Stocking A 101 gallon

[hardparts2]

Well I am going to build my 101 gallon tank 72lx18wx18h and I want to keep Africian Cichlids. Here is a list of the fish I want to keep
Labidochromis Hongi 3-4" (2)
Melanochromis Johanni 3-4" (1m) (3f)
Melanochromis Chipokae 3-4" (1m) (3f)
Pseudotropheus Kennyi 3-4" (1m) (3f)
Pseudotropheus Demasoni 3-4" (2)
Pseudotropheus Red Fin Tanzanian 3-4" (2)
Pseudotropheus Socolofi 3-4" (2)
Pseudotropheus Livingstoni 3-4" (2)
Is this to many fish for a 100g and will this combo work. Any advice would make my day

Thanks Alot

[urville]

Originally Posted by hardparts2

Well I am going to build my 101 gallon tank 72lx18wx18h and I want to keep Africian Cichlids. Here is a list of the fish I want to keep

i can help with the amount of fish..
inches of fish allowablw should be figured by surface area. figuring one fish per 12"
so 72 x 18 = 1296 / 12 = 108 total inches of fish
so find out how big they are expected to get and that total in inches is your answer
you have 19 fish there so lets say hypothetically they are all the same size when full grown. lets say thats 5"
5 x 19 = 95" of fish when full grown thats in the green
95" of fish when you can have up to 108"
i hope this makes sense is easy to understand
ian

[hardparts2]

I think I will go for 15 and see what happens. Thanks Alot

[hardparts2]

sorry about the pics

[madasafish]

Keep in mind that you've selected some of the most aggressive Malawi cichlids there... Because of this, you should be aware that you will (even though you're giving the right ratio of males to females in some cases) have a fair amount of aggression. It's almost always recommendable with Malawis to go for a ratio of 1 male to 3 or more females. I would recommend thinking of substitutes for the notorious killers P. johanni and P. demasoni. Also, though it is better to keep a tank of aggressives stocked in greater numbers, consider that these guys should each have as much room as possible. Certainly don't skimp on slate/Texas Holey Rock/wood/other decorations to make the territories as distinct and mutually obscured (one territory isn't visible from another) as possible.

And I agree with Urville on stocking numbers. Your decision to go with 15 fish sounds about right. Ideally, that should land you with 3-4 species in appropriate ratios.

[Fishalicious]

I also agree.

Just a suggestion but if you're going to keep that many agressive fish together, you may want to try and use Bio-Spira by Marineland. It is coming out around the end of this month/beginning of next month. With that you can have your tank instantly cycled to its max bioload in a day or two and you can introduce them all at the same time (which is the best idea for minimum aggression). They'll all be newbies and none of them will have territories to fight over. Unless its over which one they want.

The only problem might be finding them all at the same time and having the $$$$ to drop on them... I'd still do the Bio-Spira thing and introduce as many as you can possible the first time.

..Just a suggestion :|

-Dan

[Menagerie]

I will caution you on the the aggression level of that tank, but YMMV. Good luck with it! What are you planning on using as decor?

[hardparts2]

WOW thanks for all the great advise. I think I am going to try this http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=13462 .I wish there was a way to get alot of rocks in the tank with out the weight. I am building the 101 gallon my self and im scared of to much weight. this is how im going to build my tank.

Thanks Alot Everyone

[Fishalicious]

Yeah. Not to hate on your craftsmanship, but respectable companies know what they're doing and have the right equipment. I would def try and get some lightweight or even plastic rocks in there. The water will be heavy enough.


-Dan

Just went to your link you left there. That's another good idea!

[Menagerie]

I have heard of those kind of backgrounds--my husband wants to do one in the future. If you tackle that project, you *must* post pics of your progress!

[madasafish]

I hope you're planning on using acrylic, not glass. In aquariums that size, acrylic is recommended because 1) it shatters less easily 2) at the required thickness, it distorts the image much less.

[TankGirl]

I'll second the superb recommendation to wait for Bio-Spira to come back on the market. That might be an even more important feature of this product than not having to do a fishless cycle - you can stock aggressive species fully all at once. This might be a key benefit in your situation.

[madasafish]

And I'll third it.