Absolute Newbie Need Help

[balajake]

I'm very into cichlids and keep Americans at the moment (sevs,Texas,dempseys, apistos) but for a while now I've had the itch to go into African cichlids. My Americans will be relocating to the kitchen and hopefully next week I can order my new ND 6x2x2.
I have the lights,starters etc t5 tubes
Ordered an ex1200 yesterday, I was going to order 2 but my first concern is that 2 ex1200s on a 6 foot African tank would not be enough so I would love opinions on that.

Was going to buy the Cichlid mix substrate and then Occasionally buffer with bicarbonate of soda when needed ? Kind of like black moon sand though so I'm torn



Stocking (wow)
This is where I fall on my bum. I have made a list of fish I like so far and your all probably going to laugh at me because its completely inappropriate and I'm being silly. Obviously once ordered I will have a fair few weeks to get these things straight. I want to get this right so I don't mind looking stupid before I've started haha. I kind of like the idea of Rarer cichlids, nothing wishy washy, strong colours that stand out. Possibly F1 good quality. Any help with good online retailers that produce and sell nice healthy fish would be a good help.

Anyway here goes, these are fish find attractive. Obviously I will do more research (shoot me down)

Pseudotropheus Saulosi Coral Red
Sciaenochromis fryeri Blue ice
Neolamprologus brichardi LAKE TANGANYIKA CICHLID Princess of Burundi ( could I get away with it ?)
Red peacock Cichlid
Melanochromis "Maingano cyaneorhabdos
Yellow lab
Aulonocara sp Calico Peacock Cichlid

.....
Help me experts

 

[webbie]

Mixing Tangs, the brichardi ,and lake malawi cichlids will work as any fish from the same water parameters would work ,stick to fish from one lake is my advice ,N. b richardi have a rep for being evil so and so,s especially when breeding

 

[balajake]

What daunts me most is that I don't want to mix fish that are incompatible because of diet. I don't want to be killing the poor thinks because I've given a veggie fish too much protein. I don't want them murdering each other either lol. I liked the tang as its a pretty fish, if its too evil then I can avoid.

 

[webbie]

Cant be any help to you really on Malawis ,tang man myself,as far as I know most Malawis and I am not 100% on this, have a similar diet,if I am wrong hopefully someone will know better, a 6x2x2 full of Malawis will be impressive

 

[balajake]

I hope it will be impressive. Going for big rocks, black sand. Will get a journal going once I get the tank ordered.

 

[zoolander]

As long as you only get one Brichardi, you should be fine. A breeding pair is what you don't want. When they breed, anything that isn't a Brichardi will be in trouble.

 

[balajake]

As long as you only get one Brichardi, you should be fine. A breeding pair is what you don't want. When they breed, anything that isn't a Brichardi will be in trouble.

So my list of fish so far doesn't look unacceptable ? Like I said, I'm used to mildly aggressive SA cichlids like dempseys,Texas,terrors and Geos but this is all new to me. Reading is all very good but asking those on the frontline is never a bad idea

 

[dh058977]

Doesnt sound like a great stock list to me but thats just my opinion - Haps, Peacocks, Dwarf Mbuna and even a Tang (I'm not a lover of mixing the lakes).

I dont know what your stocking ratio plans are but the Fryeri can be mighty grumpy and have been known to dominate and pick on Aulonocara males.

But when all said and done its your tank so what ever you go for, I hope your happy with them!

 

[balajake]

Really ? thankyou, If its not suitable I won't do it, honestly. I need to learn the difference in diet and aggression and obviously size. I can see that haps like more open water and are deemed more predatory but then someone saying the mbuna will bully them to death ? Then There are ones that don't like their own kind or any fish that looks like them. LOL. It's just a case of figuring out what fish is what with all the long names and stuff. Mbuna,peacock,hap,tang, tropheus,vic,tangs, it's lots of info a d m owing what's what is difficult. I'm up for a challenge but I'm don't want to take uneducated fatal risks. I'm here to learn with baby steps. All advice is appreciated thankyou so much.

As for ratio I'm not sure yet. If its 1x3 F which I keep seeing is ideal then yes but I saw an online retailer that sells them in batches of 4s that says they try and send 2 males and two females of each variety ? Is that ok too or should I be asking for 1 male to 3 females in each variety ?

 

[balajake]

Suppose im having trouble identifying which fish are actually mbuna and which are not.