Can anyone tell me what kinda of cichild this is please? and perhaps possible tank mates? Every other cichild i get, this blue one eating everyone
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- Thread starter lclinton
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I'd say its a pseudotropheus demasoni http://www.cichlidforum.com/profiles/species.php?id=849
You keep it with other african cichlids of similar temperament, ideally other lake malawi mbuna. It happens to be amongst the more aggressive types, particularly with other demasoni or fish which look similar.
What size tank is he in, what else is in there and what gender are they ? Then we can talk tankmates.
You keep it with other african cichlids of similar temperament, ideally other lake malawi mbuna. It happens to be amongst the more aggressive types, particularly with other demasoni or fish which look similar.
What size tank is he in, what else is in there and what gender are they ? Then we can talk tankmates.
95 gallon
hes in with a pleco
2 convicts
2 yellow labs theyve been together forever and he hasent botherd them ive tryed to add a few new fish lately but he eats them, its almost like he doesent like certain colors
hes in with a pleco
2 convicts
2 yellow labs theyve been together forever and he hasent botherd them ive tryed to add a few new fish lately but he eats them, its almost like he doesent like certain colors
Nice size tank !
The labs are a perfect tankmate - they are also mbuna from lake malawi.
I'd say you should add some more africans. If you are putting more demasoni in, put in about 10 or 12, 1 or 2 male and the rest female. Have a look at what malawis are available to you locally and you can check back here for compatability.
The demasoni will absolutely hate other fish of similar colouration to him. Best way to handle them is add more demasoni and this spreads their aggression out - especially in your size tank.
The convicts...could be a problem...in an ideal world you would rehome...are they a breeding pair by the way ?
The labs are a perfect tankmate - they are also mbuna from lake malawi.
I'd say you should add some more africans. If you are putting more demasoni in, put in about 10 or 12, 1 or 2 male and the rest female. Have a look at what malawis are available to you locally and you can check back here for compatability.
The demasoni will absolutely hate other fish of similar colouration to him. Best way to handle them is add more demasoni and this spreads their aggression out - especially in your size tank.
The convicts...could be a problem...in an ideal world you would rehome...are they a breeding pair by the way ?
Lupin
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- Sep 21, 2006
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If your convicts are spawning pair, then your other fish may be in for trouble. Convicts are very nasty fish especially when they breed so they are liable to do heavy damage on your other fish. No doubt they will breed easily. All you do is add water to breed them.:grinyes:
It's not only colors, but the quantity of fish you're adding. You'd have much more success adding new mbuna's in groups. Single additions are seriously disadvantaged. Adding 1 or 2 greatly enables the demasoni to focus on them and eliminate them, regardless of tank size.
Adding 6-8 at a time (your tank volume would allow for this), would be much better. It may still chase the new fish, at least initially, but wouldn't be able to focus on any particular fish for very long. Each fish would receive only one-sixth to one-eighth the aggression one fish would receive, and that wouldn be the difference between life and death.
Were the convicts removed , you could add lots more mbuna's (15-20 more which would be a more appropriate quantity).
With this said, adding another demasoni will be challenging, because they're extremely conspecific aggressive. You'd still experience losses among them if kept in small number (less than 12). Unless you want a bunch of these guys, don't add any more demasoni's.
So, you can either relocate the convicts and add a lot more mbuna's, or keep the convicts and the current list of fish you have (being an african cichlid enthusiast, I recommend the former :headbang2: )
the convicts are not a breeding pair, they have been together with the zebra for over a year, the zebra will chase them around from time to time but wont bother nipping at them or anything, so i dont see a problem with that right now, thanks for the advice though everyone