stocking suggestions for 55g

[Andrew McFadden]

My biggest is my 180g lake Malawi biotype its 6x2x2'
My stock:
Bn pleco
3 Pictus cats
1 columbian shark -- need to re home
1 stinkpot musk turtle
2 afra yellow mara
1 dragon blood
1 intermedius
1 Taiwan reef
1 red cap
8 yellow fin mbamba
1 greberi
1 rusty
1 tangerine tiger
1 male bumble bee
1 female bumble bee
2 red zebra
1 makonde yellow black fin
1 male red empress
1 female ref empress
1 Aurora
1 strawberry peacock
1 elongatus
1 Ob zebra
1 jakobfreibergi
2 sunshine peacocks
5 yellow labs
1 ice blue
1 acei
1 afra cobue Orange back
I think that's it now for pictures

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/lake-malawi-aquarium-stocking-cichlids/

Oops sorry about the link to an article this is what I wanted

Sorry about all the other info I copyed and pasted from another thread as you can see why lol

 

[Jess1ca]

Lol...im so lost in yalls conversation...i dont know any of the names of these fish except the ones.i.have at my petsmart...but i could drop the kenyi or.the acei ..i would like some other colors thn yellow n black though.. i dont want a tank of all the same colored fish.. but ill check into the ones yall.mentioned n see .. it wont b too much longer n i can leave work.. today has been so slow all i have done is research fish

Wellllll, kjacks, if you wanna shy from the norm you can join me on the dark side and get some of these bad lads a fair warning tho.... VICIOUS. Please excuse the horrible quality of my iPhone

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Demasoni are blue and black hey Andrew, show her ur Cobue! That's a gorgeous Afra!!!

Here it is I love this fish

 

[Jess1ca]

Here it is I love this fish

I love it too! So jealous!!!

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Wellllll, kjacks, if you wanna shy from the norm you can join me on the dark side and get some of these bad lads a fair warning tho.... VICIOUS. Please excuse the horrible quality of my iPhone

These guys look like they could eat a dog love it

 

[Jess1ca]

These guys look like they could eat a dog love it

They try to eat me when I get in to clean the tank lol.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Lol...im so lost in yalls conversation...i dont know any of the names of these fish except the ones.i.have at my petsmart...but i could drop the kenyi or.the acei ..i would like some other colors thn yellow n black though.. i dont want a tank of all the same colored fish.. but ill check into the ones yall.mentioned n see .. it wont b too much longer n i can leave work.. today has been so slow all i have done is research fish

So as you can see there are a lot of different ones out there just relax and do research. Wish I would have taking more time

I think I would have done an all male peacock or hap tank

 

[Jess1ca]

So as you can see there are a lot of different ones out there just relax and do research. Wish I would have taking more time

Isn't that the truth that is the best and realist advice =D

I woulda went all Vic's or Tangs

 

[Crawdaddy]

I went with the cheapest lol quickrete play sand it takes a bit to get used to, cleaning wise. It's like $2.50 a 50lb bag at home depot. It does take a few days for the water to clear up after installing it even if you rinse it well but it does the job. http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100318476/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=play+sand&storeId=10051#.UFigPOXCuBM

Before you put any sand in you should lay down egg crate first in case you wasn't aware thought I'd mention that.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202025149/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=egg+crate&storeId=10051#.UFif9OXCuBM

Just thought I would help make something clear, only because it really confused me. By egg crate, they are talking about the plastic covers for fluorescent lights. It's plastic and in a grid. I looked forever trying to figure out what everybody meant about using egg crate. The only thing I could think of at the time was the pad you put on top of your mattress to add more padding. It wasn't until after I did my substrate change that I figured out what they were talking about.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Just thought I would help make something clear, only because it really confused me. By egg crate, they are talking about the plastic covers for fluorescent lights. It's plastic and in a grid. I looked forever trying to figure out what everybody meant about using egg crate. The only thing I could think of at the time was the pad you put on top of your mattress to add more padding. It wasn't until after I did my substrate change that I figured out what they were talking about.

