what to add to a tank with red zebras

[lilmolly]

I have a 29gal with red zebras. I started out with 11 and I'm down to four. I asked around and people have told me that I'll probably only end up with one. At that point what other types of africans should I add in this tank that can stand up to my zebra? There is also a 7 pim in the tank as well. There are tons of hiding places provided. A aquaclear 300 is the filteration.

 

[Becca]

OMG! You started with 11 Red Zebras in your 29g with 7 PIM? I'm not sure what PIMs are, but I'm awed by the the fact that you have an additional 7 fish with these 11 Red Zebras! Fortunately you're only at 4 now, (RIP to the other 7) but I don't think I'd add anything else to your tank. With Africans, you do want to overstock your tank - but you have to make sure that your setup can house the adult version of the fish you're keeping. I have a Red Zebra that I believe to be about a year old and he's already about 3-4 inches. According to Fish Profiles, Red Zebras will get to be about 8 inches! If that's correct, I couldn't imagine having 4, let alone 11, of these guys in a 29-Gallon...even without any other fish.

As far as compatibility goes - I've never had a problem introducing any fish to my tank that the Red Zebra didn't accept. But, I think I've reached a nice level where I have enough overcrowding in my tank so that agression is spread out, but not too much so that my tank can't handle the bioload. (Of course, I'm already looking to upgrade the 75 to a 120...)

 

[semper fi]

think you should stop thinking of what to add to your tank and figure out how yu are going to house your existing tank. way too overstocked

 

[jaimoe]

Hey Becca if you don't mind me asking, how many fish do you have in your 75 gallon? I've only got ten cichlids in my 75 and I'm starting to wonder if some of the aggression I've seen lately is due to undercrowding.....

 

[lilmolly]

I read a article before setting up this tank that said I should add 10 to 12 of them so no one fish could be picked on all the time. Apparently that didn't stop them because I have less then half. Eventually I'll probably only have one. No worries on the bigger tank set up though. I'll have a place for the remaining rebra. So what should I do with this tank after removing the last one? I want to leave the pim in it. I was told they only get to be 8'', correct?

 

[Becca]

Hey Becca if you don't mind me asking, how many fish do you have in your 75 gallon? I've only got ten cichlids in my 75 and I'm starting to wonder if some of the aggression I've seen lately is due to undercrowding.....

I don't mind you asking, jaimoe - just remember that I'm learning too, so nothing I say or do should be taken to be the absolute end-all, be-all of fish advice. If someone says something that contradicts what I have, by all means, listen to them as well. There's a lot of great advice on this forum, but even still, I find the best way to setup a great aquarium and learn more is to find out what works for *you*.

That having been said, I have 21 African Cichlids, 2 Catfish and 1 nicely sized pleco.

My Cichlids range in size and agression. I've got everything from the more agressive line, such as Demasoni, Kenyi and Johanni to the less agressive fish, including Yellow and White Labs. Some of my mix is not ideal - if you're looking at breeding purposes - but my tank is purely show and I have no interest (yet) in breeding any of the fish I own. If they have babies, and the babies survive - great. If not, then no loss.

As for the catfish - I've tried a couple of fits - but the ones that have outlasted everyone are my beloved Synodontis Batensodas - a variation of Upside Down Catfish. I love these guys. (I did have Clown Loaches, but lost them to due to an unfortunately Ammonia spike while I was on vacation - word to the wise, avoid the sinking vacation pellets.)

And the pleco - he's just magnificent. I had a King Tiger pleco in my tank for quite a while, but when I got the bigger common, I switched him out to my baby South American tank.

Hope this helps answer your question!

Edit: Also, I have a lot of decorations and hiding places - but I'm careful to not keep enough areas for everyone to claim their own territory. I read somewhere that a key to help controlling agression in a tank is 1) Overstock and 2) Either provide enough places for everyone to have their own territory or keep the amount of caves, holes, etc to a minimum so the fish don't have a chance to claim their own area.

Personally, in my tank, I have 2 Lava Rocks with TONS of holes in them - the fish love swimming through these. I have 1 nicely sized cave, a couple pieces of slate laying loose buried in sand, two pieces of "holy rock" from PetSmart and a few plastic plants hanging around.