# Help woth my 40g malawi



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

ok so about 7 months ago i set up my 40g long tank for lake malawi cichlids. I let it cycle and everything and then went to my LFS. Well the people who work there seem to have given me a bad mix to put in my tank. right now i have 3 Pseudotropheus Elongatus 3yellow labs and a red tail shark and a common pleco. the labs are very calm and small still and never fight. but the Pseudotropheus Elongatus seem to fight a lot with the shark and among ther own species. But lately the shark has been joining in on the bullying.. but when the shark was really young the bit his tail off but now hes fine cause i helped him heal. But i don't know what to do.. i dont want to get rid of any of the fish cause they have nice colours especially the Pseudotropheus Elongatus. but is there anything i can add to the tank to neutralize it? like calm to agression down?

p.s when i first got my fish i also got 3 ps demasoni, but they killed each other and since then no fish have died in that tank. please help.
THANK YOU


----------



## alfadog (Dec 18, 2009)

you could add more rocks, caves. etc, to give more hiding places. also do you know if your Pseudotropeus E, are male and female? Some research shows that adding more fish or overstocking can sometimes reduce aggression. this gives the weaker fish a chance to get away when the bully gets distracted by someone else


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

umm im pretture sure they are males, but there is usually only one at the corner of the tank who is always bright and a bully. he's like the biggest and badest, but hes calmed down.. its just when another fish goes near his corner he chases them like crazy. so ill add more rocks and caves but how can i sex them.. they all are bright electric blue with black stripes and a yellow tail. just beautiful to look at with the yellow labs next to them. so what could i add to helpo neutralize the agression.. there are 6 cichlids in the tank in total and its a 3' tanks and the Pseudotropheus Elongatus are avout 3-4" and the labs are ablut 1.5-2"


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

I think you need to move the Ps. elongatus and the shark out of there. And the pleco.

I know that sounds harsh, but take it from a fellow small tank owner (mine is 38 gallons); combining species in anything less than 55 gallons only works long term for the very knowledgeable or the very lucky.

Now it's possible you have 2 or 3 males among your Ps. elongatus and that's why they're fighting. Without knowing exactly which variant you have it's hard to know. Some species have easy to identify females, some don't. Whether it's a bad m/f ratio or just too aggressive a species (they looked too similar to the demasoni to ever tolerate each other) some or all of them have to go. With mbuna, strive for 1 male to 3-4 females - that way the male's aggression is spread around. This is not so important with Yellow Labs.

Sharks I know nothing about, but the proof appears to be in the pudding in this case.

Common plecos get huge, they make a mess, and often stop eating algae once they get a taste for fish food. If you really want a pleco get a Bristlenose/bushynose pleco. They don't get much more than 5 inches. But be aware that they seem to get killed in mbuna tanks 1/3 of the time.

Now when I say "they have to go," it doesn't mean they have to die. The first thing to do is check if your LFS will buy them back at a reduced price, give store credit, or take them for free. If not, PM me and I can suggest some stores in the GTA that will.

Sorry to be such a dictator with my advice, but I really think it's a good idea to stock properly now, so you can start enjoying your tank.

You could beef up your Yellow Lab population by 2 or 3 more fish. I'm not knowledgeable with peacocks, but some other members may suggest picking one male Aulonocara to put in there for a splash of red colour.

Now, if by chance your 40 is 48x13x16, there may be a few more options insofar as additional species. So let us know if that's the case.

kevin


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

I just read your second post; you really can't have more than one species in a 3' tank, and if all of your Ps. elongatus are blue with bars, chances are they're all males - most variants have brownish or silvery females.

It _might_ be possible to have peace in this tank if you move out the badest Ps. elongatus and one other, so that you have one Ps. and 3 labs - but he may breed with the labs and give you lots of little hybrid babies.

