I want to Add More Africans...Please Help

I presume you mean the mbuna set-up ?

Exactly what do you have in it now ?

What kind of plecos ?

What do you mean by large africans ?
 
Fish List

I have a Malawi Tank.

3 Yellow Tail Acei's, 3 Maingano's, 3 yellow labs, and two small Plecostomus (plecos).

I like the size of the Yellow Tail Aceis, but the rest of the fish seem to stay small.

Thanks for your help!
 
If the small plecs are Hypostomus punctatus or Pterygoplichthys pardalis they are 'common' plecs and get very large over time - to over a foot and a half. Find out what they are.

As regards malawis you can certainlly have some more. The mainganos are the ones to watch as regards aggression - don't put similarly coloured fish in with them and you should be ok. Both the acei and the labs are quite peaceful for mbuna.

In your tank I would increase each of the 3 groups by one or two fish. Ideally increase the acei and labs to above the mainganos as those are your two less aggressive groups (also the male/female colourations on these two are equally attractive/identical). Keep the ratio at 1 male to 3/4 females.

I think you can then also have either but not both of :

- one more group of say 4 mbuna (one male and 3 females). You might like iodotropheus sperengae (rusty cichlid), or pseudotropheus socolofi (nice powder blue, also comes in albino if you like white - would look quite cool
with your mix).

- a group of male aulonocara 'peacock' cichlids - say 1 each of 3 different species. Would be very vibrant and colourful. Be aware that a number of very respected keepers of rift lake cichlids reccomend strongly that you do not mix aulonocara and mbuna in a tank of your size. However, factoring in that you would not be mixing male/female and hoping to breed etc. I believe you would be ok doing it, subject to the general rule with cichlids that there's no accounting for individual 'personality & character' (i.e. murderous intent lol).

Finally I stress that you need to work out what the plecs are. Try www.planetcatfish.com and check out the names I gave you. If they are commons I advise moving them now before you get too attached. Replace with 2 synodontis catfish or one bristelnose plec.

The guppies woujld also be far, far, far happier out of that tank.

Hope that helps :)
 
actually, I would increase the labs and the acei, leave the mainganos and then do one of the two other groups.
 
You could add more mbuna species and they would get along. look up mbuna and there are many species to concider, i would stay away from arautus (sp?) they are mean i got rid of mine. But with the increase of that species they may eat your plants (if real) as they are mostly herbivores, however able to eat small ammounts of protien. Since you dont really have the most agressive fish you may also be able to add some pecock species which i am partial to and have a 55 with mostly peacocks, but there is a chance for agression. imo if you are going to get peacoks make sure they are close to if not bigger than your current fish, they are slightly less agressive than mbuna and other african species
 
not to burst your bubble but i have seen plecos reach nearly 21 inches and they are enormous. dare i say a 75 gallon may even be too small. optimal size for pleco is 100 gallon minimum. the cichlids may do okay if they stay under 6 inches.
 
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