Suggestions on what to put in my 46g tank?

What africans are available to you locally? And would you or your lfs be willing to mail order them from a breeder?

As far as like a dwarf SA cichlid community, you could do 2 pairs of rams and tetras and corys. Or you might be able to do angels, though I don't think you could do more than 3 in that size tank, and I've heard 2 (unless they are a pair) or 3 is a very bad number of angels to have, I'm not myself experienced with them though.

Here's a suggestion..
Send it to me!!

I think Coler has a nice african setup in a 46g bow??? Maybe he could give you some tips...:thm:

for that size tank i would do a tanganyika setup with a type of shell dweller along with a pair of julidochromis species or do away with the shellies and add a calvus or two or do away with the juli's and go brichardi's as long as you do plenty of rock work you will have plenty of retreats as for substrate sand and crushed coral will be sweet CF will bring out the hues more than standard lighting and if you dont want plants dont do them but some anubias and or java fern would look sweet with the tangs as for a cat you could go with a pair of Synodontis petricola.

N. multifasciatus and julidochromis or a. calvus

Phew sorry I have been very much slacking on reading threads lately :

46G bow is what I have going. Mine is a three foot long tank. This is honestly too small for malawis, and you might well be much happier trying tanganyikans as suggested above.

However and I qualify this by saying it is risky, you can try something like :

1. All male malawi with some of the smaller and less aggressive mbuna, plus a couple of male peacocks. This is what I have running. I have lost fish due to aggression, although none for nearly a year or so, you need a plan B to move out fish which don't work out, and it is unpredictable, or
2. Mixed male female, with 3 groups of less agressive mbuna. Having regard to the fact that you are starting out with a tank which almost all malawi owners consider a wee bit too small, this is probably going to be a more stable set up.

Option 1 potential stocking :

So hard to say as it will all come down to individual fish and how they interact. I can only tell you what has worked out for me :

- Pseudotropheus Socolofi
- Pseudotropheus Socolofi Albino
- Pseudotropheus Acei
- Labidochromis Caereulus
- Iodotropheues Speregae
- Pseudotropheus Macropthalmus 'Flame Cheek' Albino
- Labidchromis Hongi

I have these plus a couple of male peacocks. I got the peacocks first and let them get a bit of size before adding mbuna. I have had other fish in this tank (a ton - at least 10) and have returned them as they were either too agro or were being bullied to death.

I also have a couple of tanganyikans (leilupi and a tretocephalus). As a basic proposition this is wrong and silly of me and I would never reccomend the mix.

I also have a jewel cichlid.

I will deny to my dying day having had anything else crazy in there (please don't ask about the crayfish).

I am anticipating moving a couple of fish out of this tank and either rehoming or back to LFS - a good one - as they are all gaining size and I don't think will be happy as a group for much longer.

What I am trying to get at is that this set-up is not to be generally reccommended and I detail it here in the spirit of honest only !

Now, option 2 :

1 group lab caereulus 'lions cove' - 1 male 3 females
1 group iodotropheus sperengae - 1 male 3 females
1 group Pseudotropheus Socolofi - albino if you prefer - 1 male 2 females.

And you're stocked at those levels - and you may have fry to deal with.

Try option 2 if you want malawis - otherwise go for the tangs. Option 2 will be a really lovely colourful tank for you and has reasonable prospects of working out well.

Coler said:

I will deny to my dying day having had anything else crazy in there (please don't ask about the crayfish).

Click to expand...

:lol: So I'm not the only one with a crawfish with AC's...