How many? yellow lab/demasoni in 47 tall

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stripe157

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Dec 29, 2009
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I have an established planted tank that developed a case of pond snails. In the process of researching my options, one think led to another, and now I've decided to convert the whole thing into either a species tank, or a mix with yellow labs and demasoni (or maingano). My tank's dimensions are rather unique though... 20" x 18" x 30". That 30" is height.
So, here's the questions: how many, and of which? Do you have other suggestions?
I intend to buy the smallest ones I can, and don't want to have to find a home for any of these next year.
I have plenty of filtration with an Eheim 2217, but water changes are realistically ~ every 3 weeks, but never less than once/month.
Thanks!
stripe
 

stripe157

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Dec 29, 2009
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Thanks, so if I'm aiming for 10 yellow labs, should I attempt to pick out mostly females, or would that be futile with juveniles?

since the demasoni are smaller, is it a safe assumption to say that 4 yellows and 6 damasonis would also be a good fit?
 

blue2fyre

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Oct 7, 2008
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I don't think the tank is big enough for either species. Demasoni are super aggressive and need to be kept in groups of at least 12. IMO they also need at least a 4 foot tank. Otherwise they start killing each other. There needs to be enough room for the fish to escape each other and claim territories. a 20Inch tank just doesn't provide enough floor space for them.

You might be able to get away with a species tank of Ps saulosi. The males are blue with black stripes and the females are bright yellow. They are a dwarf mbuna and only get to be around 3 inches. If you put a ton of rock in the tank they might be ok.
 

rockhoe14er

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I don't think the tank is big enough for either species. Demasoni are super aggressive and need to be kept in groups of at least 12. IMO they also need at least a 4 foot tank. Otherwise they start killing each other. There needs to be enough room for the fish to escape each other and claim territories. a 20Inch tank just doesn't provide enough floor space for them.

You might be able to get away with a species tank of Ps saulosi. The males are blue with black stripes and the females are bright yellow. They are a dwarf mbuna and only get to be around 3 inches. If you put a ton of rock in the tank they might be ok.
I agree. Listen to blue2fyre she really knows what she's talking about when it comes to african cichlids.
 

stripe157

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Dec 29, 2009
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I have a pretty significant piece of Malaysian drift wood (25" tall or so), and plan on looking into an addition rock or slate to help break up the 'territories'. You're right though, this tank has a relatively small footprint despite it holding almost 50 gal. I thought maybe a single species would be better, but of course color variety would be visually appealing.
I thought more than one species would likely not work, but wanted to check with those who would KNOW before I decide. I'll stick with one then, Ps Saulosi seams like the best of both worlds--blue, yellow, and a single species! What would you suggest as a good number of Ps Saulosi for this tank? (footprint is ~360 sq inches)
So, on another note, would nixing the demasoni, and simply decreasing the number of yellow labs to 6 be reasonable?
 

Lab_Rat

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Dec 3, 2009
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I think that footprint is too small for any mbuna, even the dwarf. A shellie tank would be a better option, with some rockwork for julies in the mix.
 

stripe157

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Dec 29, 2009
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Oh, also, the current cleanup crew consists of a couple cories... (They'll be moving to live with the red cherries in a 15 long) Which means I'll need another tougher guy to clean up, perhaps eat algae. I've avoided getting a pleco due to their large adult size. What is the common practice with cichlid tanks for this duty?

thanks again
 

Lab_Rat

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Dec 3, 2009
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Yeah, they're from Lake Tanganyika and really cool little fish. The julies are Julidochromis species, also from Lake Tanganyika. I've always had good luck with bristlenose plecs in with my african cichlids. They stay small at 5" or less for most.
 
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