But again, I'd beef up the lab population, swap your common pleco for a bristlenose and get rid of everything else.

kevin


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

thanks for the reply, yeah 48x13x17 is the dimensions of the tank. But i dont know if my dad will let me take the Ps. elongatus out.. cause he loves the colour so much.. im only 15 .. but he usually listens to me cause i research things but he really like the labs and the Ps. elongatus . now the shark basically just holds his own in that tank.. lets just say when my dad came home with 3 sharks hes the only one that survived and i had to help him get back to health with bigals conditioner. I go to bigals fish store.. i dont know if you go there but they all have different opinions there and they all tell me a different thing.. so *** stopped listening to them and kinda google everything to find it out for myself. But in this situation im stuck.. i dont think its because there is to many fish in the tank cause they have a lot of swimming space.. but there are 2 Ps. elongatus who usually fight and one who is calmer then the others and the labs in general just stay together and chill. is there any other possible solution to this. I really dont want to take the Ps. elongatus back.

oh btw the pleco is there just for the moment, i bought 2 Britle nose plecos yesterday but they are like really small so i can';t put them in yet so they are in my 20g till they grow a little.


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

If your dad really love the Ps. elongatus colour I would restock the tank with either:
15 Ps. demasoni - http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... php?id=849
or
3 male/9 female Ps. saulosi - http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1
You may as well let him know what you're up against since I imagine he's your ride to the LFS.

And as for the LFS (Local Fish Store), the moderators like to keep specifics out of these forums - experiences with specific stores should be noted in the reviews section where they are easier to find.

But suffice to say I guessed which store you meant. Some of their employees know their stuff but some don't belong in the African cichlid section. At least they have taken some fish back from me, because as I mentioned earlier, I have a small tank that was badly stocked for the first year I had it - same store.

I'm a little confused on your tank size - you said 3' in your second post but 48" in the most recent post - could you clear that up so we can continue with recommendations?

kevin


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

you need to make sure you only have one male elongatus and a few females, or they will just keep bullying each other, generally about 4 females to 1 male is safe


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

oh ya my bad its 3' long, and i dont want to go back to demasoni, they are too aggressive for my liking, but the saulsosi sound good. The females are a different colour then the males right? and just for the record, the Ps. elongatus will eventually kill each other right?


----------



## alfadog (Dec 18, 2009)

your best bet for knowledge is in this here forum, I myself have learned so much from these guy & women. who are true fish lovers and are in it to win it :fish:


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

calleja_aquariums said:


> oh ya my bad its 3' long, and i dont want to go back to demasoni, they are too aggressive for my liking, but the saulsosi sound good. The females are a different colour then the males right?


That's right. The males are similar to demasoni








The females are yellow.











calleja_aquariums said:


> and just for the record, the Ps. elongatus will eventually kill each other right?


Well, the toughest one will likely kill the other two. Worse than that, the stress in the tank could cause bloat, which can eventually kill fish that aren't stressed. Alarmist, but possible.

kevin


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

ok so cjacob what are you suggesting? i maybe take 1 male out and get 4 females? or get 4 more females and add them with the 3 males? ?????? :-? But at the LFS the juvies are hard to sex.. they all look the same?


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

ridley you have ps saoulsi right? are they nice fish? do they ever fight? have they bred yet? good personality?


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

3 feet? sorry i'd say single species for 3 feet


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

I do have saulosi and quite like them. May favourite part is the different-looking males and females - my 38 is too small for 2 species but this is almost like having two species.
I have 3 males and 8 females (one female died). It took about a month and 3 trips to LFS and local breeders to get my ratios correct. Of my original 12 juveniles (which are all yellow) 7 were males!
Currently I have a tank boss and a second in command who seems to know his place. I have seen him with torn fins but never anything so bad I would consider removing him - very minor stuff. My third male knows his place and is a much lighter blue as a result.
The females do have some power struggles, with some chasing and the occasional lip-lock. I've also seen some very minor fin damage.
I've lost count of how many times they've held...dozens of times since I set the tank up in March. I don't try to save the fry and although some have made it to 1/2", none have survived yet.

