Very New To Cichlids

[BrookeLea]

I don't have any cichlids yet, but I've got an empty 29 gallon tank that I've decided to give to my fiance because he's really starting to get into fish. We went and looked around the pet shop, and he's really insistant on getting African Cichlids to put in his 29 gallon. Yellow Labs and Electic Blue Johannis, in particular. (These were suggested by the shop owner) She told us that both fish would get up to 8 inches, and that we should put a pair of each in the 29 gallon tank. That's 32 inches of fish in a 29 gallon tank, which isnt' too overstocked. But I came home and researched and found that the yellow labs only get to 3 inches and the Johannis get to 4 inches. I also read that the Johannis are very aggressive, and I worry that they may be too aggressive for the yellow labs. What do you guys think? Do you have any other suggestions for African Cichlids to stock his tank with?

 

[Ethos]

Well, the Labs get about 5 or 6 inches.
I have a lab right now thats about 1 1/2 in.
I have a johnnis thats about 2 inches at the moment, and he's going to grow about the same length.
Now, a 29G is pretty much the same as a 20G because a 29G is only taller instead of being longers.
But the thing is, with Af. Cichlids, you can over stock to even out agression.
Plus if I were you, it's better if you have an odd number of cichlids, because then one fish wont have 3 against him, and usually it just works out better.
I'd use your current arangment idea, and add one more fish the grows about the same size.
OR you might be able to have 3 Labs.

Just my opinions, you might want to wait for someone that has more personal expierence than me.
I've only delt with cichlids for about 2 months now.

 

[freddyk]

In the wild Yellow Labs generally don't grow bigger then 4", but in the aquarium 5" is common, and 6 inches in some cases, though these sizes aren't ideal. Johanni will also reach 5 or 6" by the end of a good life. They'll get by in this tank. Yellow Labs are colony breeders, and do best in numbers.

Johanni, or any other mbuna from the Melanochromis variety, should not be kept in a 29 gallon. It will all be fine and well for now, but once they mature and get some size to them it will backfire on you. They may not be too aggressive for the labs, but in a tank this small they will be too aggressive for each other. In addition, these mbuna are not pairing fish. When you only have 2 Johanni, you will eventually end up with just one. They should be kept with at least 3 females to the male.

When it comes to cichlids, research (before getting the fish), and don't impulse shop. Even a small tank will work, but it takes some planning and careful fish selection. Keep watch of fish keepers who call a tank a success even though it's full of juveniles - juvenile behavior is nothing since territorial nature comes out as they grow, so these posts can be misleading.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

have you considered a colony of shell dwellers? i've heard very tempting things about those...

 

[BrookeLea]

When it comes to cichlids, research (before getting the fish), and don't impulse shop.

That's what I'm up to here. I never impulse shop when it comes to live animals.

I'm cycling a 55 gallon right now that I was planning on stocking with rams and cories. Maybe I'll put those in the 29 and give my fiance the 55 for his cichlids.

Would 3 female johannis, 1 male johanni, and 4 yellow labs work in there? Does sex matter much with the yellow labs? Is 55 gallons large enough, or is that still too small?

I appreciate your help.

have you considered a colony of shell dwellers? i've heard very tempting things about those...

Shell dweller, eh? Don't really know anything about them. I'll have a look around the net. Any particular ones you have in mind?

 

[Ferris]

The 55 gal would be perfect for Mbuna and labs and Johanni should be fine. You could actually do with adding a few more for a 55 gal as it is generally best to slightly overstock with Mbuna, this help reduce the aggression.

I would try to avoid too many males even with the labs but it is not as essential as with other Mbuna species. If you were to go with 6 of each for example, 2 or 3 (max) male labs should be OK.

You could get away with a small colony of yellow labs in the 29 gal but the 55 gives you loads of possibilities and a much larger choice of species.

 

[BrookeLea]

the 55 gives you loads of possibilities and a much larger choice of species.

Let's pretend this is your tank and you definitely want to stock it with the two species that I've already listed. If there's room for other species, which would you include and how exactly would you stock the tank?

 

[Ferris]

OK, The 2 species you have already picked are great in their own right and from a visual point of view will look stunning. Personally i would go with 4 of each and add a 3rd species (4 fish), probably Albino Socolofi or Metriaclima Estherae. Either the albino or bright orange would again be strikingly different to the yellow and blue and create a nice effect.

More importantly they are all compatibile species and should get on fine with each other.

 

[BrookeLea]

Personally i would go with 4 of each and add a 3rd species (4 fish), probably Albino Socolofi or Metriaclima Estherae.

Oh man! Those are gorgeous! I'd love to have either of them in the tank. I'll show my fiance and see what he thinks of them, and then see if we can find them around here (or on aquabid). Thanks so much for your help! I feel so much more confident in buying these fish now.

Now just a couple more weeks for that tank to cycle... hah

Just looked up the Metriaclima Estherae again and seems the males are blue. Should I do a certain male/female ratio with these as well?

 

[Ferris]

No problem,

The Estherae would probably be the most aggressive species in the tank so i would definately go with 1 male and 3 female. The males can turn blue as they mature but this only tends to happen with wild caught fish. Most are tank bred now and you will probably only see the edges of the fins turn blue, whcih actually looks really nice. The females will remain orange.

2 weeks to go! hope time flies for you.

 

[BrookeLea]

Thanks! I hope time flies, too. My fiance is in the army and is temporarily deployed to NY and should be getting back into town at the same time that the tank is finished cycling. So..that might make the time seem to go quicker....or slower? hah We'll see!

Anyway, thanks so much for your help!

 

[freddyk]

For most mbuna having the ratio is important, but don't worry about it too much at first - you won't be able to sex them yet in the store. Instead, purchase a couple more then you plan to keep as adults, that way you can return or sell extra males and achieve harems.

You are correct, the gender of labs really doesn't mean much, though having at least as many females as males is ideal. I've kept them at 1:1 ratio's and they do well.