stocking a 125

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AcTwisted

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Jan 22, 2003
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my 125 (72"x18"x20") is ready to go. I know I want 1 frontosa. Other than that I was thinking of going with Peacocks(Aulonocara). Maybe a couple of borleyi too. My main question is about the peacocks. Knowing they can get upwards to 5-6", how many should I get? I'm not interested in breeding them so I was thinking perhaps a tank solely of males. Is that a disaster waiting to happen? I was told with no females in the tank, the males won't be as territorial. Is that true? My LFS currently has some male Hap ahli (Electric Blue), Electra, albino peacocks,
jacobfreibergi, and blue/red peacocks in stock.

Any advice is welcome before I spend significant $$$ and regret it by stocking this tank the wrong way!
 

JnS

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first off you can mix fronts with haps and peacocks, but I would not do it.
I prefer to keep lakes seperate.
that being said, you will want to get quality stock from a breeder, wholesaler or good LFS! you can get sole males to keep color as long as they are different in color. example say you get an albino eureka, another albino german red might not have color in it. so on so forth.
an alhi is not a peacock jsut to let you know :)
 

Oxboy666

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Apr 16, 2003
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I have an all-male peacock tank. They get a little feisty around feeding time, but it's not a battle royal at all like when breeding is involved. I'm a big fan of the bachelor pad.

Try and get Peacocks with different adult color schemes and patterns. Also try and get them all at the same time and at roughly the same size; they'll grow up together, which will minimize aggression somewhat. Feed them plenty of color-enhancing food, along with some plankton/krill and spirulina once in a while (Peacocks don't need the spirulina really, but mine respond well to the change of pace). One or two males will rise to dominance (and full color), but your big tank will help minimize any serious hassles. The Jacobfreibergi, based on size and temperament, might assert itself as the top Peacock.

Try and strike a good balance between rocks/caves and plenty of open water. I also recommend a sand substrate (pool filter sand works fine - just wash it well before it goes in).

As far as fishload, you can probably get away with 12-14 adult fish if you keep up the 20% water changes every 10-14 days. Get excellent filtration - perhaps 2 powerfilters and a canister. That Frontosa will get big!

One final thought is you might want to throw in some different fish for variety's sake. Fortunately, 125 gal is pretty good size tank that will let you experiment and branch out in terms of selection. I might recommend a mix of the following:

Peacocks
Borleyi (or other Copadichromis)
Labidochromis
Julidochromis (only keep 1)
Electric Blues
A. Calvus or Compressiceps (only keep 1)
Brichardi Daffodil (only keep 1)
Tretocephalus (only keep 1)
Leleupi (only keep 1)
Synodontis cat

Even if you're fairly sure you have a bachelor tank (if that's what you want), still keep a sharp lookout in the early stages for weird breeding activity. Four male peacocks and an accidental female mixed in could get a little crazy.

Good Luck.
 

ChilDawg

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Dec 26, 2002
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Hmm...the esteemed Dick Stratton once called the Central American Cichlids "Real Cichlids" (which he stole from another fishkeeper who remained anonymous...and he said it in jest...) because of their behaviors versus those of Malawians. I don't buy it, as I like both!
 

ChilDawg

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I like the Peacock idea. If I had my books here, I could mention a little on stocking, but I apologize as they're not readily available to me!

Mixing lakes is not always a good idea, because these fish have different behavioral signals. Also, Fronts like groups, so I would not keep just one.
 
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