The only trick is finding quality juveniles - there don't seem to be too many in the GTA. Mine are nice, but they're not prize winners. Right now one of my less attractive females is holding, but next time I have a pretty one holding I may put her in a 10 gallon and save the fry.

kevin


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

Do you think if i add a female it will change things? or if i take 2 or 1 Ps. elongatus out and add females instead it will change? or add more labs? cause *** also heard adding more fish can bring the aggression right down.. or changing the tank set up .. i may be able to take a picture of my tank tomorrow to show u how its set up.. i dont really like it to much maybe you can give me some advise. but for now im tired so ill be on in the morning. thanks for the help and i agree there isnt to many good fish stores in the GTA. Thanks for your help ridley ill get back to you in the morning.

chris :fish:


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

it spreads aggression out, but you shouldn't have more than one male


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

Ok ill talk to my dad about getting rid of 2 males and adding some females.. but i dont have to remove the labs right? they are very mellow i could put them in my community if i wanted.. they have never showed any aggression at all.


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

it just depends on how things go you just have to keep an eye on them


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

calleja_aquariums said:


> Do you think if i add a female it will change things? or if i take 2 or 1 Ps. elongatus out and add females instead it will change? or add more labs? cause I've also heard adding more fish can bring the aggression right down.. or changing the tank set up .. i may be able to take a picture of my tank tomorrow to show u how its set up.. i dont really like it to much maybe you can give me some advise. but for now im tired so ill be on in the morning. thanks for the help and i agree there isnt to many good fish stores in the GTA. Thanks for your help ridley ill get back to you in the morning.
> 
> chris :fish:


Overstocking to control aggression isn't really suggested for 3' tanks. You _may_ be able to do 1m/3f elongatus and 3 labs, but if you're going to be buying and returning fish to do this, I would cut the cord and use that buying and returning time stocking with a single species that you *know* will work in the long-term.

If you go by the LFS in the next little while, take a look at their Iodotropheus sprengerae (Rusties). They usually have pretty nice ones. Like yellow labs, they have a fairly calm disposition. I'm not going on the record suggesting this, but you _might_ be able to make 3 labs and 3 rusties work.

I strongly urge you to consider a labs + 1 peacock set up - http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/r ... p?genus=17
or single species - Labs, saulosi, rusties, cynotilapia, (hara or cobwe/cobue) or perlmutts, to name a few.

I've got my last bike race of 2009 tomorrow, so don't worry if I don't get back to you right away!

kevin


----------



## promoe (Apr 28, 2009)

i bet acei/rusties/labs would work...IMO he should be safe overcrowding those 3 species.and yes im going on the record for saying that.l :thumb:


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

promoe said:


> i bet acei/rusties/labs would work...IMO he should be safe overcrowding those 3 species.and yes im going on the record for saying that.l :thumb:


Maybe one of each! Don't forget the OP has only a 36" tank. 

kevin


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

Ok GOOD LUCK with your race.. its actually a pretty nice day out. Not too cold.

But basically are these my options?
take the ps elongatus out and put another species in with the labs, OR add some females in and maybe like 2 more labs, or take 2 ps elongatus out and put 2 females with the one male. OR re arrange my whole tank and make more hidding spots and get more rocks and maybe add some more labs? ???? :-? 
im just trying to see my options so i can ask my dad. 
thanks
chris


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Elongatus are very aggressive, so I think your best chance of success if you want to keep them is elongatus only with 1 male and 4-5 females.

OR

You could do a yellow lab species with 1m:5f.

I would definitely remove the shark.


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

*calleja_aquariums*

i have a question, is you avatar a pic of one of your fish or is it just a random pic?


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

It is a random pic, but i lan on putting pictures up of my tank because i have a good feeling the setup isnt good , it needs more hiding spots.

I have one big problem... my dad wont bring the elongatus back, he loves them.. o matter what i say, but do you think if i make more hiding spots, get more rocks, add maybe some females and take the shark out thinngs will be better?

