Getting a 30 Galon...

[StingrayKid]

I'm getting a 3' by 12" (30 gallons) and I thought about African Cichlids. I'm thinking of Sand substrate and a large portion of the tank will be rock.(I was thinking of a mound in the middle of the tank to make hiding places for them). Also, I would have two BIO-wheel power filters and of course, a heater, along with a hood and lighting strip. I just wanted to know what species would be ideal for this size. I read the "MBUNA AQUARIUM" article and it said the minimum tank size is what I'll be getting, so it works out well, that is if I find the best species for the tank. Thanks!


EDIT: I want it to have a diverse Chichlid population (if possible) so suggestions are needed.

Up here where I live, all I see at the LFS is "African Chichlid" so, I'm kind of confused. They are very colorful though. Many are orange and yellow or blue.

 

[modernhamlet]

The only mbuna really suited for a 3' tank are:

Labidochromis caeruleus (Yellow labs)
Iodotropheus sprengerae (Rusty Cichlid)
Psuedotropheus sp. "Acei"
Psuedotropheus socofoli

You'd want to go with a trio (1M:2F) of 2 species in a 30g. 3 species in such a small tank would likely cause aggression issues. There's just not enough space for everyone to stake out territory.

Also, I would actively avoid the "Assorted African Cichlid" tank if you can at all help it. You're likely to find in there: really aggressive fish, the hybrids, leftover males, and other generally weak fish that don't tend to work out that well. If you can find a local breeder, that's ideal. Otherwise, take a look at ordering online. Though that would be pretty expensive to ship just a few fish. Shipping is about the same whether you're shipping 6 or 40 fish, generally.

Hope that helps...

 

[StingrayKid]

Hmm. I'd be getting my Chichlids from a very good LFS, not the one I talked about with the "No name" Chichlids. But you said I could put Yellow Labs in there. They are pretty nice. I may be able to get them from the good LFS. How many Kribs could I put in there if I decide on them?

 

[freddyk]

Hey Stingray

One more species I'll add to that list is Pseudo. Saulosi. They're one of the smaller species, and not too aggressive.

Kribs are an entirely type of cichlid. They come from the rivers of west africa, not from any rift lake. Diet, behavior, environment, water preferences are all different from mbuna.

 

[StingrayKid]

Oh, I didn't know that. Thanks. As for African species, I probably will go for the Yellow labs, seeing they are pretty much the only type of African I can get around here out of what was suggested here.

EDIT: Well, I am still interested in Kribs though. How many could I put in a 30?

 

[freddyk]

With a krib tank, you're pretty much looking at setting up a community tank with a pair in it. How aggressive they are varies from species to species, and tank to tank, but in the fishes best interest a single pair is most ideal.

 

[StingrayKid]

Alright then, I won't go for the Kribs. As for the rift lakes, I'd like some Yellow labs. Could I put one male and two females in here with many hiding spots?(The mound/wall of rocks). I can only get Yellow labs around here. I could order them over THIS site. Im not sure if I can specify male or female yet, but I'll look into it.

EDIT: Can I put more than one male and two females in the tank?

Also, as I mentioned before, those "Assorted African Chichlids" are pretty nice. They are very healthy from what I can see. It would be nice to have those but, I really don't know because ModernHamlet advised that I should aviod it. Seeing that I am new to Africans, I think I will.

 

[freddyk]

YES, avoid those tanks unless you are 100% sure what species you are getting out of it, or you will have big aggression issues.

One of my more successful 30 gallon African tanks was a group of 6 Yellow labs (3m, 3f) and a single male Aulonocara Maulana (bi-color peacock). As you will probably be getting them young, you can go start with more, about 9 labs, and reduce the numbers as they grow.

Don't worry about the genders, it will be impossible for you or the store to sex them until they are much older, and even then it can still be difficult. Growing up together they'll likely get along fine regardless of gender.

I even have a pic of that tank, though I don't have the setkup any more

 

[StingrayKid]

Thanks, what I'll do is order about six Yellow labs, maybe more, on the online store I showed above. The thing is though, the "Assorted Chichlids" all get along fine, the young ones and the adults in the tanks they have them in. I'm definatley going for the Yellow labs, but I'm just curious about these assorted ones.

 

[freddyk]

It is very, very important to realize that beviour of fish in the store is nothing like what actually happens. Firstly, the fish are usually packed in higher numbers into a tank lacking almost any decorations. Because of this territory aggression is minimal or non-existent. Once you put them in your tank they will be able to define territories, and there will be less fish to focuse any aggression on. The other thing to remember is that mbuna increase in aggression immensly from when they're young, to when they're mature adults. Since most mbuna will be overly aggressive in a smaller tank, anything you get from an ass't tank will more likely cause problems then not. It's your choice if you want to risk it, of course.