Picking Fish

[adambrum]

i could do with some help i working out what to stock in my 220L tank i have listed some of the fish i would like.

labidochromis hongi
labeotropheus fuelleborni or labidochromis trewavasae
melanochromis auratus
metriaclima greshakei

any suggestion of other species or additions are more than welcome.

 

[mamafish68]

ummm could you pick more aggressive fish?? i doubt it lol

you've got 4 bruisers there, HUGE propencity to death matches

 

[leibig]

I just finished a tank with some labeotropheus and melanochromis auratus... I had gotten to the point where only males remained, with no hope of any newly introduced fish surviving the territorial matches.

 

[adambrum]

told you i needed some help back later with a revised list , as its my first malawi tank i think i will keep away from the really aggresive fish

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

start with your more peaceful species, like yellow labs, rusties, pseudotropheus acei and ps. saulosi. that way you won't have to catch any bullies and disrupt the pecking order. try to get juvenile fish that are the same size if possible, and let them grow up together, that way there is less chance of all out war in your tank!!

 

[Ferris]

try to get juvenile fish that are the same size if possible, and let them grow up together, that way there is less chance of all out war in your tank!!

Thats about the best advice you can get with Mbuna and has nearly always worked for me, even with the more aggressive species.

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

thanks ferris
it works for me every time too, like you even with the more aggressive species.

 

[adambrum]

back again, are these the sort of fish i should be looking to stock

Pseudotropheus Demasoni
Labidochromis Caerulus
Pseudotropheus Acei
Iodotropheus sprengerae
Pseudotropheus saulosi
Metriclima Estherae
Pseudotropheus socolofi
Melanochromis Johanni
Maylandia Greshakei
Maylandia Lombardoi
Pseudotropheous elongatus
Pseudotropheous flavus
Maylandia crabro

please tell me im getting closer i have been reading a book on cichlids and am getting more confused about what goes with what.

 

[freddyk]

As in the pinned artical, there are a couple of easy tips to go by when trying to look for compatiblity.

If a species is known to be particularly mild, they're best not kept with fish known to be particularly aggressive. Iodotorpheus Sprengerae should be in a mild set-up, while Maylandia Lombardoi should be in a very aggressive setup.

Species that look to closely alike are best avoided. Saulosi males, Demasoni, Elongatus, and Lombardoi females are all blue striped and very similar, and mixing these species will only lead to trouble in the long run.

Some species are so aggessive to their own kind that they need to be kept either singly or in large groups. Demasoni is the perfect example of this - either keep 10 or more of them, or just keep one.

There are a number of set-ups you can make out of that list you provided. The first question is whether you want a mild, medium, or high aggression tank. Higher aggression generally means more activity and excitment, but also more injuries and fatalities as you try to sort out a balance in the tank. I do agree with Aberdeen, there are several attractive yet not terribly aggressive species to choose from.