*** seen many tanks my size with ps elongatus and lots of other cichlids together and they look fine and happy?


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i think eventually some will get killed and you're just going to have to tell your dad i told you so, if you add females and keep 3 males, then you might make the aggression worse

i only wonder because that pic is not a ps. elongatus


----------



## promoe (Apr 28, 2009)

ridley you must have had some bad luck with your stocking....1 of each species?lol! you know you are right he should do an all male tank!!!we all KNOW 4ft tanks are ideal for mbuna...we all wanna give the best here.do i reccomend multiple groups for breeding in a 40g...no!but...i do know of a 40g tank that has 1m/3f acei,1m/3f cobue and 5 rusties that put out more fry than the guy can get rid of.as a matter of fact he swears that anything less than 12 fish wont work in his tank.as the kid mentioned hes seen tanks his size happy conditions with several other cichlids.its kinda like telling somebody they are left handed when they are right handed.makes no sense to me...good luck on your stocking calleja!


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

thanks promoe, so maybe i should re arrange my tank, more caves and rocks, add some female ps elongatus and like 2 labs.? :fish: :-?


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

promoe said:


> .do i reccomend multiple groups for breeding in a 40g...no!


What about this part, LOL. There is always an exception, but it might have low odds for success.


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

you might have missed my post, but adding females without removing males will just make the aggression worse


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

i just caught the shark with my net and held him in there for like 30 seconds (still in the water) and it seems that as soon as he is out of the picture everything is fine.. he always starts the fights.. so im going to take him out.. once i do, then what should i do?


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

ok so im stuck then. i dont know what to do cause it seems my father :roll: doesnt want to give the ps elongatus away... and id hate to see $50 for 3 ps elongatus get flushed down a toilet.


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i would not add females without removing males, if your dad won't let you take out the males, then just leave it be and if they end up killing each other just tell him you warned him, there really isn't much else you could do, aside from yes adding more hiding places


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

so i absoultly cant add any other fish? no other labs, i cant add like 1 red peacock?


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

absolutely no peacocks, i would not add any fish, i'd ride it out until you can convince your dad to remove two male elongatus or they die


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

ok so if i do remove 2 of them what do i do then? my tanks doesnt looked filled.. theres only 6 fishin it.. it looks so empty..


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

add about 4 females, how many labs do you have?


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

3 labs and 3 ps elongatus


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

What kind of elongatus do i have? i want to know because i need to know what a female looks like so i can find some and so that i can make sure i have all males.. i may have a female there is only one of them that usually keeps to its self and doesnt get as bright blue as the others.


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

never mind i figured out what type i have "Elongatus Chailosi" how can i sex them? and especially at my LFS when they are juvies and all look the same to me


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Males are colored and females are dull. Juveniles will all look the same and you cannot effectively sex them until they are old enough to show their colors anyway.

Trade the males for females...there is no throwing away money. Get store credit for the labs.

You said you liked the elongatus? But if you'd rather have a peacock, trade the elongatus (all of them) for the peacock and just have it with the labs.


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

So the females are ugly? If they look the same when they are juvies then how will i know its a female.. what if i end up with more males again? is there any type of malawi cichlid that isnt very aggressive.. is mostly mellow like the labs that can go with the labs and elongatus.. i know you guys say its not possible but i see lots of tanks that are 40 gal and have tons of different africans in them.. including elongatus and labs..?


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

> i know you guys say its not possible but i see lots of tanks that are 40 gal and have tons of different africans in them.. including elongatus and labs..?


it doesn't mean they will work peacefully and i;m sure they lose a lot of fish in the process

this is the point where i just say it's your tank, add what you want, you were advised and even warned, be prepared to handle the consequences


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

I know, you guys are just trying to help, and im new to cichlids. But the labs and elongatus were fine until the shark was put in. Then the aggression picked up.. the elongatus on fight when another elongatus goes ito its territory, but the shark fights with them all the time anywhere. He almost killed onen of my ps elongatus ! The elongatus is healing now and is getting a lot better, but im definitly taking that shark out. But they ps elongatus and labs have been fine for like 8 months..? and i was researching the ps elogatus on google just now and it was talkingn about their temperment. They seem to be territorial.. so if i try to arrange the tank from scartch so that all the elongatus lose their territorys and have to findn new ones they can all have their own reducing fighting. maybe adding like 4 females? there has to be something out there that i can put in the tank to reduce aggression. my tank looks empty like i said. maybe a type of acie or hap? i dont know that much really.. im counting on you guys


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

Take this with a grain of salt because your elongatus are likely tank born and raised:
In the wild, the Pseudotropheus elongatus complex is not a very efficient feeder. Because they aren't able to harvest as much algae as other more specialized mbuna, they defend large territories known as algal gardens. By chasing away all intruders (not just other Ps. elongatus), the algae in their territory grows thicker than usual. The elongatus' makes up for its inability to harvest algae competitively through aggression.

