55 gallon cichlid tank

CCchaos04

AC Members
Jan 20, 2005
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I am starting a new 55 gallon tank with peacocks and yellow labs that im switching out of another tank. i currently have 2 albino eureka red peacocks and 1 yellow lab. I plan on getting a couple more of each. could i put a few Pseudotropheus crabro in my tank or are they too aggressive? Also what about demasoni? What would be some other good fish to add? would it also be possible to put 1 or 2 frontosas in it?
 
You could probably do a couple more of the peacocks and the yellow labs, and that's about it. I would stay away from the crabro, common name bumblebee, as they get quite large, 8+ inches, they are alos quite aggressive. Demasoni stay small, but are super aggressive and usually have to kept in groups of 15 or so to spread the aggression out. Frontosa are a definate NO... they are a rather mellow and mild mannered fish and they like to kept in groups of their own. most likely juvenile fronts won't make it very long with mbuna, mbuna are just too aggressive. Other reasons that you can't put fronts in there, the tanks is way too small... and if fronts were to reach adult size, your mbuna would be a yummy lunch for them.

So... I'd just think about adding more peacocks and labs. keep in mind that they're dietary needs are different as well. I'm thinking maybe 3-4 of each, trying to keep the ratio at all males or 1m/3-4f. HTH
 
I agree on those mbuna being too aggressive and the fronts being a NO, but if you were looking to breed your peacocks then you can only have a group of 1 species, since hybridization can occur very easily with them (females all look the same).

Do you know what sex your peacocks are? You could have 1 male and 4 female peacocks... that would give you a nice little breeding colony. Do the same for the yellow labs... get about 5 or 6 of them and remove the extra males when you can sex them.

Like Nugs said its difficult to keep mbuna and peacocks/haps together because of the different dietary requirements and temperment. But, yellow labs can handle more protien in thier diet and are more peaceful, so they are considered to be the best mbuna to keep with haps. P. acei is quite pretty and is a great schooling fish, also works well with haps and yellow labs. You could get a group of 4 or 5 of them in there.

Some socolofi's could work, or maybe a little group of saulosis... but remember the more mbuna you keep the harder it will be to successfully feed both types... i'm not saying it cant be done though ;).

-Diana
 
thanks i basically planned on yellow labs and peacocks but i was just seeing what else was possible. I think i'll end up just buying a seperate tank for frontosas.
 
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