Stocking My 90 Gallon Cichlid Tank

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helios99

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Mar 22, 2008
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...or you could go with smaller groups of various species (each from a different genus) in groups of 1m/3f each (4 red zebras, 4 snow white socolofi, 4 yellow labs, 4 afra's, 4 rusties).

Many options. What other mbuna species are you interested in?
My LFS has recently got hold of half a dozen Pseudotropheus demasoni.We dont see a lot of them around here. How would they do with Zebras and sw socolofis? Anything I need to keep in mind with Demasonis?
 

helios99

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Mar 22, 2008
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Yea to avoid them being overly aggressive you need to stock a colony of at least 12 dems. And depending on the size of your fish tank, if it's large enough they'll do fine with zebras and socolofis, considering.
Like I mentioned the tank is 90Gal, 4 x 1.5 x 2 ft. And the lfs has only half a dozen. I guess I'll get them tomo. If you suggest otherwise, then im all ears.


After all the research and your valuable suggestions and feedback, here's how it finally looks like:

4 Zebras ( 1 male, 3 females)
4 Snow White Socolofis ( 1m :3f)
6 Demasonis (m:f ?) and
4 clown loaches

Cool?
 

ibr3ak

I Eat Fish
Dec 15, 2007
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Brooklyn, An Why See
I've never kept any loaches, so I can't tell you if any of them will live with their eyes intact in an mbuna tank, and I would ideally go with at least a dozen dems (have you checked on aquabid?), so I can't say for sure if everyone will "coexist peacefully" (I know KB ;) ).
 

helios99

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Mar 22, 2008
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I think I am going to do without the clown loaches, or i might just go with Barbie's advice on this one.
Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I am finally stocking my tank tomorrow and will be uploading pictures in a couple of days. You guys have been great help. Couldn't have done it without you. Wish me luck!
 

Marinemom

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Apr 8, 2006
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For a bottom dweller in an African tank, may I suggest either an angelica cat(they are just aggressive enough to co-exist with the Africans) or a bristlenose pleco. They have those whisker things that stick out and will potentially hurt an African if he gets too close. The Africans are smarter then that and usually will stay away.

Marinemom
 

Barbie

Fishaholic
Synodontis angelicus get almost a foot and are a riverine cichlid. They are effectively able to protect themselves, but not nearly as well as clown loaches would. Bristlenose plecos aren't any better able to protect themselves than any other pleco. Loricariidae in general have odontodes that they use to deter attacks. Withstanding the aggression they deal with in cichlid tanks is more a case of being tank raised for generations and having less stress factors so it increases their survival rate, IME.

Anyone that has loaches getting too big for a 90 gallon tank will have NO problem getting rid of them. They're in huge demand. People try to buy the ones in my 240 gallon on a weekly basis.

Barbie
 

BigFishKeeper

Host of Aquatic Wetline Podcast
Feb 23, 2008
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You could also try a syndontis eurptis or a sydontis ocfiller. I have a tank with 4 eurptis and 4 ocfiller and these are my favorite catfish!
 
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