Species/Stocking Questions

[WhiteWidow11]

Hi everyone, found this website a little late but at least I am here now!

I Used to have 3 30g tanks housing all my cichlids. The adults were always agressive towards each other and I wanted to try putting all the fish together, and I knew a 30g was too small.

So my 55 is stocked with fish from all tanks and has been for a month now.
My White fish is VERY agressive but has been better in this larger tank and with more fish, and he leaves the little guys alone. He does continue to attack my orange fish everytime they see each other but there is plenty of room to hide now and my orange fish seems fine (fins+behavior)

After coming to this site, I have many questions about my stock list. I figured we would start by trying to identify what I have in the tank now. A picture was hard to get so I tried an HD Video. Forgive my aquascaping, very tight budget!
All decor from the 3 tanks got dropped into this one, the result was ok lol.

I am trying to see if my fish are compatable.

The fish I "think" I can identify are:

Electric Blue - large blue fish
Bumblebee - Duh lol
Red Zebra - large orange fish

I think the two smaller ones with vertical striples are kenyi maybe


Video will be posted to youtube in a second

 

[Bigtay]

Tank look nice to me and nice fish, question,is your background mirror?because I was thinking about ordering one of eBay but didn't know how it would look

 

[mfdrookie516]

I see

Electric blue haps
bumblebees
kenyi
albino greshakei (im pretty positive at least)
auratus
acei
red zebra
OB zebra
rusty
socolofi (again, maybe not, but looks like em to me)


Tank doesn't look too bad IMO. Could definitely use some rock. I have rock stacked up 3/4 of the way to the top on the back of my 150g. That will help a lot with aggression. If you have a creek nearby and you can access somewhere upstream of any traffic, houses, etc you can get all kinds of rock for free (that's where mine came from).

BTW, Welcome to AA

 

[WhiteWidow11]

Thanks for the help! I have some rocks soaking in a buckett that I got outside. It looks like granite, I did the acid test and it didn't fizz. Is granite ok?

I'm gonna start building the rocks up and get rid of some decor that is only in there for the sake of hiding spots. I would like to have it 3/4 of the way up. If I can use this rock I have, that looks pretty good wet, I can have this built up for free in a short amount of time.

Do you think I will have any issues with my stocking list once they start hitting breading age?

Thanks again!

 

[mfdrookie516]

most likely you will. You've got some aggressive fish (kenyi, bumblebee, auratus), and if they're not in appropriate ratios (1m-4+ females), they can get pretty abusive. The hap will get too large for the tank. That's really where I'd start.. rehome the hap and just see how things go.

 

[WhiteWidow11]

Bigtay,

The mirror background is painted or something on the back of the tank. I aquired the tank like this but it is pealing in some spots so I know its some sort of coating.

I kinda like it because they fight themselves more and splits up the agression, but I am unsure if its causing more stress.



How big does the hap get? Right now it doesn't show any agression and just acts like a community fish lol.

 

[mfdrookie516]

The hap will get 10+ inches... it's not that its aggressive, it's probably less aggressive than any fish in the tank.. it just needs a bigger tank. pretty active swimmers.

 

[WhiteWidow11]

Gotcha, how big of a tank to house him? I have a 75 that I also got for free, but it needs some tlc and not sure if water tight.

I originally had the 4 adults in a 25 hex, found out real quick that didn't work too well, got a 30g for them then started putting smaller fish in a few 10g. Realized 10g not big enough even if they are small etc so put juvies in there own 30g, got tired of running 2 tanks, was scared the adults would eat the smaller fish but got up the courage when I found a 55g for free, and all is well after a month...

Now I can focuse all my attention on the 1 tank, and I have come for help lol

Thank you,
Ryan

 

[mfdrookie516]

Most haps (including yours) need a 6' tank. I would rehome them and stick to mbuna exclusively

 

[WhiteWidow11]

Advice taken.


Also, I just noticed you said "them". Do I have multiple haps or just the one?

 

[mfdrookie516]

You know what... I only see one. That mirror confused me. I could have sworn I saw two. It's the one that is by itself right around the 40 second mark. If that's the only one, then that is the only hap I see in the tank.

 

[WhiteWidow11]

Yeah that's the only one. I am curious as to what you thought the black one was? I posted a picture I have.


Can't figure out how to delete duplicate photo on the mobile app.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Thats a bumblebee

 

[carey]

Bumblebees turn black? I have two babie ones....but they are bumblebee colored lol

 

[mfdrookie516]

I did have 3... one of them stayed almost black. The other two were more 'bumblebeeish' in color.

 

[WhiteWidow11]

I was thinking it could've been an adult male bumblebee I think I read the female retains the bumblebee look but the males turn black.

 

[carey]

Thanks. I was thinking on rehoming my two bumblebees. Do they need more than 2 to be happy in a tank? Sorry to hijack the thread.

 

[WhiteWidow11]

Thanks. I was thinking on rehoming my two bumblebees. Do they need more than 2 to be happy in a tank? Sorry to hijack the thread.

Haha np I'm always down for learning more about my fish.

 

[carey]

Mfdrookie is great, I'm looking forward to him helping em with ALOT of questions when I do my tank upgrade. LOL

 

[WhiteWidow11]

Mfdrookie is great, I'm looking forward to him helping em with ALOT of questions when I do my tank upgrade. LOL

I noticed =) thank you and keep an eye out for all my questions cuz I'm sure I will have them!