Help! Made Big Boo Boo!

[marcia5050]

I've successfully kept a 10 gal community tank for several years, so that is not my issue. In one of my compulsive mid-life crisis modes last week I decided I was gonna do cichlids in a new tank so I went to my LFS to get that plan in the works.

Since I knew squat about cichlids I made sure that every decision I made for this new tank was blessed by the LFS. They should know, right? THAT was my first mistake! I've since gotten alot more info on these fish and now realize I need your feedback to help correct what sounds like a pending disaster.

OK -- here's what I ended up with:

2 electric yellow labs
2 electric blue johanii
1 nimbochromis venustus (Giraffe Hap)

IN MY NEW 12 GAL NANOCUBE AQUARIUM!

They are cohabitating nicely at the moment, but then again, they are all no bigger than 2 inches. I do not yet know their sexes. I do know they all originate from Lake Malawi, Africa. And I do know they are gonna get huge, compared to their current size and something needs to happen for their future.

I could try to see if the LFS would take some/all back but want to consider under what conditions I might be able to save some or all of them. Please give me some feedback on your ideas for this. I am not opposed to purchasing an additional tank which I know will be necessary, and know it would need to be quite a bit larger than what I have (12 Gal). Will the 12 gal fit into the solution at all? What minimum requirements are necessary to get this fixed?

Thanks very much for your sharing your ideas! And thanks for not cussing at me )

 

[keane]

Hi,

I am sorry to say this but all of your fish will have to back. There is absolutely no way you can keep them in that tank.

The Labs will each reach about 5" long, as will the Johannii.

The Venustus will probably grow to in excess of 10" long.

You can't even keep just one fish in the tank because it is not how Mbuna/Haps/Malawi should be kept. They need to be in a much larger tank and in groups.

If you want to keep the larger African's as above then I would suggest a tank of no smaller 55 US gallons, although it can be done with a 40, or even a 29.

These links should give you a few ideas....

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_29g.php

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_40g.php

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_55g.php

I would still avoid the Venustus though because of it's size, it will outgrow even a 55 gallon. (I have three of them at th moment in my 55. Each one is about 3" long and I know I am gonna have to get rid pretty soon ).

If you wish to keep your 12 gallon tank then an option is very maybily possibly keep a couple of Tanganyikan shelldwellers that on average won't grow much bigger than a couple of inches.

Take a look at this....

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_10g.php

hope i helped

steve

 

[freddyk]

If you get yourself a standard 55 gallon you can make a nice tank and add more Labs and Johanni - which you will need in the long term either way (once the Johanni mature you'll probably end up with one keeping just two of them, and while labs will survive as a pair you'll see better results with a group of them). The Venestus will be able to stay with them for a time, but as a very aggressive and large Haplichromine he will eventually be a problem. If you can't do a tank three feet long or bigger I'd suggest abandoning the idea of Malawi cichlids and getting something more suitable altogether.

 

[fish_r_great]

If you do get shelldwelllers I would stay away from Ocelllatus unless you only want to do a pair in your tank (12 gal) because they are the most aggressive species of shlldwellers and will often trap the other ocellatus in the top corners of your tank.

 

[marcia5050]

Thanks to all for some valuable info and links. I have some work to do!

 

[vantgE]

Thats similar to how I started...
2 electric yellows
2 electric blues fyreri
1 kenyi
1 nimbochromis venustus

In a ten gallon

Best advice I can give is start doing some research on the internet. And buy a new tank within a couple weeks or a return them now and take your time setting up the tank.

The venustus will need a 100 plus gallon tank and living with mbuna such as the johanni will likely kill it mine died within two months of moving to the 90 gallon.

The electric yellows would be best with more tank mates.

And the johanni, either buy several more and then return all except one male as they reveal themselves so you have 1 male to at least three females, OR , return one of the johanni now.

 

[marcia5050]

My problem is solved! The easiest thing to do was to take the fish back to the lfs, and that's exactly what I did. The hardest thing in that operation was to catch each one with my one little net. Now I have several $$ store credit to go back later and get something a little more reasonable for that 12 gal tank ..... and it won't be cichlids! So ends my adventure. Thanks to all for your help.

P.S. Unfortunately, one of the yellow labs bought the farm the night before he went back to the store. It wasn't killed by a tankmate (no physical damage), and water conditions were perfect, so I don't know what happened to the poor thing. The store gave me credit for it since I only had it for a week.

 

[vantgE]

Aww, don't give up you can still do tanykian shelldwellers in that tank and they are big on personality