Melanochromis Cyaneorhabdos

[scotto]

Hi everyone,
I am fairly new to the Tropical Fish world and up until now my only source of info has been from the dodgy LFS in our area.

I currently have a 40l tank with 4 maingano (one that was born into the tank) 1 male and 3 females (or so I have been told, I still can't tell) and 2 bristle nose pleco. This tank has been running fairly well for about 18 months now at this stock level.

When I first got the tank I was advised by the fish shop that the mainganos lived happily with Neolamprologus Leleupi but to only have 2 leleupis to 4 mainganos as the leleupis were aggressive and would attack the mainganos. They said that we should keep the tank fairly crowded to reduce the fish from fighting for territory.

Anyway the mainganos knocked off the 2 leleupis pretty quickly which was a very disturbing way to start the hobby. I almost packed it in until I found a single fry during a gravel vacuum (I neatly siphoned the poor little thing).

So it's time to move to a bigger tank. The budget only stretched to a 70l Dalbarb SA 61-30-46 tank with a Fluval 2+ internal filter. Now I'm wondering if there is any chance of adding a bit more colour into the tank, maybe some yellows or reds. Obviously they need to be able to defend themselves, but I'm not sure if I can handle the stress of a war happening in my tank.

If tank is already pushing the limit of fish I can keep could you let me know?

Thanks in advance.

 

[mamafish68]

i kept yellow labs with my mainganos, nice combo too!

 

[mark7616]

You should check that you dont have melanochromis johannii as these look pretty much the same but are extremely aggressive where your maingano isnt really that aggressive

 

[scotto]

They are definitely maingano, I checked with a breeder friend of mine that keeps johanni. He said that I have 3 females and a male. The johanni are dimorphic where the mainganos are monomorphic. The LFS that I got them from had Johannis in the tank beside these ones as well. They are very similar but I could tell them apart, just.

 

[brewyn]

They are definitely maingano, I checked with a breeder friend of mine that keeps johanni. He said that I have 3 females and a male. The johanni are dimorphic where the mainganos are monomorphic. The LFS that I got them from had Johannis in the tank beside these ones as well. They are very similar but I could tell them apart, just.

 

[brewyn]

hello there, i dont know why it has quoted what you said, was only trying to reply to your thread???
If you are keeping malawi etc then your tank in my oppinion is far to small, you need to atleast have a 50gallon tank, 48x15 x18 is a suitable size to start off a malawi set up, with plenty of rocks for the cichlids to find there own territory, not enough rocks and territories will most definiatly result in casualties and deaths. if you wish to overstock your tank then you have to have a good filter system with plenty surface movement, if your tank is 50 gallons then the filter should cope with 150 gallons an hour, this circulates the water 3 times in an hour* this is only an example to give you some idea*. the more fish you put in the better the filter you need to be able to cope with the xtra waste etc.

 

[mamafish68]

I have to agree with brewyn 150%!!! and would have mentioned it if I'd had a conversion chart on hand, we dont use metric as you folks do across the pond, strictly gallon size people over here in yankee land .

a colony of maingano would be in a MINIMUM of 29 gallons (133L) for me and thats ONLY the maingano, nothing else.

if a 10 gallon is all you have then please dont be cruel and try and cram fish that clearly need more space in there.

Do a much smaller fish.

smaller tanks are harder to keep clean and correct parameters anyway GO BIG!

 

[brewyn]

the BIGGER the better, trust me, if you dont do it now, you will do soon. addictive stuff these malawis, you cant get enough. or you could stick to guppies.


HELLOOOO mammafish, colorado hey, any room for 1 more, just the name of the place sounds wonderfull.

 

[mamafish68]

LOL sounds all "Cowboys & Indians" huh? lmaoo

giddyupp lil' doggie

 

[brewyn]

hahahaha