African Cichlids in 45 Gallon

fishguy001

AC Members
Oct 22, 2009
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Hi, I want to take this hobby to a new level but unfortunately I cannot aford a bigger tank. Im in year 11 and with the chaotic test and assignment coming up I feel its one of the thing that will help keep me sane. I was thinking of having Pseudotropheus Saulosi in it with other africans and a bristle nose pleco. My filter filters about 6.5 times over per hour of the aquarium volume but I also have a 30 gallon filter than I can add if additonal filtration need be. Now keep in mind its 45 gallons without rocks and gravel BUT I have found something call cichlid stones which are made out of ceramic and are hollow so it shouldnt displace more than 10 L of water not including the gravel.

Now do you know any very beautiful africans that dont look somethin like kribs but more like saulosi, rusty cichlid or yellow lab please give me a stocking suggestion.

Thanks heeps
Fishguy
 
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Can you give us the footprint of that 45gal?
 
OK, then that is a 3 feet long tank and 14 inches wide. Fishguy, I really think this should be only a one species dwarf mbuna tank. Ps. saulosi is IMO the perfect dwarf mbuna species for a tank like this; because you have 2 different colors in 1 species: females are bright yellow and males are blue with black vertical bars. I will do it with 3M/9F and plenty of rockwork for these 12 fishes.
 
So how would I go about adding them. Two-three at a time? Females first?
 
All of them at once would be better, if the tank is already cycled. About filtration, because mbunas release a lot of wastes, it is best to filter about 10 times per hour the total tank's water volume.
 
Yeah but we are talking $144 worth of fish I would have to work 10 weeks at my job to make that much. You say 10 times eh, well my two do 7.7/h thats not going to cut it. Its an even bigger gamble because I will need a nother filter which should be around $50 at the best + the cichlid stones. I have that much but you know what if something goes wrong its a big gamble but the beauty is priceless. You me baby fish right?

EDIT: acutaly the other is 380L/H so make that 9.2-9.5 times over in hour good enough?
 
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You me baby fish right?

EDIT: acutaly the other is 380L/H so make that 9.2-9.5 times over in hour good enough?

Well, you can add juvenile fishes. Yep, that filtration is good enough.
 
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