In short, these are more aggressive than most mbuna.

Now put these guys in your tank. Even with some of this wild behaviour 'bred' out of them, they still guard territories *very* aggressively - but unlike in the lake, the chased fish have very little room to escape. Labs, on the other hand, roam around a larger territory picking crustaceans from the rocks - they're quite good at it, (notice the pointier mouth) therefore they're less aggressive about having other fish (even their own kind) around.

None of this is proof that you can't make Ps. elongatus work in a three foot tank - there are always exceptions - but it's a darn strong probability.

This is not to suggest that your shark isn't the main problem, but aggression issues in mbuna start to manifest themselves as the mbuna mature into adults. You say they were peaceful for 8 months or so - I don't pretend to know at what age you introduced them, but it's highly likely that you're now seeing their 'true' behaviour as they enter adulthood.

Moving rocks around on a regular basis to constantly break up territories may work - but wouldn't you rather have a tank you can decorate once and then enjoy?

I don't want to be casual with your or your family's money, but if getting rid of the elongatus is a non-starter, what about checking craigslist, ebay, aquabid or pricenetwork.ca for a used 55 gallon set up? Pop your three males in there with a ton of hiding places and see how they do.

If all three last, you can save up for eight or more females and add them when you can. If one kills off the other two without starting a bloat outbreak, you only need to buy three females.

kevin


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

Chris, I think this member has the same elongatus as you, albeit in larger numbers and a larger tank. Perhaps you should send a PM to find out some specific experiences. 
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/prof ... le&u=55177

Kevin


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

ridley25 said:


> aggression issues in mbuna start to manifest themselves as the mbuna mature into adults. You say they were peaceful for 8 months or so - I don't pretend to know at what age you introduced them, but it's highly likely that you're now seeing their 'true' behaviour as they enter adulthood.


It is likely the shark is not the only problem, I agree with what ridley25 said above. This is what happened to me with my first tank, a 36" long tank with 9 demasoni and 3 labs. At 8 months it went crazy and I had a serious bloat epidemic. I added Demasoni until I got to the recommended 12 and it was better. If an empty tank is your #1 problem, switch to Demasoni and have 15 fish.

Maybe your fish are hiding because of too much aggression and that's why your tank looks empty?

If you want to remove the shark and observe for a while...do that, good idea.

If you love the elongatus no matter what, do a species tank. 1m:5f.

Acei are questionable in a 48" tank (IME, I had them for 2 years in a 72" tank). Haps need more swimming room than a 36" tank allows, and you would have to remove the mbuna. Mbuna are too aggressive for haps, especially elongatus.

If you really want to cram 3 species in a 36" tank then I'd recommend you choose one of the "lots" of people who have had a successful one for 2 years or more and tap them for advice via PM. You are not getting the answers you seek among the responders here. :thumb:


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i'll repeat for the third time, if you add females the aggression will be worse, you just make more for the males to have to compete for

also labs get big as do elongatus, how big are your fish right now? not including the tail. if you think about territores, each fish will get to about 5 inches, meaning even if they line their territories up side by side, their territory will only be an inch bigger than they are, you don't have enoough space for each fish to have a propper territory, and as they mature the problems will become worse and worse, adding fish without taking away is a very very bad idea

the other problem you might have is if you are not possitive about the type of elongatus, then finding females will be tough, bit if it is the type you say it is, those females are actually kind of nice compared to most female fish


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

I agree cjacob i will not add females it will make it worse. ridley i agree with what you say since i have now researched some more. And i sent a pm to csnake about the ps elongatus and i think he will have some answers for me. And i will look for a 55 gallon see if i can pick a cheap one up. But i dont know if its just me but i feel attched to my fish for some reason. LOL :lol: sounds dumb but i just would hate to see them go.. *** watched them grow and taken care of them. And my labs dont have territory , they just swim everwhere.. and my tank loook empty because there is 6 fish, not because they are hiding, they barely ever hide.its complicated.

