Cichlid combinations

[mar_att1]

still doing my research, maybe i will get cichlids but i still need ur expert opinions ....

well i just went into my store's website and here's what i found. they give two combinations and i'm guessing that they have these in stock...

SA cichlids:
http://www.akkwarjumalfa.com/beginnerstips.htm
(firemouths/texas/jackdempsey)

Mbuna:
auratus/peacock/kenyi/red zebra/johanni
http://www.akkwarjumalfa.com/beginnerstips.htm

do u agree that these are good combinations? and how would u set up the tank if u were me for either combination?

Thanks in advance

 

[Jchillin]

Those "cookie cutter" websites don't tell the whole story, I would just ignore them. It is far better to do research on each individual fish. In some cases, although the fish can co-habitate in the tank when young, major changes develop over time.

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

I see both those "combos" creating war zones.

Auratus, johanni, and kenyi in the same tank?! Those are three of the most aggressive mbuna available (and unfortunately, some of the most readily available).

The SA tank could work, provided it be large enough. I wouldn't try that in anything smaller than a 75g or 90g tank, though.

I'm with J: most cookie cutter combos aren't firmly rooted in reality. It's much better to research what you want and create your own system.

 

[mar_att1]

the lfs seems to have just put the cichlids coming from the same area together without seeing their temperament.

here's what i'll do, i'll go to some of the shops and see what kinds they have and i'll come with the list that most appeals to me and then i'll ask ur opinions on them. it's very probable that they dont have all the ones i'm reading about on the net

thanks a lot guys!

 

[JDogg]

the lfs seems to have just put the cichlids coming from the same area together without seeing their temperament.

here's what i'll do, i'll go to some of the shops and see what kinds they have and i'll come with the list that most appeals to me and then i'll ask ur opinions on them. it's very probable that they dont have all the ones i'm reading about on the net

thanks a lot guys!

good idea!

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

Yep; you're well on your way to becoming a happy cichlid owner! We'd be glad to help you with your stocking plans.

 

[triazole]

peacocks are not mbuna...i can see the auratus emerging as the sole species in the tank, unless its a 200g tank with numerous hidey-holes...

 

[Menagerie]

Auratus, johanni, and kenyi in the same tank?! Those are three of the most aggressive mbuna available (and unfortunately, some of the most readily available).

That would be a disaster!

Check out the links provided in the sticky for this forum--you will get information about the differences in Rift Lake cichlids, Haps v Mbuna and info on the New World cichlids. Cichlids are amazing and have different needs to keep aggression in check and keeping them healthy (i.e. too much protein will hurt Mbuna).

 

[JustOneMore20]

I used the African cichlid cookie cutters as a guide for planning my Mbuna tank. I looked at the profiles to see which ones I liked and then asked lots and lots of questions about them as to which ones would go good together. Many times the profiles aren't entirely correct when it comes to the aggression level. I didn't strictly follow the cookie cutters but it was the beginning of my research. The key is to ask about the ones you like because those cookie cutters aren't too accurate.

There is more than one type of Peacock too...and they aren't Mbuna. They are gorgeous fish though. Go to the profile section on cichlid-forum.com and look under Malawi Peacocks. You could do a Hap tank with Peacocks included. I love Aulonocara jacobfreibergi "Eureka". They are very pretty.

Some milder tempered Mbuna are:
Yellow labs (Labidochromis caeruleus)
Rusty cichlids (Iodotropheus sprengerae)
Cobalt zebras (Metriaclima callainos)....i think they are mildly aggressive

Some that are aggressive, but not too bad:
Pseudotropheus socolofi
Pseudotropheus saulosi
Metriaclima estherae (Red Zebras)
Cynotilapia afra "Cobue"
Pseudotropheus sp. "Lime Nkhomo"

Those are the ones I've looked at. There may be more and I could be totally wrong about their aggression levels (haven't kept them yet)....I am just going by what others have told me. Some of the other Labidochromis species could be mildly aggressive, but I just haven't asked about them, because I want Yellow Labs. If someone needs to correct me or add anything...go for it!

