Roma 125L, 33 Us Gallon Mbuna Stocking....?

[Ragtagcurtis]

So I went to my LFS today and had a good chat with him regarding my tank (ROMA 125L = 33 US gallons).

I said that I had been told, by people on the forums that Kreb's were my best bet and that mbuna were out of the question.

He said that if I have a better filter, most likely external that can process 1300L+ that I could most probably get away with the following stocking.

7 x Yellow black back cichlids
7 xYellow tailed violet Cichlids
3 x Electric blue johanni

He was a very helpful and pleasent guy who seemed to know his stuff.
Told me all about how I should fishless cycle for example which no other lfs has ever told me before.
He also mentioned that a couple of the fish may die when first put in due to them being seen as weaker by than the others and that losing a few is very possible.

I'm thinking about getting the allpondsolutions 2000ef external filter which I'm aware is probably overkill but will do the job grandly.

What are your thoughts?

 

[KittyKat]

The general opinion is that a 200 litre tank is a minimum for Malawis to not beat the crap out of each other. I expect most people will recommend that you got for Tangs, some of which are more suited to a smaller aquarium.

 

[markandhisfish]

i agree with the people that have said your tank is too small for mbuna .

 

[Ragtagcurtis]

The general opinion is that a 200 litre tank is a minimum for Malawis to not beat the crap out of each other. I expect most people will recommend that you got for Tangs, some of which are more suited to a smaller aquarium.

Hmm OK, just a little confused as I keep getting conflicting advise and possibilities.
You really think that with good filtration and plenty of ocean rock for them to hide in and make their own it will be impossible?

 

[creg]

never heard them called those names before, i reckon a small group of yellow labs and another group of small mildy sggressive mbuna could work. dont get johanni i think theyre too aggressive, get melanochromis maingano instead if you can find them.

 

[Ragtagcurtis]

never heard them called those names before, i reckon a small group of yellow labs and another group of small mildy sggressive mbuna could work. dont get johanni i think theyre too aggressive, get melanochromis maingano instead if you can find them.

Thanks, some good news

Sorry the names are just how I remember whats what haha...

Really like the melanochromis maingano have never seen them at any of my lfs however and was told it would be better to insert all the fish together once the tank has cycled...?

 

[creg]

yes its better to put them all in at the same time so they establish territories together

if it was my tank i would pick..

4 or 5 yellow labs
4 or 5 of another mildy aggressive small species (like melanochromis maingano or cynotilapia afra)
1 or 2 bristlenose plecs or cuckoo catfish

 

[doresy]

The guy in the fish shop has a vested interest into suggesting that it's ok to stuff such a small tank with Mbuna by adding a large external filter. (ie he may sell all this to you)

In contrast, no one here will gain financially by giving you advice.

If you went into the fish shop and asked if you can keep Mbuna in your 125lt or should you spend this large wodge of cash on a larger tank I suspect the guy would agree that the 125lt is far too small.

This is just a light hearted opinion but my belief that a 125lt is in fact too small is serious.

 

[Ragtagcurtis]

The guy in the fish shop has a vested interest into suggesting that it's ok to stuff such a small tank with Mbuna by adding a large external filter. (ie he may sell all this to you)

In contrast, no one here will gain financially by giving you advice.

If you went into the fish shop and asked if you can keep Mbuna in your 125lt or should you spend this large wodge of cash on a larger tank I suspect the guy would agree that the 125lt is far too small.

This is just a light hearted opinion but my belief that a 125lt is in fact too small is serious.

Do you disagree with Creg's opinion then of having:

"4 or 5 yellow labs
4 or 5 of another mildy aggressive small species (like melanochromis maingano or cynotilapia afra)
1 or 2 bristlenose plecs or cuckoo catfish ."

For example?

I realise he has a interest in trying to make money. I kind of gave him the benefit of the doubt when he didn't try an sell me fish straight away and encouraged me to have a fishless cycle.

I don't know what to do, maybe I'll keep gauging feedback and see how that goes.

 

[KittyKat]

The guy in the fish shop has a vested interest into suggesting that it's ok to stuff such a small tank with Mbuna by adding a large external filter. (ie he may sell all this to you)

In contrast, no one here will gain financially by giving you advice.

If you went into the fish shop and asked if you can keep Mbuna in your 125lt or should you spend this large wodge of cash on a larger tank I suspect the guy would agree that the 125lt is far too small.

This is just a light hearted opinion but my belief that a 125lt is in fact too small is serious.

Do you disagree with Creg's opinion then of having:

"4 or 5 yellow labs
4 or 5 of another mildy aggressive small species (like melanochromis maingano or cynotilapia afra)
1 or 2 bristlenose plecs or cuckoo catfish ."

For example?

I most definitely disagree. I have 3 labs in a 215 litre tank and to be honest, that's too small for them. Cuckoo cats (Synodontis multipunctata) grow to 9" and most definitely will not have turning room in your tank. C. afra also need more room to grow.

