# New Project



## rsugelsr (Feb 17, 2014)

Hello Folks,
1st time poster, although I have lurked for a number of years. I have a 210g tank in my home office. This tank has been a planted discus tank for the last half dozen years and I am bored with the discus. As the discus mature their activity gets less and less, I'm tired of each year selling the adults and replacing with juves just to keep some activity in the tank. So I've decided to switch gears and set it up as an African community tank. The tank is sump filtered with an algae scrubber and a 10,000K single LED fixture. Water changes have been 25% every other day with RO, thinking I can change that to 50% once per week. Everything is plumbed up for the RO and a 100g pre-heated WC storage tank. Don't plan on changing that. I have kept Africans in the past but it was usually species specific with 1 male and a harem in a 40 breeder. Have never done a community of Africans. Looking for colorful, active around 5 inch max size for this set up. I'd appreciate suggestions for stocking this tank.

Thanks,
Ray


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

If you plan to keep Rift Lake cichlids, I don't think you'll need the RO. If anything, people sometimes add buffer to raise the kH and pH from tap water.


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## rsugelsr (Feb 17, 2014)

Thanks zimmy. I know I'll have to reconstitute it but I've already expended the $$ and plumbed it up for the discus. And yes, I'm looking at Malawi and/or Victoria species.

Thanks,
Ray


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What are the dimensions of the 210G?


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## rsugelsr (Feb 17, 2014)

Roughly 72" x 24" x 30" (width x depth x height)


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

For max color, activity and max 5" I'd choose mbuna. Do your harem times six depending on the species you choose. Here is one idea:
1m:7f Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos maingano
1m:7f Metriaclima msobo
1m:7f Pseudotropueus acei Ngara
1m:7f Labeotropheus trewavasae Mpanga
1m:7f Cynotilapia sp hara
1m:7f Iodotropheus sprengerae

PS some of these are over 5" but none are over 7".


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## rsugelsr (Feb 17, 2014)

Thanks DJ. Wow 48 fish, didn't think that many would be possible but that should give me what I'm looking for.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If you chose haps or peacocks or different species or all male I would not go that high. But the 24" width buys you a little more room. You could do 1m:4f on all but the maingano and labeotropheus.


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## rsugelsr (Feb 17, 2014)

In my research I've seen two schools of thought regarding the environment. Either provide no hiding spots (like rocks stacked) so they can't claim territory and fight for it or provide many, MANY so there are enough for everyone to claim a place in the tank plus extras. Any thoughts?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

MANY rocks are natural for mbuna...I've never tried a bare tank for them.


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## rsugelsr (Feb 17, 2014)

Not thinking of a bare tank, used them for breeding discus and angels. Just not giving them areas to they feel they need to protect. Actually been looking a lot at a male-only set up. Although that would diminish some of their behavior (courting/breeding), it'd be a colorful group.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

For all-male I'd go haps and peacocks and start with 18 individuals in the tank...not all will color up and you will have less activity.


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