so If you guys were in my position right now, what would you do? picture giving away your favorite fish in your tank. I wish there was some way around this


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i've had to do it before, but it had to be done or you lose a lot more than just that one, that's the price you pay for jumping in without research sometimes, but the way i see it is you've been given all the advice we can offer, we haven't changed our advice, so whether you won't or can't do it, there is nothing else we can do, and you just have to let it ride


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

btw the ps elongatus are about 3.5" - 4"
and i honestly think anthing is possible if your tank layout is right. Every fish has its own personality. Every animal on the earth has its own personality. Just like golden retrievers for instance. They are supposed to be family dogs, very gental and kind and smart. But *** met one that has bitten kids, and doesnt listen. One thing about this hobby is that is almost trial and error in many cases. Everyoe has different experiences and has seen or heard different things. Thats why its so hard for me to know what to do because everyone has something different to tell me and its hard to know which one will be the right decision. but i do appreciate all of your help ! Im just STUCK


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

every one of us has told you basically the same thing. some have told you to remove them all together, but no one has told you it's ok to keep them as it is. if you want to try what you have and keep rejecting our advice, then do what you want to do and quit asking for suggestions, we aren't telling you what you want to hear so it's not really doing you any good to ask us, you know what i mean? i'm sorry if your tank feels empty to you, but none of us will offer anyhting to add to it because we believe it's a bad idea, so if you want to add fish you're going to have to do it yourself, the only thing i can say is if you claim you have seen many 40 gallon tanks with these fish and other together, then just add what they have, worst case scenario you end up with a lot of dead fish


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

Alright, thanks, i guess i will remove the ps elongatus or just get another tank and put them in it.
Thanks for your help !


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

calleja_aquariums said:


> and my tank loook empty because there is 6 fish, not because they are hiding, they barely ever hide.its complicated.
> 
> so If you guys were in my position right now, what would you do? picture giving away your favorite fish in your tank. I wish there was some way around this


My first fish were my favourites too, but I had hyper-aggressive Tropheops and Yellow Labs - I thought they looked nice so I bought them. Also only six fish. I felt better about getting rid of them because I knew they were doomed to a life a stress in my 38 gallon.

Now I have 11 cichlids in the same smallish tank, but they're all the same species, and a dwarf species at that. It looks full all the time!

kevin


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

dems look similar to your fish and you can put like 12 in that tank, if you'd be willing to get rid of everything else


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

ok cjacob and ridley and DJ, If i take all of the fish out of my tank excluding the BN plecos. What should i put in it. I dont really like small fish id like to watch it grow to like 4" and i dont really want just one species.. ill get bored of seeing the same fish? I like COLOUR :wink:

thanks


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

um... Pseudotropheus saulosi? blue barred males, yellow females, 1 male and as many females as you can fit in the tank lol

i really wouldn't suggest two species in this tank, but, if you get something like saulosi, you have multiple colors


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What about the mix ridley25 suggested on page 1?



> You could beef up your Yellow Lab population by 2 or 3 more fish. I'm not knowledgeable with peacocks, but some other members may suggest picking one male Aulonocara to put in there for a splash of red colour.


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i think seeing you spell it colour was the first time i realized you're not from the US haha


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

DJRansome said:


> What about the mix ridley25 suggested on page 1?
> 
> 
> 
> > You could beef up your Yellow Lab population by 2 or 3 more fish. I'm not knowledgeable with peacocks, but some other members may suggest picking one male Aulonocara to put in there for a splash of red colour.


i could get on board with that suggestion, maybe a flametail with the yellow labs


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

You could maybe go for a trio of peacock males in 3 different colors with the 3 yellow labs.


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

Sounds good guys. So what peacocks? and yeah im Canadian  lol
So i can keep the 3 juvi labs i have? ill just take the elongatus out? they will be better off in a bigger tank right? im doing the fish a favor and saving their lives right? LOL i just dont want them to die.