The only time I have seen a tank that size hold rift lake cichlids with success is when I went to pick up my first P. demasoni. The tank had 1m 11f and was so full of rock that it was barely possible to see the fish. Having said that, all the fish grew considerably after being moved to a 215 litre tank even though the previous owner told me that they had not grown at all in the 6 months before I got them.

 

[kiriyama]

I can't really comment on the Mbuna as I have never kept them. However , I have read quite a few threads in the past as a sort of "education", I can say for what i have read the general felling is that size tank is to tight for the fish you want. I agree with what the others have said about the LFS wanting to sell you there hardware. I had a similiar sized tank a while back, I asked LFS about the Yellow Labs they had in, knowing what tank I had they point blank refused to sell me the fish, yeah you read that right, I found it surorising to as they were happy to let me over stock it at first with disastrous consequenses...
You can keep fish in there but you have to ask yourself are you keeping them comfortably , i.e. stress free ?
You could go for a nice community with a few dwarf cichlids i.e. south american, or Kribensis with a nice shoal of tank mates, had that one myself and is very nice or you could go down the Tanganyikan route , but then I'm biassed suggesting that..
Hope you get your tank stocked ok and good luck with it whatever you go for

 

[creg]

The guy in the fish shop has a vested interest into suggesting that it's ok to stuff such a small tank with Mbuna by adding a large external filter. (ie he may sell all this to you)

In contrast, no one here will gain financially by giving you advice.

If you went into the fish shop and asked if you can keep Mbuna in your 125lt or should you spend this large wodge of cash on a larger tank I suspect the guy would agree that the 125lt is far too small.

This is just a light hearted opinion but my belief that a 125lt is in fact too small is serious.

Do you disagree with Creg's opinion then of having:

"4 or 5 yellow labs
4 or 5 of another mildy aggressive small species (like melanochromis maingano or cynotilapia afra)
1 or 2 bristlenose plecs or cuckoo catfish ."

For example?

I most definitely disagree. I have 3 labs in a 215 litre tank and to be honest, that's too small for them. Cuckoo cats (Synodontis multipunctata) grow to 9" and most definitely will not have turning room in your tank. C. afra also need more room to grow.

The only time I have seen a tank that size hold rift lake cichlids with success is when I went to pick up my first P. demasoni. The tank had 1m 11f and was so full of rock that it was barely possible to see the fish. Having said that, all the fish grew considerably after being moved to a 215 litre tank even though the previous owner told me that they had not grown at all in the 6 months before I got them.

most sources say cuckoo catfish grow to 6 inches max not 9. and saying a 215 litre tank is too small for 3 four inch fish is a little ridiculous.

 

[KittyKat]

Do you disagree with Creg's opinion then of having:

"4 or 5 yellow labs
4 or 5 of another mildy aggressive small species (like melanochromis maingano or cynotilapia afra)
1 or 2 bristlenose plecs or cuckoo catfish ."

For example?

I most definitely disagree. I have 3 labs in a 215 litre tank and to be honest, that's too small for them. Cuckoo cats (Synodontis multipunctata) grow to 9" and most definitely will not have turning room in your tank. C. afra also need more room to grow.

most sources say cuckoo catfish grow to 6 inches max not 9. and saying a 215 litre tank is too small for 3 four inch fish is a little ridiculous.

I don't think it is ridiculous to say that an active 5-6" fish does not comfortably fit in a 3ft tank. There is a difference between numbers of fish and the space needed for an adult specimen of the species to live well.

The fact that a fish has the potential to reach 9" should be enough to make someone think "I wonder why they don't reach that potential in smaller aquariums?". If you really insist on counting how many resource say which size, from the first page of search results, I see one link stating 6" (in association with a small aquarium), one stating a minimum of 6" and the rest stating various numbers in the region of 7-10". At the same time, all of those resources outright state, or at least imply, that the fish do best in larger groups (assuming there is enough space for the group to live peacefully).

 

[elisew]

From reading this thread through so far I see it as a case of Ragtagcurtis wants advice about mbuna, we have explained why from our own personal experiences why his tank is too small but he/she is going to do what they want anyway. I don`t really think there`s a lot more that can be said to be honest

Either the advice will be followed or it won`t

 

[Ragtagcurtis]

From reading this thread through so far I see it as a case of Ragtagcurtis wants advice about mbuna, we have explained why from our own personal experiences why his tank is too small but he/she is going to do what they want anyway. I don`t really think there`s a lot more that can be said to be honest

Either the advice will be followed or it won`t

Well I'd like to say sir that your incorrect. I am asking for advice to gauge the consensus of opinion on the subject before making the big step and buying them.

By this thread I have actually learnt that it is perhaps a bad idea to have them in the tank. However, maybe people on here should try to understand that for people like me who are new to the hobby of fish keeper we are going to see the lfs as experts and value their opinion (rightly or wrongly). The overwhelming opposition to the idea has obviously made me realise that "Hey their must be a reason for them all saying NOOOO!" and I will listen to that advice.

So thank you to everyone who contributed.

To move on, people keep mentioning to me a tang tank. I'm not very aware of the different types of tangs and how I could create a tang community. Could anyone give me an example stocking for my tank please, as in how many I could have so I can research the possibility?

Curtis