Fishyfanatic
Aquarium Advice Addict
I don't know of any kits for painting, but you could try searching this site because I've seen many posts about painting tanks.
my 55 gallon finally up and running**pictures**
- Thread starter mr funktastic
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tetrin
Aquarium Advice FINatic
i agree on the last point (although my lfs sells them all at the same price
, assorted) but i'll have to disagree on the first two points.from what i've read so far, peacocks are far more docile than mbunas. if you keep an all male peacock tank, they'll still display their amazing colors without any 'real' aggression. unlike mbunas (a male auratus or a ps demasoni will possibly tear apart another male in a 55g), most of their fights are 'show' without any real damage done. aggression is displayed only during mating.
unfortunately, some of the peacocks we see in the lfs (specially in mine) are crosses with mbunas (OB peacock is a common example). so they tend to imbibe some of the obnoxious nature of their parents, giving peacocks a bad name in the process.
as to maintenance, both require pretty much same clean water as any other fish
.
Fishyfanatic
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have a pair of OB peacocks (1 male, 1 female) and they are not as attractive as the other peacocks, but they pretty much just mind their own business. I don't find the peacocks to be any more of a pain to deal with, in fact, they don't seem to fight with any of the mbunas, it's the mbuna's that normally start the fights. But they quickly seperate and leave each other alone. They don't require any more maintinance than my other fish.
poppab02
Aquarium Advice FINatic
The Auratus and Demasoni are by far the most aggressive species of mbuna, and there are comparable outstandingly aggressive versions of the Peacocks that tolerate nearly no other fish besides females of their same species. In general mbunas are not nearly as aggressive as either of these species.
In general, I would say mbuna chase each other and display aggression at a much higher rate than peacocks. However, they nearly always do no damage(besides maybe a small bite mark). However, with mbuna it is much easier, in my experience, to isolate a fish being picked on before he dies. I have found that peacocks can tear through a fish if they decide to in no time. So while mbuna may be more outwardly aggressive, I maintain that peacocks are more dangerously aggressive. Also I have found that mbuna in general tolerate other species of fish much more readily---i.e. loaches, plecos, catfish, rainbowfish, and others. Of course, as always, experiences will vary.
As for maintainence, I hinge this on two reasons. One, I find that with Peacocks, due to the food source, tend to drive up nitrate levels much faster than mbuna left for the same amount of time in an uncleaned tank. While this is usually not a problem with regular cleaning, sometimes people get busy. It happens. I find that nitrate levels become unsafe faster in Peacock tanks than in mbuna tanks. Second, I find mbuna to be much, much better scavengers than Peacocks. Peacocks I find to be somewhat picky eaters and once the food hits the bottom, it stays there until I clean the tank. Mbuna by nature seem to always be digging and looking for food.
Well, that was my reasoning behind the comments.
In general, I would say mbuna chase each other and display aggression at a much higher rate than peacocks. However, they nearly always do no damage(besides maybe a small bite mark). However, with mbuna it is much easier, in my experience, to isolate a fish being picked on before he dies. I have found that peacocks can tear through a fish if they decide to in no time. So while mbuna may be more outwardly aggressive, I maintain that peacocks are more dangerously aggressive. Also I have found that mbuna in general tolerate other species of fish much more readily---i.e. loaches, plecos, catfish, rainbowfish, and others. Of course, as always, experiences will vary.
As for maintainence, I hinge this on two reasons. One, I find that with Peacocks, due to the food source, tend to drive up nitrate levels much faster than mbuna left for the same amount of time in an uncleaned tank. While this is usually not a problem with regular cleaning, sometimes people get busy. It happens. I find that nitrate levels become unsafe faster in Peacock tanks than in mbuna tanks. Second, I find mbuna to be much, much better scavengers than Peacocks. Peacocks I find to be somewhat picky eaters and once the food hits the bottom, it stays there until I clean the tank. Mbuna by nature seem to always be digging and looking for food.
