# 55 gallon Pseudotropheus Saulosi tank



## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

Hello!

I have an extremely aggressive astatotilapia calliptera that I'm starting another 55 gallon tank to house since he didn't work out in my all male peacock/hap tank. He is so aggressive that I'm afraid he would kill any females I put in the tank with him. Someone suggested he might do well with Mbuna, specifically Saulosi. So, do you think he would do alright in a 55 gallon species-specific Pseudotropheus Saulosi tank?


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Hit or miss. Might ignore the Saulosi, or might be too bossy.

Don't assume because he is alpha with other fish that that means he will be a female killer, but you would need multiple females. It can be hard to put adult fish together, if he is already quite large.


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## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

He is fully grown, around 2 years old. I figured since Mbuna are more aggressive they would be able to hold their own with him. I don't particularly want to do a species specific Astatotilapia Calliptera tank since the females are quite dull and I'm not particularly interested in breeding them. I haven't had much luck rehoming him, and I'd like to keep him if I can because he is a beautiful fish and he's fun to watch. Do you have any other tank mate suggestions other than Pseudotropheus Saulosi?


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## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

...Anyone? Any second opinions on keeping my lone Astatotilapia Calliptera with a colony of Pseudotropheus Saulosi?


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## pancakeloach (Feb 4, 2008)

It sounds kind of iffy. I've found my saulosi to be easily intimidated by more aggressive fish, but then I'm trying to breed them so I want them to be the most dominant species in my tank! No telling til you try, yeah?


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## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

This is true! I've read that adult fish will more easily accept juveniles over other adults. Is there any truth to this?

And I'm telling you, the Astatotilapia Calliptera is a TERROR. I have had ZERO luck re-homing him. Nobody wants my "problem" fish. He's been in a 10 gallon QT tank for months. I know this isn't ideal. I've tried multiple times to re-introduce him into my all male peacock/hap tank. He'll get picked on by the others for about five-ten minutes, then he suddenly becomes the big boss as soon as he is acclimated. I mean chasing every fish in sight, running them into the rocks, the glass, tearing at fins. I've been meaning to get him into his own 55 for a while now, but I had a couple of surprises financially and I had to keep putting it off. The tank is finally up and cycling, but I'm clueless on what to stock him with. I obviously don't want an entire tank for one fish. I also don't particularly want an Astatotilapia Calliptera species-specific tank.

Do you think he might fare well with some of the more aggressive Mbuna? Which species? Or is this just a bad idea?


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## pancakeloach (Feb 4, 2008)

Out of all the mbuna I've kept I think the "powder blue" socolofi were the most aggressive (never kept demasoni or auratus). And the Calliptera is yellow, so maybe no other yellow fish to harass would keep him from going totally crazy. Possibly. LOL


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## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

Could this potentially work?

My Astatotilapia Calliptera with:

1 M:4 F - Cynotilapia Sp. Hara (White Top Hara)
1 M:4 F - Metriclima Esterae (Cherry Red Zebra) 
1 M:4 F - Melanochromis Cyanorhabdos (Maingano)

Think my Astatotilapia Calliptera would be jealous he has no females?

Do you think it would be possible to nix one of the species of Mbuna off the list and put 4 Astatotilapia Calliptera females in there? Hmmmmm....


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## Michael_S (Aug 18, 2013)

I would add some females for your Calliptera.

Other stocking:

Avoid Mel. cyaneorhabdos, this fish needs a 75G to be successful. Maybe it could be pulled off with a bunch of a females in a 55G, but I do not suggest adding this species.

I wouldn't stock with Cyno. Hara. Although they are known to be a more aggressive Cyno I don't think they should be with very aggressive fish in a narrow 4ft tank.

I think the Met. estherae would be ok.

Just wondering, why do you love this calliptera so much if he is a meany?
Honestly, I would ditch him and make a nice saulosi tank.


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## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

Well, I've tried getting rid of him but I've had no takers. And I know we're not supposed to get attached to fish in this hobby, but I've had him so long now it's kind of hard not to. I've been taking "special care" of him since he's been alone in the 10 gallon. I interact with him daily to keep him from getting too bored. I also believe once you take a pet into your care, you're responsible for their well-being. I had some benga sunshines a while back that I gave to a "responsible" hobbyist and he ended up killing them all. I raised them from fry so I was pretty heartbroken. So I'm hesitant to go down that road again.

Any other suggestions besides the Met. Estherae that would work in a 55? I'd like to do 3 species for variation and color, preferably species with pretty females since the Astatotilapia Calliptera females are drab.

So...Astatotilapia Calliptera, Metriclima Estherae and....??


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## Michael_S (Aug 18, 2013)

Yeah, I know what you mean by getting attached to fish. I have been reconstructing my 75G for the longest time and I gave away my Labidochromis sp. "Mbamba" juveniles that I raised from fry and all the fish I started with. My parents were more heart broken about their departure than I was. I told them that it was "good for the tank" and that is what I now telling you about the Calliptera.

Unfortunately, I don't know Calliptera species well enough to comment any more on it.


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## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

If I could find someone that I knew would take care of him correctly, then I would do it. But I've been posting around for 6 months with no takers - I mean trying to GIVE him away. I've offered to help friends set up breeding tanks with him, all to no avail. I'm not just flushing him and I have no LFS that deals with cichlids. So I'm going to try and make a tank that will work with him. If he ends up not working out with the Mbuna I'll just start another tank for just him and his females. No such thing as too many tanks 

With that said, I'm open to any suggestions of Mbuna that may pair well with him and some Metriclima Estherae - perhaps Labidochromis Perlmutt?