Check them out...ask a ton of questions....get other people's experiences and what has worked for them as far as combinations go.

From what I've been told, Kenyi, Johanii, Demansoni and Elongatus are all really aggressive. I don't think I'd keep them in a 55g...but thats just me.

Good luck!

 

[mar_att1]

thanks a lot JOM! u've given me a lot to think about

tomorrow i'm going window shopping lol, i'll visit the shops and see what they have in stock to give u ppl an idea what is available.

in the meantime, i'll keep doing my research.

i'll report back tomorrow

oh! and BTW, i would love cichlids which do not grow too much in size cos i dont want them to feel overcrowded in a 55g. i read about apistos but i'm scared that my water will not be good for SA cichlids. i think my water is much more suited to africans cos its quite hard. cant give u the exact ph reading, i have yet to do it.

correct me if i have wrong info, at this stage i am cruising the net and the forums like mad, and all the info is getting quite confusing. tomorrow, maybe the list of the species available and the ones that i mostly like will help...

TIA!!

 

[Menagerie]

If you are looking for smaller cichlids, look into Lake Tang cichlids. There you will find the shell-dwelling species and many others that stay small-ish. Lake Tang cichlids are wonderful in their different temperaments and body shapes; however, they are a little harder to find

 

[mar_att1]

ok, so i did some research....

first of all i think i got some good news, i had done wrong calculations as to the dimensions of my tank and i have now realised i have a 60 gal (Correct if i'm wrong... it's 128x41x51cm)

as to the types of cichlids available here in malta...

South americans are quite rare to find and it's a bit difficult to order them. i'm particularly fond of the dwarf cichlids but as i was saying i only saw 1 krib and 2 rams and the rams were not even 4 sale, they were for display in the shop. apart from these i only saw firemouths and oscars.

now as to the African cichlids, i saw a wide variety. labs, haplos, red zebra, auloncara nyassae, peacock, lamps, aequidens rivulatus, elongatus, julidochromis dickfeldi

i particularly like the malawi cichlids. according to the lfs owner, africans are much more hardy, i'm leaning towards the african cichlid direction...

any help on which types are the most compatible together? or, if i may ask for a bit more help, can u tell me what combinations u ppl have tried out and which worked or not? i particularly like the labs and the zebras, the others i'll still have to check them out... I have read that labs are quite peaceful.

TIA ppl

 

[Thebluyak]

you could always have an oscar only tank, they are fun fish and will put anything in there mouths that will fit or they think will fit lol

 

[Menagerie]

Julis from Lake Tang are fun and can be kept with other smaller Lake Tang fish and barbs (I think--you will have to double check the barbs).

This is a list of what was in my tank before my last move. The tank population was stable for a little over a year:
5 Pseudotropheus zebras (1 blue, 1 white, 2 orange, 1 OB), 2 Pseudotropheus ?s, 1 Pseudotropheus daktari, Red Top Zebra--Pseudotropheus Sandraracinos, Lemon Yellow (Yellow lab)--Labidochromis caeruleus, Labidochromis Red Top subspecies, Labeotropheus fuelleborni, Cyentapela Afra, one confused Blue Acara—Aequidens pulcher, Striped River Catfish--Mystus vittatus, Leporinus desmotes, one ugly Synodontis, and mts
The move was in the winter and a few were lost. Currently there are only Mbuna, the river cat fish and Synodontis in the tank. Mostly the tank consists of various Pseudotropheus spp and two "marmalade cats", Labeotropheus fuelleborni and a female Rusty. This population has been stable for 8+ months and none of the adults have died, the little ones disappear, but the adults have not fought to the death or ganged up on any one fish. In the past, when there were was a more diverse population, I could count on setting up the hospital tank monthly, only to nurse the fish back to health and then watch it die upon reintroduction (no matter how I rearranged substrate, rocks, which fish were removed for a few hours, etc.). There truly is a lot of trial and error that goes on with these fish and sometimes sex ratios go out the window in achieving a stable population!