish.

 

[Aquaman1978]

I would respond faster but looking up all these choices is killing me. But it's not a bad problem to have.

 

[bettaowner]

Porthole cats are cool. A school of Pictus cats would look great

 

[Freakgecko91]

Porthole cats are cool. A school of Pictus cats would look great

I would shy away from pictus, they have high energy levels at night, often disturbing new world cichlids when they sleep (as they often sleep on the ground, rather than in caves like most Africans do). Not to mention they lack the armor of the portholes, or especially the hoplos, which are heavily armoured

 

[Aquaman1978]

I like the rock layout except the stacked ones in the back with the slate, I'd lose those and out some more larger boulders and stack from there. This way all the rocks are uniform and more natural looking in my opinion. Awesome start, now put some big glass banger Central American cichlids in there and call it a day!

After filling with water I believe your right. The stacked rocks just don't look right. I am going to try and find a way to make some cave and get that out of the tank. Want to get some fake plant to bring a little color into the tank.

 

[Mogurako]

After filling with water I believe your right. The stacked rocks just don't look right. I am going to try and find a way to make some cave and get that out of the tank. Want to get some fake plant to bring a little color into the tank.

Use the dark brown flower pots and put rocks around them, that's what I did.