Well, that was my reasoning behind the comments.
tetrin
Aquarium Advice FINatic
IMO there are no aggressive versions of peacocks. peacocks are referred to only fish from the aulonocara genus. and all of these guys are pretty tame. of course there are non-mbuna like sciaenochromis, nimbochromis that are extremely aggressive once they decide to fight. even victorian haps are pretty aggressive.
but among all non-mbuna, peacocks are the most peaceful, and depending on the definition of peace
, more peaceful than mbuna.
OP
OP
mr funktastic
Aquarium Advice Addict
wow you guys know alot lol. this is a good debate to bad i dont know half of what u are talking about. well i am glad u do because this stuff really helps me.
travis simonson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Just to keep things stirred up I would suggest that Ps. demasoni, while fairly rowdy, are not quite as bad as their reputation suggests provided they have enough space. I've got at least a dozen in a 125G tank with L. caeruleus, Ps. acei, and Ps. elongatus "Usisya" and they are all doing great. The aggression exhibited by my Ps. demasoni is limited mainly to conspecifics. Given this, it's my belief that as long as they are not crowded and kept with other blue barred mbuna, they should be fine 
I've never kept M. auratus but have heard some serious horror stories about them
I've never kept M. auratus but have heard some serious horror stories about them
OP
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mr funktastic
Aquarium Advice Addict
i was thinkin 4 electric yellow haps and 4 demonsoni. is that a good mix for a 55 gallon tank. it will be heavily laden with lava rock and i am building caves off of it with red slate. i am thinking about doing a carpet of plants on the bottom like your tank and giving them places to dig if needed. what is the name of the plant u used on the bottom? are there any special lighting or co2 needs for it? your advice is always welcome
baldone
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
travis simonson said:Just to keep things stirred up I would suggest that Ps. demasoni, while fairly rowdy, are not quite as bad as their reputation suggests provided they have enough space. I've got at least a dozen in a 125G tank with L. caeruleus, Ps. acei, and Ps. elongatus "Usisya" and they are all doing great. The aggression exhibited by my Ps. demasoni is limited mainly to conspecifics. Given this, it's my belief that as long as they are not crowded and kept with other blue barred mbuna, they should be fine
I've never kept M. auratus but have heard some serious horror stories about them
Travis has hit the nail on the head here.
Demasoni aggression is most common against conspecifics (similar looking/marked fish).
f you avoid tankmates that look like Demasoni you shouldn't have any major problems.
There will be the obvious little duels and chases but nothing to get overly concerned about.
As regards the Auratus..I keep them, along with Melanochromis Johannii and Metriaclima/Maylandai Estherae (Red Zebra). All of these are well known for their apparent serious aggression but I can honestly say I have never had any serious problems. If anything my dominant Estherae is the boss of the tank and takes no grief from anyone, including the Auratus.
Sure they all do a bit of chasing on the smaller tankmates (Labs, Acei, Mpanga) if they stray into their patch but this aside they pretty much all hang out and chill
.My Auratus have just bred recently and I am currently keeping 20+ juvies in my spare tank, waiting to pass them on to a LFS or good home.
BTW....Travis, your tank is fantastic.
steve
travis simonson
Aquarium Advice Addict
The carpet plant I've got in my tank pic is Glossostigma elatinoides, which requires CO2 supplementation and high light to do well. I've since switched to Elatine triandra which does not require CO2 but still needs high-light (2.5+ wpg) to grow close to the substrate. In lower light it would tend to grow upward instead of laterally and would not carpet well. HTH.