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

as long as he sticks to the 4 inchers, and peaceful ones


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

yes the elongatus will be better off not all being confined in a smaller tank together

i would say as far as peacocks go...

a ruby or german red
a flametail
and a sulfur head

i think those will give you the greatest variation in color


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

I like all 3 of them. And they will not be too agressive? like they will obviously fight every now and then? but other then that they will be fine together? and am i just gunna have the 3 labs or am i adding 2 more?


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Stick with the 3 labs. Multiple males may fight, but you minimize your chances of that by choosing fish that look as different as possible to reduce competition.


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

which is why i tossed out what i did, if you get a hold of some good sexed ones about 2 inches each, your chances will be great that they will all be fine together, i have all four of these species together, with the lab and flametail being twice the size of the other two and they do fine


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

okie dokie ! so can i add all the peacocks at the same time or 1 at a time? and are they hard to find? im going to my LFS sunday to check them out and ask if they will take my ps Elongatus


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

they are pretty easy to find, check some online breeders etc i would add them all at once, it will increase their chances of survival in terms of not getting bullied by the labs


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

cjacob316 said:


> i think seeing you spell it colour was the first time i realized you're not from the US haha


Yeah, it's a hassle for us Canadians getting words like colour and metre underlined by the spell-checker when we're using the Queen's Own English!

Chris, I would be hesitant about buying peacocks from the same LFS (I've been there many times) where you bought your labs and elongatus. I don't have any great leads on peacocks but I can point you to some reputable breeders who sell in the Toronto area and/or pricenetwork.ca. PM me if you wish.

kevin


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i have completely quit buying fish from my lfs lol


----------



## bosco0633 (Dec 31, 2009)

ridley, I live in the Hammer, just down the road from you. Any cahnce that you can send me a list of breeders. I want to stock several peacocks and would love the advice. My LFS just doesnt have a great selection of fish, and I have been researching a few breeders that I have found online.

Thanks


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

PM sent


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

Ridley me too please? Can you PM me a list of places in the GTA i can find some nice reliable fish breeders? especially cichlids! thanks a lot cjacob and DJ and ridley i will try and have the elongatus out of the tank ASAP and the peacocks in as soon as i can find them ! But do the peacocks like the same setup as the malawi? like rocks everywhere with caves and stuff? and whats their diet like? What should i feed them? i feed the labs vegitation with some brine shrimp as a treat every now and then.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

NLS will work for both, and no you want half the tank open water for the peacocks.


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

Ok Thanks for the help guys !


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

calleja_aquariums said:


> Ridley me too please? Can you PM me a list of places in the GTA i can find some nice reliable fish breeders? especially cichlids! thanks a lot cjacob and DJ and ridley i will try and have the elongatus out of the tank ASAP and the peacocks in as soon as i can find them ! But do the peacocks like the same setup as the malawi? like rocks everywhere with caves and stuff? and whats their diet like? What should i feed them? i feed the labs vegitation with some brine shrimp as a treat every now and then.


Chris, tell me your proposed stocking (a group of Aulonocara or 1 male Aulonocara with three labs?) and I'll try to help you out.

kevin


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

My stocking after i take the shark and 3 ps elongatus out will be :
2 BN plecos
3 Yellow labs
1 Ruby red or German red Peacock
1 Flame tail Peacock
1 Sulfer Head peacock 
(all male peacocks)


----------



## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

Forgive me as I'm not a peacock guy...throw me the scientific names (Aulonocara "___") and I'll make some local and online breeder recommendations for you.

kevin


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

well german red and rubescens are the names, since these are line bread
aul. stuartgranti (ngara)
aul. maylandi


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

Ya What cjacob said, lol i have no idea what their scientific names are.


----------



## promoe (Apr 28, 2009)

DJRansome said:


> You could maybe go for a trio of peacock males in 3 different colors with the 3 yellow labs.


best advice yet!


----------



## calleja_aquariums (Apr 22, 2009)

i know, its what i will end up doing, I just have to find a reliable breeder to get them> i LOVE that flametail Peacock cjacob.


----------



## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

one of my faves


----------

