Stocking Ideas

[adambrum]

could someone give me an idea for stocking levels for a 210L tank mbuna tank also what sort of mix ie 1 species from labidochromis 2 melanochromis ect.

 

[mark7616]

Thats about a 55G you could hold 12-15

 

[Nim]

Labidochromis dont go well with melanochromis. Melanochromis are considered the most aggressive of the mbunas and labidos one of the least aggressive.

Ideally go for Pseudotropheus and then you can get melanochromis or stick with pseudotropheus and labidochromis or matriclimba etc.

This is of you are understocking and having a max of 15 fish in the tank. If you plan to over stock (needs a lot more work and invloves a lot of risk and a lot of money and you need to replace any fish that died to maintain a balance) then you can think about mixing all the species you want. The overstocking for a 55g tank would mean that you need about 45-55 fish in the tank and probably more.

Which direction you want to proceed?

Nim

 

[mark7616]

seriously 45-55 they wouldnt be able to move im getting a selection of one of each species maily cos its so hard getting cichlids out here i was aiming of for around 12 for my 55G

 

[Nim]

Ideal setup is a 12-15 fish setup as it does involve a lot less work then overstocking.

I have kept a 30 gallon mbuna setup that had 25 fish and plenty of ocean rock but it is a very delicate balance.. once the balance got broken things started to go out of control and the fish went to my LFS as a free gift But thats ok.. dint want them to kill each other. If it were a bigger tank, the balance would have been a bit more stable.

Its all personal choice.. if you go thr overstocking way of keeping mbunas, we are then talking about 10 times more work and the cost of the fish is not included in this.

Personally, I would also stick with a 12-15 fish setup and avoid the excess work..

I am with you on this Mark

Nim

 

[mark7616]

thats great i bought 3 fish today but not sure what they are one is red zebra i think 2 are juvies and im not sure could u id them please there pics are here.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=135035

 

[Ginge]

Nim i dont want to offend you but i think you are crazy. Overstocking in a 55G with cichlids is around 18 not about 60.

 

[mamafish68]

I have to agree with Ginge!!

 

[mark7616]

is that on the 45-55 thing?

 

[adambrum]

me thinks i will go with the understocked , 50 fish at 5 inch is 250 inches of fish in a 48" tank thats just not right. 3 or 4 species of 1m to 3f should be ok right ?

 

[Ginge]

Yeah spot on you are. Kool now you just need ideas for what fish. Some fish can also be kept singly e.g. very aggresssive ones such as Ps.Demasoni are like the nicest IMO.
That rule doesnt really work anyway but Nim is still wrong

 

[mark7616]

i did get three fish today dont know what they are one is a red zebra me thinks pics or in members aquariums

 

[adambrum]

well if i can get hold of them it may be pseudotropheus ice blue(metriaclima greshakei),labidochromis sp hongi