And thanks for the compliments
And thanks for the compliments
OP
OP
mr funktastic
Aquarium Advice Addict
thanks but i think i will skip the plant thing then because i dont want to high of light. i hate cleaning the damn algea and my plecos are lazy. i will look into something else. i saw birthing grass at my local petsmart that was pretty cool. i am planning on going to big als soon and checking out the plant situation. god i love that store. i will take pics of it one time and make a post. i have a plant in my aquarium on the left side and i was wondering what it was. i will try to get a closer pic but if u can tell from looking at it that would be great. thanks for all your help
tetrin
Aquarium Advice FINatic
i'd go with the demasoni but for their volatile nature. i've heard too many horror stories about them to feel comfortable. in case you get more than one male in a 55g, it could trigger some serious trouble in the tank. i'm not that worried about the labs if you get them so that they are slightly bigger than the demasoni, but its the self-destructive nature of these guys that worries me.
then again, all might be peaceful as travis and baldone suggests. they have not earned the nickname 'demon' by being friendly .
so, i'd suggest something more predictable, like ps. socolofi or cobalt zebras (to keep the blue going). the dominant male of this species will rule the tank, but atleast you know what you are getting. acei would be good too.
but it all depends what you want ultimately. if the demasoni captivated you (they are beautiful BTW) go for them...
just as a note though, i'd say get them in a larger group than 4.
then again, all might be peaceful as travis and baldone suggests. they have not earned the nickname 'demon' by being friendly
. so, i'd suggest something more predictable, like ps. socolofi or cobalt zebras (to keep the blue going). the dominant male of this species will rule the tank, but atleast you know what you are getting. acei would be good too.
but it all depends what you want ultimately. if the demasoni captivated you (they are beautiful BTW) go for them...
just as a note though, i'd say get them in a larger group than 4.
OP
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mr funktastic
Aquarium Advice Addict
ok i know that alot of people dont like the inch per gallon rule so i dont really know how to guage if the tank is over stocked. how many would u suggest in stead of four? i thought 4 and 4 should be good because they get pretty big. i mean if it were up to me i would put like 20 in there but thats cruel to them. i dont know the stocking ratio for cichlids for if i were to get the demonsoni and the yellow labs how many should i put in? i have asked this question like 10 times lol but i havent got a strait answer yet.
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mr funktastic
Aquarium Advice Addict
what kind of cichlid is this? i was just browing cichlid pics and came across this guy. he isnt quite as good as the demasoni but i like him still. is he tamer? any help would be great
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mr funktastic
Aquarium Advice Addict
sorry fogot to put the pic
tetrin
Aquarium Advice FINatic
looks like a cynotilapia afra (white top) to me. but i've been known to be wrong in the past .
he is somewhat tamer, but the males color up an the females are a bit drab.
about the number of demasoni, its hard to be precise
. something that works for someone might not work in your tank. but i can say that you could start with about 10-12 in a 55g tank. but this is in no way an accurate number.
.he is somewhat tamer, but the males color up an the females are a bit drab.
about the number of demasoni, its hard to be precise
. something that works for someone might not work in your tank. but i can say that you could start with about 10-12 in a 55g tank. but this is in no way an accurate number.
travis simonson
Aquarium Advice Addict
I agree with tetrin, that certainly looks like C. afra. For reference, here's a pic of a friend's C. afra "Cobue", one of the nicest looking Africans I have ever seen:
Ps. demasoni are dwarf mbuna and do not get very big compared to most Africans. Their growth rates are fairly slow: my dominant male is only two inches long and is over a year old. If you are going to stock them in a 55G with L. caeruleus and others I would recommend going with six to eight max. If they are going to be the sole species in the tank then 10-12 would likely work. HTH
Ps. demasoni are dwarf mbuna and do not get very big compared to most Africans. Their growth rates are fairly slow: my dominant male is only two inches long and is over a year old. If you are going to stock them in a 55G with L. caeruleus and others I would recommend going with six to eight max. If they are going to be the sole species in the tank then 10-12 would likely work. HTH
tetrin
Aquarium Advice FINatic
travis, i was worried that the demasoni's would generate some sort of rift as they mature and the extra males would definitely have to be removed. that was the reason behind suggesting 10-12 to begin with. while a sub-dominant male might stand a chance in your tank, it would definitely be hunted down and killed in a 55g. and the fact that these guys are notoriously hard to sex doesn't help matters at all.
travis simonson
Aquarium Advice Addict
I agree, in a 55G you may have problems with more than one male Ps. demasoni. And as far as sexing them, I've given up. If I don't see them holding eggs after a few months I just assume that they're probably males
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