# 65 gallon stocking ideas



## Joe.Lemm (Oct 29, 2012)

Thinking of options for my 65 gallon African cichlid community.

Currently has:

2x acei, 1m 1f
3x yellow lab, ?m ?f
3x OB Peacock, 1m 2f
1x Fuellebourni, ?
2x Jewel, 1m 1f (still juvies but will probably remove soon to avoid WWIII)
1x electric blue? (Mainly black with blue stripes running the length of its body) 
1x JD (will be gone very soon, got it with a free tank and had nowhere else to put it)
2x pleco

Now where can I go from here... I definitely want to keep the labs, acei and peacock, but I would swap out anything else. The base is 36" x 18", so not a 4' but still has a good footprint. Could I swap out the jewels and JD for some demasonis, or possibly some zebras or different peacocks?


----------



## peterock44 (Jul 3, 2012)

36 x 18 is really not a very good foot print. personally i would do 1m 4-5f of the labs and your breeding group of peacocks and thats it. the acei will get far too big for that tank, so keeping them is probably not the best idea. i would definitly ditch the acei, fuellebourni, jewels, electric blue, jd, and plecos (unless the plecos are bristlenose, then they could stay).


----------



## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

+1 except i wouldn't do the breedign goup of peacocks. You could do the labs and some other dwarf mbuna.


----------



## Joe.Lemm (Oct 29, 2012)

Well since almost everybody is matured and I am having no immediate problems, I will take my time switching things around.

The labs I will definitely keep, plecos can stay until they out grow the tank and will then be exchanged for smaller ones, the JD is going to be gone ASAP, not a fan of the jewels so they will go and I will get 2 more labs in their place, and the fuellebourni and electric blue will stay until they cause problems.


----------



## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

What do you mean by matured? I t may be hard to add fish to the tank, as many fish are only available as 1-2" fry, and a 5" Lab may munch on them. And if all those fish were matured, you would lack for swimming room in that size aquarium.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

peterock44 said:


> 36 x 18 is really not a very good foot print. personally i would do 1m 4-5f of the labs and your breeding group of peacocks and thats it. the acei will get far too big for that tank, so keeping them is probably not the best idea. i would definitly ditch the acei, fuellebourni, jewels, electric blue, jd, and plecos (unless the plecos are bristlenose, then they could stay).


Plus one. :thumb:


----------



## Michael_M (May 31, 2012)

36x18 is a fairly standard 3ft tank here, I use a couple for growing out Mbuna to a sellable size.

I think its a good footprint for dwarf mbuna, however it does leave you with fairly limited long term options. Had success keeping Labidochromis chisumulae and Iodotropheus sprengerae in a 36x18; only stayed in there for a couple of months but both species were pretty much full grown 3.5-4inches.

Agree with whats already been said, will add that acei are fast growing fish and when Malawians are kept in smaller tanks they become much more aggressive than they typically are.


----------



## Joe.Lemm (Oct 29, 2012)

Lots to consider here. By mature I meant that they are sexually mature, and are not causing aggression issues while spawning.

Here is the plan...

Yellow lab 1m 3-4f
OB Peacock 1m 2f
Acei 1m 1f (until too large)
Pleco 2 (until too large)

Now could I add a group of rustys or zebras to the tank, or will I see some serious problems?

Also, it's not an electric blue in there now, it's a melanochromis cyaneorhabdos.

I will be upping the filter to 404 with a HOB with filter floss, and possibly going up to a 95 gallon in the next few months so fish that will grow too big will be moved once they outgrow the tank. I want to keep a busy tank with more smaller species than a tank with just a few bigger


----------



## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

These fish are going to be 4- 5" within a year, with proper feeding and water changes. Electric Blue/Maingano/Cyaneorhabdos are usually the same fish. 2 species in a 36x18 is more than enough. I wouldn't buy anymore fish except maybe another female OB peacock when the others get moved. If you want more color, sell the Labs and get Saulosi. The males are blue, females yellow.


----------

