# Species recommendation: 30 gallon breeder



## gherlevi (Dec 16, 2004)

I'm thinking about setting up a single-species 30 gallon tank for breeding. I was tentatively going to try a mild-mannered Malawi peacock, but I was curious about the Vics.

Any suggestions? Which Vic species would breed well in 30 gallons? I'd imagine it would be a pretty typical 1M and 3F setup.

Thanks in advance for any guidance!


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## mbargas (Apr 19, 2009)

gherlevi said:


> I'm thinking about setting up a single-species 30 gallon tank for breeding. I was tentatively going to try a mild-mannered Malawi peacock, but I was curious about the Vics.
> 
> Any suggestions? Which Vic species would breed well in 30 gallons? I'd imagine it would be a pretty typical 1M and 3F setup.
> 
> Thanks in advance for any guidance!


Most of the Vics should do quite well in a 30g or even smaller. I say this because many attain breeding size long before they are fully grown. For example, the Kyoga flameback AKA All Red Nawawampasa attains an adullt length of 4-5 in, but I've had them breed at just over 1 in. Easily done in a 20g. I've also had nyerereis about 1.25-1.5" breed in 20g tanks.

When they attain their maximal adult length, you may consider moving them to a larger tank.

Here are some of my favorites:

P. nyererei-- great color that hardly ever fades
All Red Nawampasa-- very intense red when "flashing"
Regular flameback--color similar to nyererei but tends to be much more dependent on mood
Red tail Obliq (Sp 44)--great combo of red, blue, yellow, and black

The intersting thing about Vics is that they can be considered specialty items, i.e. you won't find them in just any pet shop or online retailer. Anyone who takes the trouble to find out about them becomes an authority, since most aquarists don't know much about them.

I've also kept Malawi Peacocks side by side with Nyerereis, and the Peacocks held their own. You could probably keep one breeding colony of each in the same tank. Just make sure you have enogh rockwork for hiding places. It is also a good idea to add some hornwort with adequate lighting to remove nitrogenous wastes. The hornwort will also provide hiding places.


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## gherlevi (Dec 16, 2004)

Hey thanks Mbargas, much appreciated for the tips and quick response.

I was toying with the idea of keeping two species in a 30 gallon... but I tend to be conservative on stocking and worry about two groups. Might give it a shot though, and combining a Vic with a peacock would be pretty cool.

The alternative would be some dithers like danios or barbs, but those are laughably bland compared to other options.


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## mbargas (Apr 19, 2009)

I forgot to mention the Chritmas fulu:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/x_phytophagus.php

It's not as aggressive as the nyerereis, and it might be a better choice to go with the peacocks. 
In my experience fishes seem to get along better if they grow up together, so I would start with relatively small specimens of each.


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## colematthewmalaka (Jul 14, 2009)

how about some kribensis? They're beautiful fish.


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## samaki (Oct 25, 2002)

Hi 
Are you talking about haplochromis sp"rockribensis" or the krib( Pelvicachromis pulcher)??? because they are not originated from the same waters, soft mild acidic water for the krib as it comes from west Africa and mild hard water ffor the rockrib as it comes from Victoria lake.
xris


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