Pseudotropheus tank

[Aquaman1978]

I have fallen in live with my pseudotropheus demasoni, and I have seen a few others in the same family that are good looking fish. My question to the experts is, what would be a good grouping for a 180 gallon tank. And what kind of numbers could it hold. I will be running a 55 gallon sump under the tank with a lot of media for filtration. Would like a little color in the tank like blue orange yellow red. What fish should I be looking for. If I can get hukit's opinion I may give him a stump.

 

[HUKIT]

I don't like to stock the same genus of fish like that for a variety of reasons, such as conspecific aggression.

I would shoot for 13-20(better at higher number) Pseudotropheus demasoni, then pick four to five other genus of fish stocked at 1m/5-6f as this should get you to 40-50 fish in the end. I typically only shoot for 1 species of fish that is blue with black barring for the same reasons as above. I tend to stock my mbuna tanks a little higher not for aggression issues but for visual reasons. The overstocking in mbuna set ups is a way to potentially get around housing incompatible fish, this isn't needed when the correct stock is picked from the start rather than a hodge podge of assorted fish from the local pet stores.

 

[Aquaman1978]

Ok that's great info as always. What are some other mbuna that you would recommend. I know that you would steer me in the right direction.

 

[Aquaman1978]

I thought about getting a few different peacocks, but that's done to death. What info could be found, or a good place to search a possible biotope for the demasoni?

 

[HUKIT]

Some of my favorites are:

Labidochromis sp. Hongi, Hongi Island.
Metriaclima aurora Likoma.
Metriaclima glaucos Kanjindo Rocks Flameback.
Metriaclima sp. Lime Nkhomo Mbenji.
Metriaclima sp. Patricki Jalo Reef.
Tropheops sp. Elongatus Boadzulu, Kanchedza Island.
Labeotropheus trewavasae Chilumba.
Labidochromis sp. Perlmutt.
Metriaclima sp. Msobo Magunga.

There are quite a few in Pseudotropheus as well, but I would only attempt 1-2 from that genus in that tank as I previously mentioned, such as:

flavus Chinyankwazi.
elegans Ngara.

I've ordered nearly all my rift lake cichlids from Dave's, there is no place better in my opinion. He's got a huge selection of rare WC and F1 fish for a great price.

Dave's Rare Aquarium Fish-Price List

Are you building this or buying it?

 

[Aquaman1978]

That's what I like about your responses. I actually looked at several of those fish already I thought that the elongus was also a pseudotropheus? Has it been reclassified? The flavus is a beautiful fish. I will look at the rest after work. I bought this tank. To cheap to pass up. That stump us yours. I will check on shipping and let you know.

 

[HUKIT]

I thought that the elongus was also a pseudotropheus? Has it been reclassified? .

Yes they are in Tropheops now, as with all cichlid species it's hard to follow sometimes.

P.S I didn't do it for the stump

 

[Borderlesscott]

Yes they are in Tropheops now, as with all cichlid species it's hard to follow sometimes.

P.S I didn't do it for the stump

Hard to follow! My head is spinning at the moment, bloody Latin names Andinoacara or aequidens - seriously what is a GT these days, I think we're in the dark ages in Ireland.

 

[HUKIT]

Hard to follow! My head is spinning at the moment, bloody Latin names Andinoacara or aequidens - seriously what is a GT these days, I think we're in the dark ages in Ireland.

Andinoacara rivulatus.
Andinoacara stalsbergi. aka The True Green Terror
Andinoacara sp. 'Gold Saum.
Andinoacara sp. 'Silver/White Saum.

These are all now in Andinoacara.

 

[Borderlesscott]

What is the best way to keep up with name changes, is there any site that publishes updates on names? Is the Blue Acara still aequidens pulcher? Sorry for all the questions, but I really intended to nail these and google searches are not great for updated names.

 

[Aquaman1978]

Yes they are in Tropheops now, as with all cichlid species it's hard to follow sometimes.

P.S I didn't do it for the stump

I know that you didn't. Your a great resource for us novices. I am trying to learn as much as I can but its a slow process. And I am glad to get good advice, driftwood around here is all over the place. I will find more.

 

[HUKIT]

What is the best way to keep up with name changes, is there any site that publishes updates on names? Is the Blue Acara still aequidens pulcher? Sorry for all the questions, but I really intended to nail these and google searches are not great for updated names.

Aequidens pulcher is still the correct classification. There is not a good website for this, the only decent one is Fishbase.

I know that you didn't. Your a great resource for us novices. I am trying to learn as much as I can but its a slow process. And I am glad to get good advice, driftwood around here is all over the place. I will find more.

Are you kidding this place saves my marriage, my wife has been hearing about fish since we were dating(married 19 years now) and now I don't have to chew her ear off about which cichlids are sick or breeding and she doesn't have to pretend to care! So it's I who should be thanking everyone here.

 

[Aquaman1978]

It's not helping my marriage, I spend a lot of time on my phone researching DIY stuff and different cichlid forums. Which I believe this is the best one on the web. But like I tell my wife, I could be buying drugs, and after buying fish, sometimes I feel like I am.

 

[Aquaman1978]

Some of my favorites are:

Labidochromis sp. Hongi, Hongi Island.
Metriaclima aurora Likoma.
Metriaclima glaucos Kanjindo Rocks Flameback.
Metriaclima sp. Lime Nkhomo Mbenji.
Metriaclima sp. Patricki Jalo Reef.
Tropheops sp. Elongatus Boadzulu, Kanchedza Island.
Labeotropheus trewavasae Chilumba.
Labidochromis sp. Perlmutt.
Metriaclima sp. Msobo Magunga.

There are quite a few in Pseudotropheus as well, but I would only attempt 1-2 from that genus in that tank as I previously mentioned, such as:

flavus Chinyankwazi.
elegans Ngara.

I've ordered nearly all my rift lake cichlids from Dave's, there is no place better in my opinion. He's got a huge selection of rare WC and F1 fish for a great price.

Dave's Rare Aquarium Fish-Price List

Are you building this or buying it?

Dave's has a huge selection. When I get home tonight I am going to look over your list, take a few notes then hit you with what I hope will work. The funny thing is that most of the fish I want must have been reclassified due to the fact the fish I wanted as a pseudotropheus tank are no longer pseudotropheus any more. The fish you recommended are pretty nice there are a few on there throat I like better. Like I said I will be making a list.