Setting up my first African tank. Going to be a 60g. I have a breeding group of 8 "zebra" labs, 2 demasoni, 1 frontosa, 1 blue ahli already in a 29g. My plan is to breed the labs. I've had them for about 3 months. My questions include:
1. Is egg crate necessary? I plan on using cichlid sand and piling rocks.
2. Can I keep yellow labs too or would there be a chance of hybridizing?
3. Can I keep breeding groups of either demasoni or blue ahlis with them or should I set up a new tank?
4. I may have read some where that I could use the "waste water" from an RO unit for waste changes?
Filtration includes aquatop cf400uv. whisper 60. and two sponge filters.
Thanks ahead.
1. Egg crate is always a good idea where you will have significant rock work in the tank. These fish dig a lot and are well capable of undermining rocks so that a collapse happens.
2. Your selected species - I can see a few issues. :-
a) I don't know what you mean by 'zebra' labs - can you clarify or post a pic - I have a feeling you may be describing
Astatotilapia latifasciata or 'Zebra Obliquedens'. These are a Lake Victoria species, are highly aggressive, and often don't mix well with species from Lake Malawi/Tanganyika - and you are considering species from each of those lakes too. If you're referring to the Zebra Obliquedens I would say your success in mixing with the other species you describe is very unpredictable, if not unlikely.
b) Demasoni need to be in a group of not less than 10 or 12 fish, with 1 male to every 4 or 5 females, or they are likely to kill each other.
c) the Frontosa is a bad idea with the mbuna (Demasoni are mbuna). These are big gentle giants types who are likely to be very spooked by the more active aggressive mbuna species and prefer to be kept in a colony of frontosa with other Tanganyikan species themselves. Your tank is not really big enough for this so I would ditch this idea.
d) The Ahli is I think at least questionable with your plan to stock mbuna species. If you go for demasoni, they are really hard on conspecifics (fish with same colouration i.e. blue ones) so when the Ahli is young it may find life hard. As it ages, it will end up a pretty aggressive fish in its own right which may claim too much of the tank as its territory. You'll find that most people will not recommend mixing Haplochromine species with Mbuna species except in a bigger tank than yours, but there will then be equally as many success stories where someone manages a few peacocks/a couple of larger haps in a mixed population of mbuna. I think your tank will not likely support a breeding group of Ahlis together with mbuna species. A dedicated tank would be better, or ditch the breeding group and stock the Ahli with your fingers crossed as to how he does with the mbuna, and knowing that it may not end well.
e) Regarding yellow labs, they are a good mix with e.g. a proper sized group of demasoni and you can certainly keep a group of them, but you need to adjust your other stocking plans as per the above. There is pretty much no real chance of hybrids with e.g. demasoni, there is a slightly higher chance with other labidochromis species, there is an even higher chance with species which look the same, so you can more or less minimise hybridisation or the chance of it happening by stocking appropriately and ensuring each species have enough of their own in the correct ratio of male to female to occupy themselves and by not stocking mbuna species which physically resemble each other.
f) If you keep Mbuna in the correct ratios of male to female, and in good water conditions (these fish want pristine water conditions - nitrates 20 or below ideally), they will breed whether you like it or not, including demasoni.
3. Not sure about waste water from an RO being used. It could be very vulnerable to significant Ph swings. These fish want ideally hard water which is at least 7 Ph or ideally up above 8. I think you could use it but you would want to deploy a combination of buffers (appropriate substrate, perhaps a buffer additive). Is there any particular reason why you would like to use it ? Where I have come across its use in a FW aquarium myself it has been where someone wants to create very particular water conditions, usually for breeding fish that like really soft, acidic water. I would need a compelling reason not to go with what's in the tap myself - even if that itself needed buffering - before taking the RO waste water.
4. As regards your filtration, if you like HOB filters, that's fine. I personally would go with two cannisters but HOB's have their fanbase and that's fair enough. The important thing is to be rotating the water not less than 10 times an hour, and to have two filters running to cater for any problem that might crop up if one fails. You don't need the sponge filters - personally I try and keep the filtration out of my tank for visual effect - if you have sufficient cannister/HOB filters.
What I would suggest you do is some research on the African Rift Lake species, particularly differentiating between Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria, and why it is that people will not generally mix species from each lake in the same tank. You will also see the difference between the species groups in Malawi (broadly mbuna and 'haps'/peacocks) and the issues with mixing these groups, as well as the suggested stocking ratios and group sizes for the species in question - generally, 1 male to 3 or 4 females.
Of the species you have mentioned, I think you can certainly consider a tank based around demasoni and yellow labs, with perhaps one more mbuna species (iodotropheus sperengae - 'rusty cichlid' is worth considering or perhaps albino Pseudotropheus Socolofi for instance). If you do a bit of reading around you'll get a good feel for what has the best chances of success.
Welcome to AC
If you have more questions feel free to post 'em back up and people will do their best to give you a steer.
