stocking question for new malawi tank

[FrankoQ]

Fish pics as promised:

 

[FrankoQ]

a few more:

 

[acejock999]

About how old are your fish? What size are they? Your fish seem much more colorful than mine although some of mine seem like they are starting to color up. My tank has been going about 7 weeks and I started with fish about 1 inch or so. When I bought them the lfs said they were all male but I'm starting to wonder.

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[FrankoQ]

About how old are your fish? What size are they? Your fish seem much more colorful than mine although some of mine seem like they are starting to color up. My tank has been going about 7 weeks and I started with fish about 1 inch or so. When I bought them the lfs said they were all male but I'm starting to wonder.

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All the Mbunas are juvies. I had them since thanksgiving. They are growing and their color is getting better.
All peacocks were bought as adults already colored and all males.

If you have peacocks/haps since they were 1inch... chances are the LFS cannot tell sex and you might have females that will not color ever.

If you do have males, give them time, feed them cichlid food, and be patient.

 

[acejock999]

Ahhh patience. Definitely not a strong suit. I will indeed wait a while longer.

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[erikmoseley]

They look awesome! What's the current total stock. Seems like. Good amount and maybe I'd hold off on adding more??? Shoot a total tank shot. I think it looks awesome!

 

[FrankoQ]

They look awesome! What's the current total stock. Seems like. Good amount and maybe I'd hold off on adding more??? Shoot a total tank shot. I think it looks awesome!

24 fish total. I'll add 2-3 more and that will be it. aggression is low.

Electric Yellow, red zebra, powder blue, Demasoni, yellow tail acei, snow white, cobalt blue zebra,
Gold Nugget Pleco, Clown Loach, Clown Loach, Clown Loach, Red tail shark, Red top Hongi, OB Zebra, german red peacock, Strawberry peacock, sulfur head peacock, Sunshine Benga Peacock, Dragon blood, Venustus, Taiwan reef , OB peacock, Red Top Lwanda, Ngara Flame tail

 

[acejock999]

So you have mbuna with peacocks?

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[FrankoQ]

So you have mbuna with peacocks?

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Mbunas, peacocks, haps, 3 clown loaches, a red tail shark, and a gold nugget pleco.

many will say this is a no-no, but it has worked for me so far.
I do weekly water changes, they only eat Xtreme or NLS. I move the rocks around from time to time so no one "claims" territory. I'm also trying to overstock the tank.
So far so good. Aggression is very low. they all swim around freely and are not just hiding.
I add fish in groups. still, when I added the peacocks and haps, my demasoni got furious and decided to only harass the venustus. For one day, he chased him. I decided to get the demasoni out and "let him go".
i took him out and had him in one of those small containers fish stores use to get your fish before they put them in a bag.
My daughter pleaded for the little guy. I left him out for a night and I put him back in the next day. he has not picked on the venustus anymore.

now regarding fish size, yes I know some of these guys are supposed to get big. when that becomes a real concern, that will be my excuse to go for a larger tank and get more fish. My goal is to upgrade to a 220g.

 

[acejock999]

Cool. That is sort of my plan. I have 14 assorted peacocks and haps now. Plan on getting another dozen for my 90 gallon. I'm in the process of looking for a 200-240 gallon set up.

I have one fish who has been a chart from the start. Even when he was a little guy. I call him big blue. My niece is a proponent of his exclusion. He even chases fish much larger than him, except for my lithobates who had started chatting him for a couple days. Now they live in harmony. I may take him out for a day or 2. I try to change the rock structures every 2 weeks but he still claims the biggest structure as his. This is a massive structure with lots of holes but he wants all of them.

I added mine 6-4-4 but plan on doing the next in a big batch of 12. It has been about 6 weeks since I added any. The first 2 batches were from a lfs and are the smallest in the tank. Last batch I bought online and they are bigger prettier more unique fish. Also much more expensive (up to 20 each vs only 9 for the locals). I think I will stick to the online place. Get 3 inch males.

I will post a picture as soon as I figure out this new interface.

Continued success to you.

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[acejock999]

Structure on the left is the one claimed by big blue who actually looks like he is turning green.

Fish on lower left is old big blue from about 5 weeks ago when he was smaller but still the tank bully. Tank decor has been changed twice since second picture. Initially I thought he was a blue ahli but I no longer think that.

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[FrankoQ]

That looks really good. keep the pics coming.

 

[FrankoQ]

The king of my tank is a digger:

My digger - YouTube

 

[FrankoQ]

Trying to display the video instead of the link.

My digger - YouTube

 

[FrankoQ]

My German Red got weak and got beaten badly. all fins chewed up.
moved him to a hospital 10g tank and added some salt. The first 2 days, he seemed borderline to fish heaven. He started moving and eating on the 3rd day.
Any idea on how long it takes for his body/fins to heal?