Looking to add More African Cichlids

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Gamachii

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Jun 14, 2009
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Hello, and thanks in advance for your advice.

My father has a 90 gallon fish tank set up for african cichlids, however curently, only three fish live in the tank. I took pictures and did some research to find out what type of fish these are. The largest fish looks to me to be a female blue peacock, and she is huge, about seven inches. The other fish is a saulosi cichlid (I think) and male? (he has a few yellow spots on his anal fin) He is four and half or five inches. Also in the tank is a pleco, who seems to mind his own business.

90 gallons is pretty empty with just these three, so we wanted to buy a few more fish for a father's day present. We were advised by a very knowledgabe fish shop owner to put either fish only the same size, or many small fish all at once. There are several terra cotta pots and other hideys set up in the tank, and the big ones are too large to get in them, so the small fish would be able to hide.

So, My questions to you are, what kinds of african cichlids would be ideal? Probably looking for types that are agressive enough to not get bullied too much, or fast enough to escape to a hidey. Less expensive fish would be better, because we need to get so many of them. (Fifteen at least? But of what size?) Also, do you think it would be benifical to add plants for the small fish to hide in or will the bigger fish just devour them? (If yes, what kinds of plants?)

If you have fish that you think would be perfect for sale, and live in the boston area, by all means let me know, I'd love to hear about them! (I'm a little wary of shipping)

Thanks Alot, Elise

P.s. Here are the two cichlids, in case they aren't what I think they are.

bigmeanfish.jpg littlestripefish.jpg
 

efors

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Jun 17, 2008
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I don't think you have a female peacock as neither a saulosi. In a 90gal tank you can have from 20 to even 30 Malawi cichlids depending on the fishes' size. The problem here is that the fishes in that tank are adults that have been there for a long time, I'm pretty sure and any new fish would be seen as an intruder invading their territory. So, just before adding new fishes, I would rearrange the tank's decor; using rocks to build a lot of caves and hiding places. This will help the new fishes and will break the territories of the old fishes, increasing the chances of the new ones to establish well enough to their new home.
About what to add, it is tough; but IMHO, I would stick to an all male peacock (Aulonocara) and Haplochromis tank. Maybe the mbuna (the blue fish with black bars) will have to be removed in the future. As your peacock is so big, add new fishes not too big to be seen as a threat but not too small to be seen as a lunch. I think it should be OK if the new additions are about 3 inches long.
Oh, I forgot to say you: Good luck and welcome to AC!!!
 
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blue2fyre

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Oct 7, 2008
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Your peacock is a male. Female pecocks all look alike and are pretty drab.I don't know the species since I don't know many peacock species. Also I don't think the other is a saulosi I think it's a female Kenyi. As far as what to add, I think it depends on if you want more peacocks or more mbuna. I would go with a mbuna tank but it could be tricky since the fish you have are already so big and established. I agree with efors on how to add the new fish.
 

underthesea420

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Oct 5, 2008
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1st pic-some kind of peacock (def. a male)
2nd pic-kenyi (female)

You have some very nice fish.

Just like the person above me said, it all depends if you want more mbuna or peacocks.
 

efors

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As far as what to add, I think it depends on if you want more peacocks or more mbuna. I would go with a mbuna tank but it could be tricky since the fish you have are already so big and established.
Blue is right on giving you the opportunity to decide which of both ways you want to go. And yes, certainly because your fishes are so big and established, I think you should go with peacocks and Haplochromis; because these are known to be less aggressive than the mbunas and then more easy to be added, IMHO.
But hey, I'm a big mbuna fan; that's what I have in my tank.
 
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Pittbull

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Apr 14, 2007
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Dude ibr3ak man you are too quick i was so going to say look at those lips hehehehe def not a peacock reminds me of the VC species at any rate all above are correct.. you will need to add plenty more rock piles if you are going to add Mbuna but if you stick with Haps you can still add rock work to act as a territorial devider and lesson some of the aggression that will come your way when adding new enemies hehehe..

No on plants unless you get some Anubias Nana and shove it between some rocks so that the cichlids do not remove it when digging and any other substrate plant will either be food or dug up by the cichlid the Anubias aren't that much tastey to them i have them in my African setups with out worries.. welcome to AC..
 

efors

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The first one is a hap, not a peacock, looks like a Protomelas Ornatus, look at the big lips.
Wow ibr3ak, you are the ID MAN; aye!
 

mostlycichlids

Cichlid Specialist
Apr 27, 2006
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That Kenyi in the second pic ...may be a Male...it has female colors but if you look close it looks to be turning yellow...and at that size is when they usually start to make the change. Lots of rock work and caves with some driftwood....if you want plants fake is the way to go.
 
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