What other Cichlids can get along with

[afireinside]

When I get my 90 gallon tank, I want to get Red, Blue, Yellow and Albino Peacock Cichlids. But there are a few things I need to know.
1) How many Cichlids can I fit in there?
2) What other types of Cichlids can I put in without them killing each others (I really want a Frontosa Cichlid)?
3) Do I need a sandy bottom?
4) How long is their life expectancy
5) I read they are quite easy to breed, I'd like some info on breeding/ raising fry.

Thank you.

 

[afireinside]

BUMP

 

[freddyk]

If you want to try breeding then I'd encourage it.

Aulonocara (peacock) males are the colorful ones. In the wild they're solitary, other males are considered competitors and threats. Females are drab and live in groups. The male puts a on a show near the female group in attempt to lure one into his cave.

Males of different species will function together in a tank with no females to fight over. Less dominent species will be pale in color and you won't get to see any of them in breeding dress.

If you just choose one type of peacock and set him up with a harem of females, you'll see him at his best, and the breeding will take care of itself. Mixing females and males of different species will certainly result in crossbreeding, and this is not a good thing - cator to one.

A frontosa might work for a time, as long as you're aware that a full grown front can eat some species of full grown peacock. Better tank mates would be smaller haps from the same lake, or the ever versatile Lab. Caeruleus, electric yellow. A sandy bottom is helpful since they're diggers, but they'll survive in gravel.

In the 90 gallon I'd probably do a male Aulonocara with four or five females, along with a group of Lab. Caeruleus. Maybe a single male hap to spice things up, like a red empress. Maybe some catfish too.

 

[afireinside]

Please show me pictures of Labs and Red Emperess

 

[fish_r_great]

Heres a Lab

http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Di....cfm?pCatId=839

Heres a Red Empress

http/www.goliadfarms.com/pages/fish/cich...taeniolatus.htm

HTH

 

[freddyk]

If you ever want to quickly find pics, just enter the name of the fish into the google image search engine.

 

[fish_r_great]

Yep that is what I did to get you those links.

 

[afireinside]

when you say a group of yellow lab, how many, males or females?

 

[freddyk]

It doesn't matter, alabs are unique among mbuna in that they're grouping fish, and gender ratio's are not important. It's nice to have more females then males so they get a break from breeding, but you really don't need to worry - just get a group and grow them up together.

 

[afireinside]

google image search really dosen't work on my computer. whats a Caeruleus?

 

[fish_r_great]

Here it doesn't neccesarily have to be a google image search. Search results for Labidochromis caeruleus

http/search.msn.com/results.aspx?FORM=MS...romis+caeruleus

This will give you pics and info

 

[afireinside]

no one answered my question. how many yellow labs?

 

[nitro]

It doesn't matter, alabs are unique among mbuna in that they're grouping fish, and gender ratio's are not important. It's nice to have more females then males so they get a break from breeding, but you really don't need to worry - just get a group and grow them up together.

 

[afireinside]

you don't understand! i don't wanna over stock the tank!

 

[freddyk]

Have you decided what else you're going to keep with them? If you're going to go with just the Labs and Peacocks, a group of 10 labs with a harem of 3 or 4 peacocks is nice without being overstocked.