How many? yellow lab/demasoni in 47 tall

[stripe157]

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.

I understand fish are comfortable in groups of their own kind, so more=better... well, somewhere south of overcrowding anyway; but you don't think there's an acceptable compromise for this tank?

four? two?

 

[rockhoe14er]

multi's would be great.

 

[stripe157]

I'm not going to make any rash decisions of course, but right now I like the Ps Saulosi idea. Those are a beautiful species.
Having trouble finding good pictures/info on the shellies at the moment.

 

[myswtsins]

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.

:iagree: Notice the MIGHT up there though. When it comes to Mbuna length is the most important dimension, you rarely see a fish trying to escape an attack by going from the back to the front of a tank.....maybe if it was 3 foot deep (back to front) that'd be a different story. At 20" long I don't even know any expert cichlid/mbuna keepers that would try it (a 10g is 20" long for reference). I don't want to be discouraging but I think you will enjoy your tank and have a lot less complication if you went another route with this tank and saved the mbuna for a larger tank.

Shellies would be good with maybe some julies. Bristlenose plecos are good with the more docile cichlids. There are lots of options out there.

 

[stripe157]

multi's would be great.

please excuse my ingnorance, but what are these? temperament, size etc... do they get along well in 'confined' spaces?

Having a huge number of fish is not my goal.. I want them to be comfortable... anything will be better than the ~15 black neons that are curently hiding in the wood/plants ALL THE TIME! I wouldn't even know there were any in there if it werent' for the moon lights.

 

[Lab_Rat]

I understand fish are comfortable in groups of their own kind, so more=better... well, somewhere south of overcrowding anyway; but you don't think there's an acceptable compromise for this tank?

four? two?

Not with mbuna. You will likely end up with a lone mbuna in the tank after it kills the others. They really need a much longer tank, I wouldn't do them in less than a 4' tank, especially if this is your first time keeping them. You want to stack things in your favor for success.

 

[Lab_Rat]

Multies are Lamprologus multifasciatus (some places still have them listed as Neolamprologus multifasciatus). They are a small shell dweller and have fascinating colony behavior. They're not colorful but make up for it with their behaviors.

 

[myswtsins]

Neolamprologus multifasciatus, they are shellies. If you look up shell dwelling cichlids you'll find a ton of info. They are interesting fish without a doubt.

 

[blue2fyre]

When I suggested Ps saulosi I was thinking that since the tank footprint was 20" by 18" it was a bit more like a cube that would give the fish a bit more room to form territories. I've heard of keeping saulosi in a 29 gallon but it's hit or miss.

 

[stripe157]

When I suggested Ps saulosi I was thinking that since the tank footprint was 20" by 18" it was a bit more like a cube that would give the fish a bit more room to form territories. I've heard of keeping saulosi in a 29 gallon but it's hit or miss.

1 male and 3 females?