Need Ideas fast!

[Maxkolbe]

Just cycled my new 60 gallon aquarium and need to figure out my stock list. This is urgent because I still do not have it figured out and we are going to the LFS tomorrow and probably won't be able to make it back for awhile.

This is what I have so far
x1cobalt zebra
x6/7 johani
X6/7 some other mbuna
x4 syndontis petricola (still need to find a store that carries them)
I also may include a yellow lab if he makes it. (he is sick)

I am looking for species that are easily sexed and would do well in this setup.
Ideas I have so far are afras but I know little about them and were wondering if they were dimorphic?

Any and all help is appreciated since I want to get the tank stocked as soon as possible.

 

[Maxkolbe]

Does anyone know how to sex cobalt zebras, I think the males are blue and the females are red but I may be wrong.

 

[joel618]

Not sure about the sexing but venting is the best way to sex mbuna. I had to order my petricola on aquabid. I got a great deal on 16 of them and then traded half of them off. They aren't super common so would be easy to trade. I found them at my lfs once and they wanted $29 each for 1 inch fish, I loled and walked back out.

 

[Maxkolbe]

I found them on aqua bid too but they lived in Callifoenia and I'm in Illinois so I couldn't get a live guarantee. Do you know how to sex afras?

 

[joel618]

I found them on aqua bid too but they lived in Callifoenia and I'm in Illinois so I couldn't get a live guarantee. Do you know how to sex afras?

What part of Illinois?!? I got mine from cali and didn't have one doa. It also wasn't winter when I did it and it was snowing a bit today.

 

[Maxkolbe]

Peoria.

 

[joel618]

Peoria.

Nice. Im from Carbondale. What type of afras? Mine are afra cobue. It is hard to sex without venting bc the sub dominant males look alot like females. What type of afra you wanting?

 

[Maxkolbe]

I' Ok with afra cobue but I really want to get afar mbweca. I thought the yellow would compliment the blue really well.

 

[Maxkolbe]

They didn't have afras or Johanis but had some other pretty cool fish.
I got x1 OB red zebra (my favorite) 1red zebra 1 electric ahli and 1 bristle nose Pleco

When you add the cobalt zebra that I already have it makes for a very impressive tank.
I also figured out how to sex red zebras without venting so I am 95% sure that I have an all male tank!

If we succeed in healing the electric yellow he will join them as well.

My last idea is that for a syndontis species I could get 3 or 4 upside-down catfish. They aren't from the rift lakes but I am pretty sure they would work.

One question though, the BN has a small tear in his tail that I'm assuming was caused by his previous tank mates. it isn't infected or anything so should I let it heal naturally or treat it?

 

[Big.Jon]

Would love to see pic of your new Ob zebra. Good luck in your stocking. As far as your bristle nose mine has got nipped at a time or two, and he seems to heal very quickly Imo just let it heal unless its real bad.

 

[joel618]

They didn't have afras or Johanis but had some other pretty cool fish.
I got x1 OB red zebra (my favorite) 1red zebra 1 electric ahli and 1 bristle nose Pleco

When you add the cobalt zebra that I already have it makes for a very impressive tank.
I also figured out how to sex red zebras without venting so I am 95% sure that I have an all male tank!

If we succeed in healing the electric yellow he will join them as well.

My last idea is that for a syndontis species I could get 3 or 4 upside-down catfish. They aren't from the rift lakes but I am pretty sure they would work.

One question though, the BN has a small tear in his tail that I'm assuming was caused by his previous tank mates. it isn't infected or anything so should I let it heal naturally or treat it?

It should heal naturally, just keep good water quality. How did you sex the zebras?

 

[Maxkolbe]

I was reading on cichlid forum and it said that the sub adults and adults take on a light-bluish hue and the fins turn light blue. After I knew to look at the fins it was actually rather easy to sex the fish since the other ones all had orange fins. The only downside is that the males are more yellow than orange, but they still look good.

 

[Maxkolbe]

Here's the OB zebra. Sorry about the bad photo. I wanted to use a decent camera but the computer was being stubborn.

 

[Maxkolbe]

Here's a photo of the electric ahli.
The next one is of the cobalt zebra posing while the red zebra displays photophobia.
And this is the BN Pleco. That guy must have been beat up bad because I just noticed that he was missing a little bit of his dorsal fin, thankfully that doesn't look infected either.

 

[kelbaker79]

Just saw you guys are in IL, hello from St. Louis