Would This Be A Compatable List?

[MikeO]

This is what I am looking to put in my tank when it is ready. Would these all be ok together in the numbers shown?

The tank is 260L and 4ft wide.

• LDA33 x1
• Melanochromis Chipokae x1m x3f
• Cyphotilapia Frontosa x1m x1f
• Labidochromis Mbamba x1m x3f
• Pseudotropheus demasoni x1m x3f
• LABIDOCHROMIS CAERULEUS x1m x3f

Also are the numbers about right, or should I be looking at less / more stock.

Further, the filtration is currently a Fluval U4 - I put this in as it was what budget allowed - Will it be sufficient or am I going to have to upgrade it? If so, can I just put a second U4 in, or am I going to have to get something external? I have no problem in cleaning the media every day if it is suffucient with regular cleaning.


Cheers

 

[kribensis12]

It sounds to me like it should work. I would try to upgrade the filter. With africans, there is no thing as too much filtration.

 

[MikeO]

Thanks for the reply, thats great. You dont think it's too many for the size tank? I am going to build up most of the tank with limestone rocks, so there will be loads of caves etc.

I am going to try and find a second hand external filter, but keep the internal one too - Firstly because thats whats been in for the last 3 weeks while I have been cycling it and also so that if I find a smaller external one then at least I have two lots of filtration. The U4 doesnt take up that much space in the tank, so dont think I would gain all that much by removing it.

 

[dthoffsett]

• LDA33 x1
• Melanochromis Chipokae x1m x3f
• Cyphotilapia Frontosa x1m x1f
• Labidochromis Mbamba x1m x3f
• Pseudotropheus demasoni x1m x3f
• LABIDOCHROMIS CAERULEUS x1m x3f

Unfortunately I see a few problems with this, M.chipokae is probably the most aggressive mbuna available in the trade, they are best kept in a species tank and even then aggression will be a problem. C.frontosa though slow growers, will eventually be too large for your tank (6ft is minimum for them), that and they will likely be harassed by the mbuna when young, but will turn the tables as adults by eating their tank mates. P.demasoni will ignore any tank mates that aren't similar looking, however, they have such high conspecific aggression that when kept in smaller groups the dominate fish will nearly always kill off all "competitors". As such they do best in groups of 12+ or kept as a single specimen.

The L.mbamba & L.caeruleus should be fine together and you could comfortably add another species or two of 1m/3f. Or if you really want the P.demasoni, you could go with 12 dems and the 2 Labidochromis species.

 

[MikeO]

The mbamba and caeruleus are the two that we specifically wanted - what do you think I would be able to keep with these dth?

 

[dthoffsett]

The mbamba and caeruleus are the two that we specifically wanted - what do you think I would be able to keep with these dth?

What species do you have available to you? They'd be compatible with just about any species that isn't extremely aggressive or similar looking.

 

[kribensis12]

Sorry I OK'd this. I thought that the most aggressive species was M. auratus . Again, sorry. I should probably read up a little more on Africans.

 

[MikeO]

I can get anything - My LFS is an African specislist and has a large breeding facility plus they can import, so basically they can get hold of anything.

How about this setup:

• LDA33 x1
• Labidochromis Mbamba x1m x3f
• LABIDOCHROMIS CAERULEUS x1m x3f
• Metriaclima Callainos x1m x3f
• Pseudotropheus Saulosi x1m x3f
• Pseudotropheus Acei x1m x3f

 

[dthoffsett]

How about this setup:

• LDA33 x1
• Labidochromis Mbamba x1m x3f
• LABIDOCHROMIS CAERULEUS x1m x3f
• Metriaclima Callainos x1m x3f
• Pseudotropheus Saulosi x1m x3f
• Pseudotropheus Acei x1m x3f

I drop the saulosi, females are all yellow and the male might try to breed with the labs. I add 2 more labs and call it good, btw m/f ratio doesn't matter with labs as in most cases multiple males are tolerated, same with the acei, which is a good thing as they're difficult to sex.

 

[MikeO]

Cool, thanks for the advice.

I might go with 2 plecs - Will see how things are with the one at first and see how big it gets.

That gives 18 fish plus the plec in 260l - Would that be optimum then? Dont want to overstock, but I understanding understocking would be a problem with these anyway.

 

[dthoffsett]

18 should be about right, just make sure your filter(s) turnover the tank at least 10 times per hour. I'd stick with just one pleco, if you're concerned about algae the mbuna will help with that and plecos are poop machines.

 

[MikeO]

Think that will be fine then - The U4 turns the tank over 4 times per hour - I will be adding a fluval 405 which will turn it over a further 5 - So its about there between the two.

I finally have my final stocking list! Just got a couple of weeks left now and I will be up and running