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

If I were you, this is what I would do...

Setup your new 55 and stock it with the mbuna you want. After the mbuna are established and around 2" in length, add the Calliptera. Monitor his behavior. If he goes bonkers and starts causing problems, then pull him. You could always include A. Calliptera as one of your species. Pull all known males before you add your adult.


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## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

I would like to use my A. Calliptera as one of my 3 species. So - I have the option of either ordering 2.5 inch Mbuna from an online supplier. Once my tank is finished cycling, should I add the 2 different species of Mbuna (1M:4F) plus the females for the A. Calliptera, wait a few days then add my adult male A. Calliptera? Or should I wait to see if the A. Calliptera's temperament will work before I get females for him?


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

I would let all of the fish settle for several weeks.

I'm not too familiar with A. Calliptera. Are sexed females readily available?


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## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

My online supplier sexes fish before they ship them if they have any in stock that are large enough. I've always gotten the correct M:F ratios from them and they've always had A. Calliptera available so far.

I guess I'll leave the A. Calliptera in his 10 gallon for a couple more months. I've just now started the cycling process of the 55 gallon, which will take a while. Then I will have to order my stock and let them settle for a few weeks, as you have suggested before trying to add my A. Calliptera. Poor guy. He's probably going nuts in that little tank, but I would rather be safe than sorry. Thanks for the suggestions.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

The reason I suggested allowing your new fish to settle in is to allow them to establish a hierarchy. If your Calliptera male is as crazy as you say, adding him this way may give you a better chance. Buy him a whole mess of females. He may be so excited when you add him, he may not even notice the other smaller mbuna. Good luck.

Btw... Do you have a picture of him? Such a pretty fish.


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## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

Thanks for your help. I will do just that 

I don't have a picture of him readily available, but I do have this video. This was my most recent attempt to put him back in my all male peacock/hap tank. He hadn't been in the tank for 3 months. This video was taken exactly 10 minutes after releasing him into the tank. He had already upset the rankings in the tank and claimed his spot as boss. This dude means business! But he is beautiful.


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## Michael_S (Aug 18, 2013)

Can't go wrong with Life Lock Protection in the background :lol: 
Nice fish btw


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## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

Thanks!

Another possible stocking question - how does this look?

A. Calliptera - 1M:6F
Metriclima Estherae (Cherry red Zebra) 1M:4F
Labidochromis sp. Hongi 1M:4F

I had originally preferred Yellow Top Mbamba over the Hongi, but in a private conversation with another user he suggested the Mbamba wouldn't be a good fit because they were more timid than my Calliptera and the Red Zebras and that the Hongi would hold his own better. I just wanted to gather some more opinions on this


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

10 minutes? Wow. He does mean business! He is very pretty. So were the rest of your guys.

Any way you could get a 75 instead, or do you already have another 55?


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

Michael_S said:


> Just wondering, why do you love this calliptera so much if he is a meany?
> Honestly, I would ditch him and make a nice saulosi tank.


Take the calliptera to a club and ditch him while he's talking to girls .

Seriously though why risk it? A saulosi tank would be beautiful. Why don't you just set a 55 up for them exclusively and rehome the a hole?
I just watched your video, and that fish is ridiculously aggressive. Why keep it at all? It clearly won't allow the other fish to be at peace. 
Why make a whole tank of fish uncomfortable, stressed, and possibly ill for the sake of one jerk fish? I could understand if it was AAA quality and you'd won best in show with it but it's just an average fish.


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## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

I've already got two 55's - my plan is to try it with the Zebras and Hongi. If it's obviously not going to work, I'll put him back in his time-out tank and set up the other 55 for him and his ladies. I want to keep him if I can. I just really like him. I'm not sure if you read all of my posts, but I did try getting rid of him for a while, but nobody will take him since he's so mean!


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## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

Besides - you never know if something is going to work until you try it, right? Maybe giving him so many females will distract him enough that he'll ignore the other Mbuna. Also, maybe he was just way too aggressive for my peacocks and haps, but putting him in with similarly-mannered fish may put him in his place a little and he may not claim dominance so easily. He actually seems shy in the 10 gallon. He runs and hides in his cave when anyone approaches the tank. I don't see the harm in giving it a try if I have a back-up plan in place - unless the overwhelming majority just thinks it's a really bad idea. I've held on to him for so long and the entire purpose of setting up this second tank was to try to find something that would work with him. Seems a shame to not at least try it.


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## Austinite (Jul 27, 2013)

can't believe that video, he is something else!

what did you decide to do? any updates?


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## laney_miller85 (Jan 8, 2013)

I've decided to try him with some cherry red Zebras and Hongi. We'll see how he does. I'm going to add the Hongi and Zebras and all three species of females to the tank a good while before I add him so they can establish a hierarchy. If that still doesn't work out I have another 55 gallon ready to set up that I can dedicate to my Calliptera and his females. We'll see. The new tank is still cycling so I don't have any updates yet. It will be a while still before I'll be adding fish, but I will update this thread as soon as I know something


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Looking forward to seeing how it goes. Good luck!


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