Lol my first time I thought they was talking about the things eggs come in lol. That's why I put a link thanks for making it more clear

 

[Jess1ca]

Lol my first time I thought they was talking about the things eggs come in lol. That's why I put a link thanks for making it more clear

I thought the same lmao!!!

 

[Crawdaddy]

Lol my first time I thought they was talking about the things eggs come in lol. That's why I put a link thanks for making it more clear

I just wish I had figured out what it was earlier. As it is, all my lace rock is sitting on bottom. At least I was smart enough to move the sand out of the way and have it on glass so it doesn't shift.

 

[kjacks]

Wellllll, kjacks, if you wanna shy from the norm you can join me on the dark side and get some of these bad lads a fair warning tho.... VICIOUS

Luv it ... i just luv it .. lol amazing lookin fish can only imagine how it looks in person.. i did look up the other fish u had mentioned earlier i do like the snow white socilofi , jalo reef,yellow top mbamba and the rusty cichlid..i havent really looked much into the vic or tang lakes but i need too

 

[Jess1ca]

Luv it ... i just luv it .. lol amazing lookin fish can only imagine how it looks in person.. i did look up the other fish u had mentioned earlier i do like the snow white socilofi , jalo reef,yellow top mbamba and the rusty cichlid..i havent really looked much into the vic or tang lakes but i need too

Those boys are my pride and joy and if you were looking to get some, you don't have to look far... I breed them

 

[kjacks]

Oh n im not opposed to orderin online if it comes to that...i just wanted to watch the fish at the store n pick the ones i wanted .. my hubby has become smart n said do yo thing baby its ur tank...lol so i told him i would make it colorful bc thats what he wants .. which is right up my alley...

 

[kjacks]

Those boys are my pride and joy and if you were looking to get some, you don't have to look far... I breed them

What r they so i can read up make sure i can handle them...lol

 

[Jess1ca]

What r they so i can read up make sure i can handle them...lol

They are Pundamilia Nyererei sometimes called "Ruti Island" they are from Lake Victoria, although not recommended to mix with Malawi/Mbuna they do great with mine! Tough enough to handle any aggressors and gorgeous at the same time

 

[kjacks]

Omg i have been lookin up fish n readin since i gof home practically...i out of all the african cichlids on thatpetplace.com i narrowed it to a small list which i think i could handle well just gotta pick the best combination to go n my tank .. they all say mix with caution and are close to the same size .. well here they r jalo reef , ruti island, zebra obliquidens, crimson tide , mbamba yellow dorsal lab , hongi lab , electric blue maingano, hajomaylandi , & clown lab ....i even wrote down if they werr carnivore , herbivore or omnivore.. also i see y i csnt have a bumble bee now i didnt realize they got 8" i was told they were smaller at petsmart n not really aggressive. I wouldnt have wanted a fish that big anyway so im glad i didnt just buy what they said i could have had i would have been soo mad at them n me ..

 

[Jess1ca]

Omg i have been lookin up fish n readin since i gof home practically...i out of all the african cichlids on thatpetplace.com i narrowed it to a small list which i think i could handle well just gotta pick the best combination to go n my tank .. they all say mix with caution and are close to the same size .. well here they r jalo reef , ruti island, zebra obliquidens, crimson tide , mbamba yellow dorsal lab , hongi lab , electric blue maingano, hajomaylandi , & clown lab ....i even wrote down if they werr carnivore , herbivore or omnivore.. also i see y i csnt have a bumble bee now i didnt realize they got 8" i was told they were smaller at petsmart n not really aggressive. I wouldnt have wanted a fish that big anyway so im glad i didnt just buy what they said i could have had i would have been soo mad at them n me ..

Careful mixing Nyererei & Crimson Tide, they will beat each other up... My breeder recommended I don't mix them... Oh I wanted to! Crimson Tides are GORGEOUS! Oh and welcome to the world of beautiful Vic's, it's hard to shy away from those beautiful colors isn't it???

 

[Jess1ca]

I guess I should have explained why lol, most fish are conspecific, the similar body patterns will have the two constantly battling for the dominant roll and Vic's are full of pride! They will fight to the bitter end :/