# Aulonocara setup, which will crossbreed, which wont?



## AngryBunny (Dec 2, 2009)

Hi guys.

New to cichlids and i am planning on setting up a tank soon.
It will be roughly a 130-150L 35-40gallons long tank minimum (it's christmas it may get bigger 
Being completely new to cichlids i started doing my research, went around to the best places in my city to have a look around.

After seeing so many hybrids i found a decent place where the guy called everything by their scientific names.
Pretty much the ones that caught my eye that were available to order were mainly from the Aulonocara family.

Aulonocara Lwanda
Aulonocara Baenschi Benga
Aulonocara Reuben/Reuben Red/German Red Peacock (i've read its a strain of Aulonocara Stuartgranti Maleri, and a rubescens are Aulonocara Stuartgranti Chipoka?)
Aulonocara Stuartgranti Ngara

Anyway i initially wanted 2 breeding species in my tank (1 species i thought would look abit dull) but didn't want and hybridisation (is that a word?) problems.
After all the searching i could do, i couldn't find many photos of the females of these multiple species.
Which of these have very different looking females? Or would go together without crossbreeding?
I've also read that (don't believe everything you read on the internet LoL) that you can mix stuartgranti's with jacobfreibergi's with chitande's etc without problems, true or false?
(just checked, that info was from this site XD)

From what i've seen, all the females look the same -_-.
If your replies are, "no you shouldn't mix them", can i mix, lets say, a Protomelas Steveni taiwan reef, with Aulonocara Baenschi Bengas?

All your replies are much appreciated 

P.S. quick edit  It would be great to see your opinions of which 2 or 1 are the nicer of the species i listed. Maybe if you could post some pictures of full mature dominant males with thier courting dress on that would be great. I've seen adults but the difference from that and dominant males can be quite extreme, would be great to see the full potential of each of these species.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

I would not ever keep more than one species of Aulonocara together if breeding was an intent. Crossbreeding chances would be high as well as aggression from the dominant male towards the other males.

Aulonocara Lwanda has always been a personal fave...


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## AngryBunny (Dec 2, 2009)

Ok thanks for the tip 
I just thought 2 species was a possibility because of the article from this site: www.cichlid-forum./articles/mixing_peacocks.php (have to add the .com i havent made 5 posts yet).

I definately don't want to cross breed so i'm going to decide on one of them.
How many would be a good number for a 150ish L tank?
Initially i was thinking 4-5 of from 2 species (1male rest female), would 10 of the same be ok?

I guess what i'm really asking is, how many is overcrowded?
And if i go a same species tank would multiple males be ok, like 3 males, 7-9 female?
I've looked at the cookie cutter builds but there are no recommendations for aulonocara.

More of a display tank but not all male.
I'd like the possibility of them spawning (hopefully a high possibility).
If it was 100% for breeding though i would separate all breeding groups into separate tanks, most likely in the shed. (tank is for my room 

Also i've read plecos are ok to keep in the same tank.
Any problems with albino longfin plecos? (pretty sure it's a bristlenose).

Thanks for the replies.

EDIT:* oh yeah i forgot. would aulonocara and protomelas crossbreed or be very agressive to each other? Would there be any other species that would go well with aulonocara, that look very different, male and female wise?


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## Geddonight (Aug 7, 2009)

We keep a Taiwan Reef quartet with a Eureka Red quartet with little aggression issues. There really isn't any risk of cross breeding either.

I'm told you really cannot keep multiple males of the same species in small tanks. I might try it some day in 200+ gallons, because you get a larger footprint, but it's still inadequate territory.

If you're interested in keeping multiple peacock species together, and let nature take its course (i.e. don't intervene with the fry), then you might be able to get away with mixing a couple species where you can identify the females from each other (that way, if you want, you can separate them at a later date). This isn't easy to do, but some females do have distinct traits (Eureka Reds, for instance, look considerably different from Undu Reef Stuartgrantis, and it's quite easy to tell the females apart. I don't know if this would reduce the likelihood of cross breeding, though).

