# New Additions



## MSullins (Oct 16, 2013)

I am thinking of getting a few of these guys (Metriaclima sp. "Mbweca" and/or Iodotropheus sprengerae "Rusty"), but I am not sure how well they will fit in..

I have>>

6 Red Zebras (1 male, 5 female)

6 Demasoni (sex's are really unknown, 1 male for sure)

6 Yellow Labs (2 know males, the rest I am unsure)

All of these are 1-2.5 Inches approximately except the male Red Zebra...

My tank is a 110 gallon.. if these guys will fit in I plan on only 3 of them (1Male 2Female) if that will work..
maybe more if it is possible?

What do you guys think?
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... php?id=707
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/c_afra_mbweca.php


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

Based on everything I've ever read, I think you should add another 18 or so Demasoni. You're going to have some murderous action going on with only 6 once they mature.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

What are the tank dimensions? Regardless of the tank footprint, +1 to more demasoni as Pablo said.


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## MSullins (Oct 16, 2013)

the tank dimensions are (60"X19"X19") (Length X width X height)


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Might work. Agree with more demasoni and don't save fry from this tank. :thumb:


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## MSullins (Oct 16, 2013)

DJRansome said:


> Might work. Agree with more demasoni and don't save fry from this tank. :thumb:


Is there a high chance of cross breeding with this stock? My fish seem to be sticking with their own kind...

and would 10 more Dems be enough?

Thanks


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Yellow labs and red zebras commonly crossbreed.

In a 60" tank I'd want to end up with 15-20 demasoni. To get 3/4 of those to be females you would buy extra unsexed juveniles and then remove extra males as they mature.


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## MSullins (Oct 16, 2013)

DJRansome said:


> Yellow labs and red zebras commonly crossbreed.
> 
> In a 60" tank I'd want to end up with 15-20 demasoni. To get 3/4 of those to be females you would buy extra unsexed juveniles and then remove extra males as they mature.


Okay so if I increase my Dem's to 18 (like 3 males 15 Females?).. Would either of those guys work? (Metriaclima sp. "Mbweca") or (Iodotropheus sprengerae "Rusty")..

Or should a go for a few Cynos??

Basically looking for more color, but want to make sure they will do okay with my current stock..


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

Agree with the advice so far..and I've never kept Rusties but plan on adding them to a new tank I'm setting up soon. From everything I've read about them they are really easy and adaptable fish,..that mix well with a lot of types (like Yellow-Labs do). My thoughts would be to add maybe 3 and make sure they are at least as big if not bigger than the current fish. As the new guys, I would worry about them getting picked on rather than any aggression from them. Also, I would rearrange and even add some additional rockwork and caves.


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

Whatever You Decide To Add, Aim For 1M/3-4F. A Trio Of Mbuna Is Not A Good Idea, Regardless Of Species. Have You Considered Yellow Tail Acei? They Aren't Particularly Picky About male/Female Ratios (As Long As You Have One Or 2 More Females Than males), And They Like To School In The Mid-Upper Parts Of The Tank. Since You've Got A Taller Tank, this Might Be Nice, And They'll Look Completely Different From Anything You've Already Got.


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## MSullins (Oct 16, 2013)

nmcichlid-aholic said:


> Whatever You Decide To Add, Aim For 1M/3-4F. A Trio Of Mbuna Is Not A Good Idea, Regardless Of Species. Have You Considered Yellow Tail Acei? They Aren't Particularly Picky About male/Female Ratios (As Long As You Have One Or 2 More Females Than males), And They Like To School In The Mid-Upper Parts Of The Tank. Since You've Got A Taller Tank, this Might Be Nice, And They'll Look Completely Different From Anything You've Already Got.


No I haven't thought of these guys, but they do look pretty cool.. I assume their temper is much like a Yellow Lab?


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

MSullins said:


> nmcichlid-aholic said:
> 
> 
> > Whatever You Decide To Add, Aim For 1M/3-4F. A Trio Of Mbuna Is Not A Good Idea, Regardless Of Species. Have You Considered Yellow Tail Acei? They Aren't Particularly Picky About male/Female Ratios (As Long As You Have One Or 2 More Females Than males), And They Like To School In The Mid-Upper Parts Of The Tank. Since You've Got A Taller Tank, this Might Be Nice, And They'll Look Completely Different From Anything You've Already Got.
> ...


Yes, pretty similar temperament to yellow labs - maybe even a little more docile (in my opinion, anyway). There are 2 types of acei commonly available - the yellow tail (Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" 'Musli' - http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1460), and the white tail (Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" 'Ngara' - http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=835) These have actually been renamed as Ps. elegans (both variants), but they're still listed as Ps. sp. "Acei" in the profiles section. Both the Musli and Ngara variants have a laid back temperament (compared to most mbuna), but in my experience the Ngara type has been marginally more aggressive (not terribly, though). Males and females look the same, so you won't end up with unattractive females if you get some.

