So I think I've decided!!

[Lady G]

Ok, so I am going to be resealing my 75...if it ever quits raining! Been going back and forth..if I want to move my Sevs into it and add some greens with my Golds (which I am most likely going to do), but this leaves my 55 open....wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it....thought about cons, thought about brackish, thought about African Rift lake, and I think I'm going back to my Africans, after looking through a few threads....I really miss mine. So it will be a while in the making....but I believe I'm going back to a African tank.

Now, trying to decide what I want. Tell me what kinds I could mix and which are absolute no-nos together! I want Lake malwai.

Maylandia
Melanochromis
Aulonocara
Labidochromis
Haps
Copadichromis

Suggest away, I have time!!

[ibr3ak]

All can be mixed theoretically, it would just depend on fish's individual personality. Haps and mbuna can be successfully mixed, but I would probably keep the haps out of a 55 as they get twice as large as most mbuna species. I would keep the aulonocara and copadichromis out of the same mbuna tank with melanochromis's and pseudotropheus's, both peacocks and copadichromis's aren't as aggressive as the above mbuna species to "peacefully" coexist together.

So you could either go with a more aggressive tank and choose more aggressive mbuna, or go with copadichromises and peacocks with less aggressive mbuna like labidochromises, i. sperengae's (rusties) or p. acei's, for example.

Check out cichlid forums database for a more comprehensive description list of species:
http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/

[Lady G]

Hmmm, it seems I have mixed someone up here....I'm not sure but I'm pretty sure I mixed up the Maylandia and Melanochromis for Metriaclima, see the zebras and the kenyi are one of my Fav's..they are what I was talking about. I know they are of the more aggressive ones...but I really love them.

This is where I run into my problems...cause I really like the Aulonocara also, they are just soooo pretty.

Then I get to the Labs...OH, I love them too!!

I've never had the Copadichromis before...but I do like them too.

I will X off the Haps, I have never had them and thought it may be nice to try them out...but I'll take them off the list for now.

By the time I get this set up I'm probably going to have everyone pulling there hair out....I really stink at trying to decide between things I REALLY want.

I do not want a really peaceful tank, I mean know I don't want them killing each other, but a little action here and there is always nice. I hope that doesn't sound mean, cause I don't mean that I want fighting going on all the time, but I do like a little chase here and there.

[ibr3ak]

I think you can have a small group of kenyi's (1male to 3 or 4 females) with the similar sized group of zebras and yellow labs. Or you could have an all male mbuna tank and have one fish of each (in addition to 1 kenyi, 1 zebra and 1 lab, you could have 14-15 fish in total).

You could also try for peacocks or copadichromis in the mbuna tank, but I'd be ready to take them out as your fish mature and start to establish territories.

[Lady G]

Really, you think 14-15....with just ONE each? I don't know I may go with the mix thing...having just one each may drive me nuts.
Or did you mean like...one Red, one Colbat Blue, one white mbuna...ect. Along with 1 Kenyi, 1 zebra and 1 lab, and possibly a peacock and or copadichromis?

[ibr3ak]

Yea I mean 1 fish of each specie of mbuna (as long as they are male and differ in coloration from each other), it also helps to have a pretty good selection at your lfs. An all male mbuna tanks also tend to be on a slightly more aggressive side because of so many different fish, so keeping a peacock or a copadichromis might be a hit or miss type situation.

[Lady G]

Would it be less aggressive if I went with the small group of kenyi's, with the group of zebras and yellow labs? Since there would be more female to males?

[ibr3ak]

In my opinion yes, even though females can get pretty belligerent it will still be a less aggressive set up.

[Lady G]

Ok, that one sounds best to me. As I said, no I do not want a complete docile tank of fish....but I do not want them trying to kill each other every second either.

Wow, now I need the weather to cooperate with me so I can get the other tank done. So I can get started on all this.

Of coarse by the time I get through all of the switching of tanks, getting the sand, rocks, and what ever else for the tank....I may of switched my mind 20 more times LMAO!

[Lady G]

Ok, so where are Jewel cichlids from?

[ibr3ak]

Africa, but they're from a river, malawi mbuna and peacocks are from a lake, though I wouldn't mix the two, I've seen that Coler has one in his mixed tank with peacocks and mbuna.

[Lady G]

Ok, I just thought of them and they are very pretty. Oh, well...maybe in a different tank sometime:)

I really want this to be a rift lake tank, so they would through the whole thing off then.

[mr.key]

I've never heard of jewels being really a good idea in anything but a species tank either. They are killing aggressive in general.

I have been thinking of a mbuna tank as well. IMO the largest and most expensive task is to sufficiently rockscape the tank.

That awful Peter Hiscock had a really nice scape in his book of locality specific (word is lost for these) tanks with round boulders that looked really fantastic.

[Lady G]

Yes, I plan a sand bottom..I really want a black sand, but may go with eco-complete cichlid sand (I think that was the black and white)...or I may end up with a different brand....I REALLY like the moon sand, but it is pretty expensive...so most likely not.

Rocks...loads and loads of rock, which I can get at the lawn and garden place here in town or the gravel place for pretty cheap...I know at the lawn and garden place they had some I really liked for like .59/lb.

I am looking at biotope tanks trying to get a better idea of what I am going to aim for.

The jewels are not going to go in this tank, cause I do want to try my hand at a biotope tank.

[Lupin]

I would have suggested loaches instead of cichlids, Lady G.:grinyes: And no, you can't have both in one tank.:)

[Lady G]

STOP IT LUP!!! You know what I've gone through just deciding on this!!! Now your going to through another fish idea at me!!!! I love your loaches, do not get me thinking again:silly:

[Barbie]

If you did yellow labs and lwanda peacocks you could then do a species of loach and even some of the larger rainbows or tiger barbs for color. Their dietary needs would all be the same and you wouldn't have the hyper dominance you're going to see with any metriaclima, maylandia, melanochromis mixes, IME. Just because they aren't actually killing each other all the time doesn't mean they'd be boring at all ;).

Barbie

[Arakkis]

I'm wierd.. I have peacocks with cyprichromis. The peas can't catch em.

[Lady G]

LMAO! That doesn't mean your weird :perv:

My problem is though, I want so many different ones. I may try throwing a peacock in there....they really are great looking fish.

[FL22]

Do you ever sleep LG? LOL!!

I would go with the loaches like Lupin (aka LoachsUpINhere) suggested;)

[Lady G]

I slept for about 3.5 hours I think LMAO!!!!:perv:

Yes, I do like the loaches too, they are very cool looking little fellas....but I have to do my Africans again, I've been looking at them to much lately and I figure it is because I really need them:)

Really had decided on a brackish, with a Violet Goby and Orange Chromis, but still kept going back to my Africans....I've looked at my old Pics and MAN I MISS THEM!