Cheers!


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## AngryBunny (Dec 2, 2009)

Nice to know that mix works Geddonight.
It's exactly what i wanted, 4 of one species and 4 of another, (1male 3-4 females) and as i suspected having more males of the same would stir some aggression.

How many litres/gallons is your setup Geddonight?
If mine's abit small, 1 species with 1 male is sounding very dull :? :-?


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## Geddonight (Aug 7, 2009)

I'm a huge fan of the 75 gallon tanks. I don't know what that is in litres, but the footprint is important--the larger the base, the better off you are. 75s are 48" x 18" footprints (122 x 46 cm), which is probably the smallest I'd want to keep a Steveni in, as they get sizeable and you'd want to allow them enough space to swim (and enough space for the females to get away).

With such a small tank in your future, you may want to think about Mbuna. Demasona and Yellow Labs create a striking appearance (all that blue & yellow). It seems that everyone around says you need at least 12 Demasoni to cull aggression, and maybe 8 labs (I'm not certain based on your size. Mebbe someone will chip in.)

Cheers!


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## cichlidhopper (May 12, 2008)

As far as I know all Aulonocara species will cross.

The T-Reef being Protomelas it may not cross with Aulonocara.

I keep all my Peacock/Haps in male only show tanks unless I am breeding. 
Then I move them in with the females of their species. 
That way you have no chance of cross breeding.

They will color a little better with the lure of a lady. 
You tend to have less aggression without the breeding fights.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

Geddonight said:


> We keep a Taiwan Reef quartet with a Eureka Red quartet with little aggression issues. There really isn't any risk of cross breeding either.


 there is always a risk, it is just a question of how likely or less likely that crosses may occur. For me, it is not worth it. However, I don't mean to imply that one "will" have crossbreeding, just might.

I have had multiple males in a tank as small as 75g. That can work as well... but again, I can't recommend it.

I, personally, prefer to choose fish that very very little chance of cross-breeding due to differences in both the fish and the fishes behavior. So, for example, I would stick to one species that was an open water oor pit spawner and then I'd go for something that liked caves or rocks.

In a small 40g tank, I would stick to one Malawi peacock species and then I would add something completely different... 
BNs and then some sort of Tetra can often be an unorthodix but workable Peacock setup.

Hope this helps.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

do you plan to raise and keep and/or sell the fry?


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## AngryBunny (Dec 2, 2009)

Woot more replies, thanks 
I thought it was going to end up as a dead thread 



cjacob316 said:


> do you plan to raise and keep and/or sell the fry?


I would mainly be trading the fry for store credit/selling.
That would still mean i'd have to raise them to around 5-8cm i think.
But thats not saying i won't keep the odd one if i still have space in my tank.

I've been trying to do more research but there are just so many(1000's) and after a while they all start looking the same :?

Also it's a waste to do all that research and go... i want that one... if no one around here stocks or can get it. For example one that i thought looked very striking was Xystichromis Sp Kyoga Flameback.

Also Pseudotropheous Polit looked very interesting but the females arent brightly coloured like salousi's ><.

I do have a list of what i can get from one (and nearly the only store that didnt have "mixed cichlid tanks -_-) store.

Maybe someone can pick out some specific species that are known to get along, and look very different. Prices are in $AUD btw.