I think adding more dems as discussed, along with 5 or 6 acei, will work out well. I personally wouldn't add the Met. sp. "Mbweca" with the yellow labs or red zebras - even though the Mbweca have some barring, they still look similar enough to the labs to potentially cause problems, and it's recommended to only keep one Metriaclima species per tank. That's just speculation about mixing with the labs, though, since I've never tried that combo.


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## MSullins (Oct 16, 2013)

nmcichlid-aholic said:


> MSullins said:
> 
> 
> > nmcichlid-aholic said:
> ...


Sorry about all the questions lol...

Would 3 or 4 of each work (1 male 2/3 Female)? I like how both types of the fish look..


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

You Could Put Both The yellow tail And White Tail Acei In There As Long As You Aren't Going To Be Saving Any Fry - They'll Be Likely To Cross Breed. If You Are Interested In Breeding Them, I Would Choose One Or The Other And Not Do Both.


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## MSullins (Oct 16, 2013)

Got 10 more Demasoni & 3 Acei Yellow Tails today! 

I am having trouble with my male Red Zebra chasing all the new little guys... :?

Should I be concerned for the little guys or will he most likely stop in a few days??


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

As Long As He's Just Chasing Them Out Of His Territory And Not Attacking Them, They Should Be Fine. You Added Enough New Ones That He (Or Any Of Your Existing Fish) Shouldn't Really Single One Newbie Out And Do Damage. If You Do Observe Any Of The Fish Hiding Excessively In The Upper Corners Or Behind Heaters/Filters, Or If You See Bad Physical Damage (Torn fins, Broken Jaws, Etc), Then You'll Probably Need To Immediately Remove The Victim To A Hospital Rank To recover, And Seriously Consider Removing the Aggressor Permanently.


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## MSullins (Oct 16, 2013)

nmcichlid-aholic said:


> As Long As He's Just Chasing Them Out Of His Territory And Not Attacking Them, They Should Be Fine. You Added Enough New Ones That He (Or Any Of Your Existing Fish) Shouldn't Really Single One Newbie Out And Do Damage. If You Do Observe Any Of The Fish Hiding Excessively In The Upper Corners Or Behind Heaters/Filters, Or If You See Bad Physical Damage (Torn fins, Broken Jaws, Etc), Then You'll Probably Need To Immediately Remove The Victim To A Hospital Rank To recover, And Seriously Consider Removing the Aggressor Permanently.


Yeah he is just chasing at the moment... Just wasn't sure if chasing was enough to stress fry out (their only about 1 inch or a little more).. I have already thought about removing him if he is too aggressive and re-homing..

ready for the Yellow Tails to grow some more and color up! Right now their tails are a light yellow and bodies seem like some shade of black...









Like that one...

Is that the correct color for them? I have seen other pictures of like a bright blue color..


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

That Sounds Like The Right Color. Some Can Be A Very Dark Blue To Almost Purple, While Others Are A Lighter Shade Of Blue. Either Way, They Look Nice With Their Bright Yellow Fins. The Pic Above Is A Pretty Good Looking One - Try To Post Some Pics Of Your Actual Fish When You Have A Chance.


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## MSullins (Oct 16, 2013)

nmcichlid-aholic said:


> That Sounds Like The Right Color. Some Can Be A Very Dark Blue To Almost Purple, While Others Are A Lighter Shade Of Blue. Either Way, They Look Nice With Their Bright Yellow Fins. The Pic Above Is A Pretty Good Looking One - Try To Post Some Pics Of Your Actual Fish When You Have A Chance.


I will for sure... going to give them a little bit to grow...

Woke up today to find a yellow lab holding... She has a big bulge in the bottom of her mouth... Should I strip them? Do I need to just move her out and let her spit naturally and then ditch the fry? Or let the fry grow and see if their cross bred? (if that's possible to tell with labs?)


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I would let her spit in the tank since you have estherae with them.


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

I Agree With DJRansome - Just Leave Her In The Main Tank To spit The Fry Out. The Rest Of The Fish Will Take Care Of Them (As In Eat Them, Not Protect Them). Mark Today Down In Your Calendar, And If She's Still Holding After 3.5-4 Weeks, Then You Might Want To Strip Her Just So She'll Start Eating Again. Young Females Will Often Abandon Holding Too Early (By Either Spitting Or Swallowing The Eggs), Or They will Hold For Way too Long. If She Holds Them Too Long Without Eating, It'll Make It Harder For Her To Recover.


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