stocking 40g mbuna?

Yellow labs and Zebras tend to work well together. They're also somewhat smaller cichlids. So I think you could get away with overstocking slightly. Make sure you've got a lot of rocks and caves though.

I have several types of Zebra in my tank, and they work well with everyone. Red Top's are quite nice to look at. I also have albino socolofi's.

Yellow labs are really cool. I'd definitely get a small brood of those.

Joe

You could probably put a bunch of "young/small" mbuna in a 40-gal (short-term), but they will eventually grow up, (depending on the particular species, full grown zebra's get big, 5"+ easy...acei get that large too, but aren't as aggressive). Full grown, the only mbuna I've seen bigger than large zebras are large bumblebees (tho' there are probably others).

The labs and acei may work (~4 each). In a 40-gal the zebra's and socolofi might pose some aggression and territorial issues and become bullies in a 40-gal. One those will definately take charge of the tank. I'd omit them from the list for a tank that size and just go with the labs and acei, but as 2" juveniles all the species on your list should all get along.

I agree, if your planning on housing the fish in this tank long-term then I would go with a trio of yellow labs and a trio of P. acei. Trio meaning 1 male and 2 females.

A 40 gallon is bare-minimum in my mind for long term housing of african cichlids, and yellow labs, acei, socolofi, and rusties are about the only mbuna I would house in there in terms of aggression.


-Diana

haha yep, maximum I could afford, minimum for housing mbuna. I also figured that the breeder type of aquarium would be more beneficial due to it's being long and deep as opposed to tall; so there's more horizontal swimming area as well as sand surface.

I think that's why we pretty much decided to go with only one or two species and to keep it on the lower end of the size and aggression scale. This is my first foray into Africans so I want to start off with the hardier, more peaceful species.

Thank you for all of the replies. Very helpful. :bowing:

We're pretty much set on the labs and aceis. But now here is the ultimate question: how do I sex these fish?

Sexing them is tricky, especially at a young age. I suggest getting one or two more than you plan on, and then weeding out the extra males. The only for sure way for a beginner to sex these fish is to vent them, but they need to be mature in order to do that (and even then its a little tricky).

Once you become more familiar with the fish though you'll probebly be able to tell which is male and which is female.

-Diana