Aulonocara sp. Marbled (marbled peacock) 80 13.20
Protomelas similis 50 13.20
Labidochromis freibergi 50 13.20
Protomelas taeniolatus (red empress) 40 11.00
80-100 27.50
Protomelas spilonotus Tanzania 60 22.00
Dimidiochromis compressiceps (Malawi eyebiter) 90-100 22.00
Aulonocara sp. Reuben [German] (reuben red peacock) 80 22.00
Aulonocara sp. Dragon Blood (dragon blood peacock) 40-50 13.20
Metriaclima sp. Zebra Gold Charo 50 13.20
Nimbochromis venustus 60 13.20
Melanochromis johanni 40 13.20
Metriaclima estherae (tangerine zebra) 70 13.20
Gephyrochromis acei Ngara 60 13.20
Protomelas annectans 70 13.20
Labidochromis caeruleus Lions Cove (electric yellow) 50 13.20
70 22.00
Protomelas steveni Taiwan Reef 70 13.20
Labidochromis sp. Mbamba 60 13.20
Protomelas insignis 50 13.20
Aulonocara sp. Tangerine (tangerine peacock) 40-60 13.20
Sciaenochromis fryeri 40 11.00
Placidochromis phenochilus 40 13.20
Chilotilapia euchilus 80 16.50
Aulonocara lwanda 80 22.00
Pseudotropheus sp. Polit 40 16.50
Cyrtocara moorii (Malawi blue dolphin) 50 13.20
Labidochromis sp. Hongi 40-60 13.20
Placidochromis electra 40 13.20
Melanochromis maingano 50-70 13.20
Copadichromis borleyi Kadango (kadango red) 60-70 16.50
Dimidiochromis strigatus 40-65 13.20
Aulonocara stuartgranti Ngara (Ngara flame-tail) 50-80 22.00
Pseudotropheus demasoni 30-50 22.00
Aulonocara baenschi Benga 40-60 13.20
Otopharynx lithobates Zimbawe Rock (sulphur-crested
lithobates) 80-120 33.00
Melanochromis auratus 60-110 16.50

Looking for something smaller that i could keep with aulonocara (toss up between lwandas, dragonbloods or rubin reds), possibly something with brightly coloured females?


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## Gibbs (Apr 21, 2008)

Aulonocara Lwanda and Labidochromis caeruleus make for a good tank with little chance of hybridisation. The Lwanda's have fast become my favorite peacock, they are a tough fish that constantly display a beautiful colour. Dragonsbloods are hybrids i would never keep them, rubins are nice but still unnatural. You could also throw in some Ps. Acei. 
That's the safest combo i see from the list you have.

BTW were in Australia are, im in Perth. There are lots of locals here that breed all of them fish and alot of other's. Prices would be half that? I saw 10 yellow labs go for $25 at an auction last week.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Gibbs said:


> Aulonocara Lwanda and Labidochromis caeruleus make for a good tank with little chance of hybridisation. The Lwanda's have fast become my favorite peacock, they are a tough fish that constantly display a beautiful colour. Dragonsbloods are hybrids i would never keep them, rubins are nice but still unnatural. You could also throw in some Ps. Acei.
> That's the safest combo i see from the list you have.
> 
> BTW were in Australia are, im in Perth. There are lots of locals here that breed all of them fish and alot of other's. Prices would be half that? I saw 10 yellow labs go for $25 at an auction last week.


I agree with Gibbs. :thumb:


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i was going to say that the peacock lab option was offered up to me once and it made a lot of sense, very different looking fish as well as having different habits, and the yellow and black and orange and blue would look nice

but it look slike someone beat me to it


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## shmenge (Dec 7, 2009)

I prefer the Ngara Flametails that are cherry-red and less common than the ones that lean toward orange/rust.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

from what i have red about flametails, the fish from the ngara local are red, the orange ones originate from another localtion so technically they are not (ngara) flametails, but they all seem to be grouped together


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## firenzena (Nov 29, 2009)

cjacob316 said:


> from what i have red about flametails, the fish from the ngara local are red, the orange ones originate from another localtion so technically they are not (ngara) flametails, but they all seem to be grouped together


Such is the case of so many of the Stuartgranti complex it seems.

This fish came in as Chilumba and considering that location proximity to Ngara your comment makes a lot sense


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

gorgeous fish

have you seen a yellow flametail yet? i saw one a long time ago, pretty fish but i wanted roange, the are plenty of others to get red from


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